������Ƶ

Florida State was just 180 feet away from taking a 2-0 in the second, but weren't able to capitalize on the two-out rally.

Knaak made quick work of first baseman Bailey and third baseman Fisher, but second baseman Faurot showed signs of life after reaching first on an error by Clemson shortstop Andrew Cuifo. 

Chase Williams kept the party going during the next at-bat, ripping a double down the left field line with two strikes to put runners on second and third. Catcher Jaxson West ended the inning, though, hitting a fly out to left.

Jamie Arnold has found his rhythm. 

After a nerve-racking first and walking left fielder Dominic Listi to start the second, Arnold sat down catcher Jacob Jarrell, right fielder Jack Creighton and shortstop Andrew Ciufo.

Cuifo was initially called out on three pitches after the home plate umpire said he stuck out his elbow on an 0-2 count. The call was reviewed and changed to a foul ball, but two pitches later, Arnold struck him out swinging.

After getting center fielder Cam Cannarella to ground out to shortstop to start the game, left-hander Jamie Arnold gave up his first hit of the game to third baseman Josh Paino, who hit a double off the left center wall .

Designated hitter Collin Priest moved Paino over to third with a fly out to center, but Arnold responded by forcing first baseman Luke Gaffney to ground out and get out of the inning. 

Here are the starting lineups for Game 1 of No. 3 Clemson at No. 5 Florida State: 

Almost ready to get this top-5 series underway at Howser!

📺 ACC Network,
📻 WFLA 100.7 FM, FSU Gameday App &
📊
📰

— FSU Baseball (@FSUBaseball)

Friday Night Action 🐅

— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball)

The Seminoles have multiple players at the plate and on the mound ranked top-five in ACC statistical categories, but don’t have a major series-wins to their name yet. They lost their first ranked series to Louisville last week and lost to in-state rival Florida. 

Clemson could provide that for Florida State, potentially cementing them as the conference’s head honcho. They’ve lost just four games at home this year and have arguably the best starting pitcher one-two punch in the county with left-handers’ junior Jamie Arnold and redshirt junior Joey Volini, both maintaining a sub-2.70 ERA.

Player to watch: Junior shortstop Alex Lodise 

If there’s an FSU player that should be in contention for ACC Player of the Year, Lodise should be at the top of the list. The shortstop has been on a tear all season hitting .440 with 14 home runs and 15 doubles — top 10 in both categories in the conference. 

The Seminoles have numerous players that can do damage at the plate, but Lodise is the top name to keep an eye on.

Oh my, Lodi!! 🤯

Look out, , Alex Lodise sends one back to UofL's campus!

— FSU Baseball (@FSUBaseball)

The Tigers had been flawless in ACC play this season before last week. 7-2 in the last three series and a top-10 win over Georgia, the Tigers were on a roll before getting swept by the Wolfpack. 

The loss was Clemson’s first of the year, but they’ve proven to be one of the toughest teams to take down in high stakes situations. They are 17-1 in games decided by two or less runs even though only three players are batting over .300 and no pitcher with five or more starts has an ERA under 3.00.

Player to watch: Sophomore right-hander Aidan Knaak

Knaak has been Clemson’s Friday night starter all season after an incredible freshman year, but hasn’t found the same success in year two. He gave up eight runs in four innings to NC State during his last outing, upping his ERA to 4.8. 

However, the sophomore has shined at times, surrendering two or less runs in five of his 11 starts. He’ll be pivotal in the Tigers attempt to set the tone on the road.  

A career-high 1️⃣2️⃣strikeouts for !

T7 || UND 0, CU 2

🖥

— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball)

Clemson and Florida State hold the first and third-best overall records in the ACC and rank top 10 nationally in RPI, making this series even more enticing for college baseball fans. Here’s a look at how the Tigers and Seminoles stack up on paper.

Parentheses indicate national rank.

Want a quick rundown on the top-five ranked ACC series between Clemson and Florida State? Listen to sifoeeprocess.com’s Michella Chester preview the matchup and discuss how last year’s meeting played out.

College baseball preview: Clemson vs. FSU in a top-5 series