TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State baseball closed out its home regular season in emphatic fashion on Saturday, defeating the Miami Hurricanes 7-3 at Dick Howser Stadium to clinch a series sweep and lock in a double-bye for the ACC Tournament. The victory moves the Seminoles into the top four of the ACC standings, rewarding a strong finish to the conference schedule and setting up an advantageous path through the postseason bracket.
FSU starter Jamie Arnold delivered six innings of composed work, limiting Miami's potent lineup to two earned runs while striking out eight. The Seminoles' offense came alive in the fourth inning, stringing together four consecutive hits to break a 1-1 tie and never look back. Designated hitter Daniel Cantu went 3-for-4 with two RBI, providing the kind of consistent production that has defined Florida State's lineup throughout conference play.
The double-bye means Florida State will not take the field until the tournament's third round, a significant rest advantage in the heat of a May tournament that can wear down pitching staffs quickly. Head coach Link Jarrett praised his team's focus heading into the weekend series, noting that the Seminoles understood exactly what was at stake. 'This group competed all weekend the way we expect Seminole baseball to compete,' Jarrett said after Saturday's final out. 'Earning a double-bye is a reward for the entire season.'
Miami, meanwhile, slips to a middle-seed position in the ACC bracket and will need to navigate an extra round to reach the tournament's later stages. The Hurricanes' offense, which entered the series averaging over six runs per game in ACC play, was held in check by a Florida State pitching staff that recorded 21 strikeouts across the three-game set.
The ACC Tournament is scheduled for next week in Durham, North Carolina, at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Florida State's double-bye gives the program additional time to set its rotation and rest key arms — a crucial edge as the Seminoles eye their first ACC Tournament title since 2021 and build toward an NCAA Regional host bid.