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Video: Sunday Martin post-game Q&A
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The old idiom that the
third time is the charm proved to be true as the Florida State Seminoles
succeeded in taking the series finale with the Virginia Cavaliers 9-8 on
Sunday.
Florida State returned the favor winning the game in similar, comeback
fashion after failing to protect a five run lead in the ninth the
previous night. Tyler Holt came up with the big hit launching a two-run
line drive over the left field fence in the bottom of the eighth to put
the home side in the win column in conference play for the first time
this season.
After the debacle that was the final frame of Saturday night’s ball
game, Florida State’s head coach Mike Martin turned to a new arm to
close out Sunday’s contest. Martin liked what he saw enough to make the
change as permanent as possible.
“That was a big win for our program,” Martin said. “We talked earlier
today, Jamie (Shouppe) and I did about the possibility of moving Michael
(McGee) to the closing role. It was Jamie’s idea, and I liked it so we
said if the opportunity presents itself, we will do it. I was very, very
proud of the way he pitched. I’ll just tell you right now, Mike McGee is
now our closer. We will use him in the eighth and ninth similar to the
way that (Mariano) Rivera is used. We will use him in the eighth and
ninth, if we have to go get him in the seventh with two outs, we’ll do
it.”
As far as closers go, McGee comprises everything the Seminole’s manager
is looking for in a finishing pitcher.
“He’s receptive, poised, competitive,” explained Martin. “He’s special.
And he must have thought he was pitching today, because when he talked
about him moving to closer, he hit a home run in his first at bat.”
The Seminoles’ lineup had been frustrated to a point in each of the
previous two match ups, but on Sunday finally broke out for nine runs
over 13 hits. It was the first time Florida State registered 10 or more
hits since the previous Sunday against the University of Georgia.
Five different hitters notched multi-hit games including Tyler Holt,
James Ramsey, Mike McGee, Stuart Tapley, and Jayce Boyd. Holt, McGee,
and Tapley each contributed home runs to go along with it.
Holt, who came up with the game-clinching delivery, stressed that the
team came up with several instances of excellence that allowed them to
win the game.
“One moment is not the biggest,” Holt said. “To have Mike come in, to
have Stuart to hit the home run, McGee to hit a home run, it takes a
team effort and that’s what we’ve been preaching. It feels good to get
the monkey off our back and just to keep continuing.”
When Holt’s home run ball eventually cleared the left field fence, there
may have not been a more excited person in the stadium than his roommate
– Mike McGee.
For the junior from Port St. Lucie, that specific play ranks up there
with just about any during his time at Florida State.
“That was amazing,” said a delighted McGee. “I was so happy. I was about
as happy as I have been here in a long time. I can’t remember a more
exciting moment than that home run. That was major. That was awesome.”
“Up to this point,” that’s the biggest hit of the season for us,” Martin
added. “Your down one run, and it was monumental that he got something
going for us. I didn’t think it was out, but he must have thought it was
out because the way he kind of Cadillac’ed around first base.”
With the win, Florida State gets off the mark in the Atlantic Coast
Conference improving to 1-2 and 13-2 overall on the 2010 season.
Despite losing the series overall, the Seminoles were just one pitch
away from taking the three game set if they had successfully defended
their lead on Saturday. Regardless, Florida State has swung momentum
back in their favor heading into a mid-week clash with Florida on
Tuesday.
“I was just so happy to be able to come back from behind today,” said a
relieved Martin. “Last night was the most disappointing loss in 31 years
that I’ve had in this ball park.
“It was something we talked about inside. We were able to win this one,
and now we are going to Gainesville and then headed to North Carolina.
That is what made this so important for us.”
Robert Benincasa will take to the hill on Tuesday against Florida with
first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on March 16th. |
