Florida State is on its way to Omaha, Nebraska, after the Seminoles triumphed over the UConn Huskies with a 10-8 victory in 12 innings on Saturday during Game 2 of the NCAA Tournament’s Tallahassee Super Regional, securing their spot in the College World Series.
FSU triumphed over UConn with a home run by James Tibbs III, marking his third in the game and bringing Max Williams home to secure a 10-8 lead in the top of the 12th inning. This victory marks the Seminoles’ 24th trip to the College World Series and their first since 2019.
Tibbs surpassed his career-best with five hits, three homers, and six RBIs. Despite the five home runs at Dick Howser Stadium, UConn found ways to keep coming back the game.
After three scoreless innings, the Huskies recaptured momentum in a two-run home run by Luke Broadhurst in the fifth inning and three more runs in the sixth, having FSU trailing 7-6. Jaxson West homered in the top eight to make it a one-run lead. The game was even at 8 following UConn’s Matt Malcolm’s homer.
Jamie Arnold of FSU had a challenging day on the mound, yielding seven hits and six runs. However, over 5.1 innings, the left-hander achieved nine strikeouts without issuing any walks. Brennan Oxford relieved him for 2.1 innings, followed by Joe Charles. In the bottom of the eighth, UConn loaded the bases but failed to score.
Connor Hults was slated to close but faltered after yielding two hits and a home run. Conner Whittaker took over for Hults, pushing the game into extra innings. After Tibbs hit his third two-run homer in the top of the 12th, Whittaker secured the game and the victory with a strikeout. The College World Series is set to commence on June 14 at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.
