DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Fresh off a 30 run explosion against Maryland Eastern Shore Sunday, the Wildcats will next challenge the state of Florida's lone undefeated squad in the Florida State Seminoles, Wednesday, March. 5 in Tallahassee, Fla. 



Tuesday, March 5
Opponent: Florida State (11-0)
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Tallahassee, Fla. | Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium
Watch: https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/22a62ae9-b3e9-4c4f-a99f-e9396544a97b
Listen: https://seminoles.com/showcase?Live=294
Live Stats: http://statb.us/b/564770



The Wildcats capped off a four-game series sweep of former MEAC foe Maryland Eastern Shore with a historic offensive explosion that saw Bethune-Cookman pour on 30 runs on 15 hits in a 30-5 win, Sunday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

It marks the second-highest scoring output in program history - in the 2000 season, B-CU put up a 37-2 performance against a Howard baseball program that folded only a year later. 

30 runs is the most runs scored in a game for B-CU since the Cats smashed Delaware State, 25-9 on May 8, 2010. It is the most scored against UMES since a 23-3 win on April 27, 2008.

It is the most runs scored in a game in the tenure of head coach Jonathan Hernandez - the previous high mark was a 19-0 win over Grambling State in the 2022 SWAC tournament in Birmingham, Ala.

UMES put a pair of runners on in the first after two walks, but an Edwin Sanchez strikeout prevented the runners on second and third from crossing the plate

Bethune-Cookman opened the contest much as they had throughout the weekend series, plating four runs in the bottom of the first without recording a hit. The Cats opened the inning as Sergio Rivera reached on an error, and two straight walks loaded the bases with no one out.

Armani Newton pushed the first of many runs across in the contest on a sacrifice fly before another walk and a wild pitch saw Michael Rodriguez cross the plate to make it 2-0. Another bases-loaded walk, this time by Darryl Lee, followed by a Jeter Polledo sacrifice fly made it 4-0 at the end of the first. 

B-CU grabbed another run in the second, again loading the bases with three walks. Jorge Rodriguez made it 5-0 on a full-count walk that allowed Michael Rodriguez to score yet again as B-CU went up 5-0. 

UMES jumped back into the game in the top of the third with two singles, followed by a two-out triple that scored a pair, and another RBI knock to make it 5-3. 

The Wildcat onslaught began in the bottom of the third. After a one-out walk, Sergio Rivera recorded the Wildcats first hit of the game before a Michael Rodrigez fielder's choice and a Hawk error made ti a 6-3 lead for the Cats.

B-CU loaded the bases again after another walk and a hit-by-pitch before a strikeout made it two outs in the frame. B-CU proceeded to score eight runs with help from three more hits, two more walks, and a hit batter, with RBI from Jorge Rodrigez, Jeter Polledo, Plascencia, and Daniel Figueroa on the way to a 14-3 lead. 

Sanchez responded with two strikeouts in a clean fourth. 

B-CU one-upped their third inning efforts with a 10 spot in the fourth, doing so again with only three hits as the UMES bullpen struggled for answers. The Hawks sent three different arms to the mound in the frame.

Three walks - two of them on four pitches - loaded the bases yet again for the Wildcats with just one out. B-CU marched four runs in all on bases-loaded walks to push the lead to 18-3. The first hit of the frame came courtesy of Jorge Rodriguez, who scored Peter Vazquez to make it 19-3. 

A Christian Watson single one batter later made it 20 runs for the Cats, and another bases-loaded walk made it 21-3 with two outs in the inning. 

Jorge Rodriguez came to the plate for a second tiime in the inning, doubling to left field scoring two before Polledo made it 24-3 on a sacrifice fly. 

The Hawks took one back on a dropped throw by now-first baseman Jorge Rodriguez for their fourth run of the game in the top of the fifth. 

Watson added another RBI in the fifth with another single for run number 25 on the day. 

Even as B-CU emptied the bench in the sixth, the runs kept coming, as B-CU recored five runs on six hits in the sixth. Polledo made it six RBI on the day with an RBI double, with Martinez, Figueroa, and Watson notching RBi of their own. Jorge Rodriguez tied Polledo in the RBI department with a two-run single to close out the 30-run explosion for B-CU. 

UMES did not quit in the seventh, loading the bases off the B-CU bullpen and sneaking in one more run on a hit batter in the 30-5 loss. 

Edwin Sanchez made the start for B-CU allowing three runs - all earned - on five hits with three walks and eight strikeouts. 

Isaiah Duccassee and Angel Lopez closed things out from the pen, allowing a run with two walks and five strikeouts between them. 




Florida State is a perfect 11-0 heading into a Tuesday matchup with UNF. The Seminoles swept through series with Georgetown, Penn, and James Madison, with midweek wins over Jacksonville and USF spread in between. 

Coming off a College World Series appearance in 2024, the Seminoles are ranked No. 9 in the preseason top-25 by D1Baseball and No. 6 by Baseball America, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), the USA Today Coaches Poll, Perfect Game and Baseball Central. The Athletic ranked FSU at No. 7.

The Seminoles were picked to finish second in the ACC Preseason Coaches' poll.

The Seminoles have scored 135 runs to 62 allowed through eleven games, hitting .342 as a team with 14 homers. Junior infielder Alex Lodise has led the way at the plate in 11 starts, hitting .438 with four homers and 10 RBI. The Seminoles have three other hitters with double-digit RBI on the early season. 

On the mound, FSU arms have combined for a 1.97 ERA. in 96 innings, they have allowed 21 runs on 62 hits with only 40 walks to 132 strikeouts. 

• The Wildcats rank fourth in the SWAC in homers with nine as a team. B-CU finished the 2024 season with 25 total as a team. 
• B-CU has taken 28 hit-by-pitches, the most in the SWAC.
• The B-CU pitching staff has struck out 121 batters combined, the most in the SWAC by nearly 30 punchouts. 

Wednesday marks the ninth-ever meeting between FSU and B-CU. Florida State has won all eight meetings, most recently a 5-2 win over the Wildcats on April 3, 2024 in Tallahassee. 


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