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FSU baseball aims for a rare week against UF, also eyes UM this week
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- FSU baseball aims for a rare week against UF, also eyes UM this week
For Florida State baseball and its fans, it doesn't get any better at Howser Stadium.
It's Rivalry week for the No. 10 Seminoles (26-5).
FSU plays four games in five days, starting Tuesday night against the Florida Gators and ending Saturday against the Miami Hurricanes.
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The Seminoles have won both games against Florida this season, beating the Gators 12-8 in Gainesville March 12 and 14-3 in eight innings in Jacksonville March 26.
FSU has won the regular-season series against UF for the first time since 2015 and is aiming for a rare sweep.
The Seminoles swept the Gators in a two-game series in 2002; they last swept their rival in three games in 2000.
The Gators (17-14) are scuffling and riding a three-game losing streak, falling in an SEC series at Missouri 2-1 in 11 innings, 4-3 and 11-10 last weekend.
UF, which has dropped to No. 24 in the polls, is 5-6 in road games this season. FSU, meanwhile, is 18-1 at Howser Stadium.
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FSU-UF baseball game at Howser Stadium is sold out
The sold-out FSU-UF game starts at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN2. FSU baseball alumni Devon Travis will be part of the broadcast team.
First baseman Daniel Cantu is 6-for-7 in two games this year against Florida, including five RBI in Jacksonville. Second baseman Drew Faurot also had five RBI in Jacksonville, on a pair of home runs, including a grand slam.
FSU is scheduled to start John Abraham, who set career highs with 3.1 scoreless innings and five strikeouts against the Gators in Jacksonville.
Among the festivities, the Marching Chiefs will perform beginning at 6 p.m. in the right field bleachers and remain throughout the game.
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After the Gators, the Seminoles then follow with a three-game ACC series starting Thursday against UM (15-16 overall, 6-9 ACC),
The Hurricanes are unranked and were also swept this past weekend by Duke.
UM, which is at home Tuesday against Florida Atlantic, is on a six-game losing streak.
FAU beat UM 3-0 in the pair's midweek game last week.
FSU's James Tibbs III and Jamie Arnold lead the nation
Outfielder James Tibbs III leads the country with 52 RBI and 1.68 RBI per game after adding seven more rat Boston College last weekend. ibbs is fourth with 104 total bases and eighth with an .860 slugging percentage.
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Starting pitcher Jamie Arnold leads the country with a 0.94 ERA. Arnold has only allowed multiple earned runs once this year. Arnold is also top-10 nationally in WHIP (6th, 0.84), wins (7th, 6) and strikeouts (8th, 69).
The Seminoles, who missed the NCAA Tournament last season and are coming off their worst season in program history, were the No. 3 overall seed in Baseball America's midseason NCAA Tournament projection last week.
D1Baseball had FSU as the No. 7 overall seed.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU baseball set to host Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes at Howser
