No. 11 FSU and No. 10 NC State Set for Rubber Match at Howser

The Seminoles and Wolfpack are tied 1-1 in the series ahead of the Sunday afternoon matchup.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 3:49pm

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No. 11 Florida State baseball (18-4, 4-1 ACC) and No. 10 NC State (18-5, 3-2 ACC) are set for a rubber match on Sunday afternoon at Dick Howser Stadium. The Seminoles evened the series on Saturday with an 11-5 win, led by Myles Bailey's two home runs and a sixth-inning grand slam from Brayden Dowd. Starting pitchers for the finale are RHP Heath Andrews (21.1 IP, 2.11 ERA) for FSU and RHP Bryson Moore (22.2 IP, 3.57 ERA) for NC State.

Why it matters

This series between two top-15 ACC baseball teams has major implications for the conference standings and NCAA Tournament seeding. The winner of the rubber match will gain an important edge in the race for a top-4 ACC finish and potential national seed.

The details

On Saturday, Myles Bailey hit his 11th and 12th home runs of the season for FSU, extending his streak to four straight games with a homer. Brayden Dowd also hit a sixth-inning grand slam to break the game open. Brodie Purcell earned the save for the Seminoles. For NC State, Bryson Moore has a 3.57 ERA through five starts, including a strong outing last week against Wake Forest.

  • The series finale is scheduled for Sunday, March 22, 2026 at 1:02 p.m.

The players

Myles Bailey

A slugging outfielder for Florida State who has hit 12 home runs this season.

Brayden Dowd

The Florida State center fielder hit a crucial sixth-inning grand slam in Saturday's win.

Brodie Purcell

The Seminoles' relief pitcher earned the save in Saturday's victory.

Bryson Moore

The NC State right-handed starting pitcher has a 3.57 ERA through five starts this season.

Heath Andrews

The Florida State right-handed starting pitcher has a 2.11 ERA in four appearances this year.

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What they’re saying

“We must come out focused and ready to compete for the full nine innings tomorrow. NC State is a very talented team and we know they will be hungry to win the series.”

— Mike Martin Jr., Florida State Head Coach

What’s next

The winner of Sunday's rubber match will gain an important edge in the ACC standings and potentially improve their NCAA Tournament seeding.

The takeaway

This series between two top-15 ACC baseball teams has major implications, with the winner of the rubber match on Sunday gaining a key advantage in the race for a top-4 conference finish and national seed.