FCSAA Wild Card Game Preview: Tallahassee vs. Seminole State

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (April 28, 2014) – After two stirring comebacks – one in the Panhandle Conference standings, the other in last Friday's regular season finale at Gulf Coast State College – Tallahassee Community College's baseball season has moved to Palatka, Fla., for Monday's inaugural wild card round of the FCSAA Baseball Tournament. 

Tallahassee, who chased down Northwest Florida State College in the league standings by erasing a three-game deficit over the season's final four days, grabbed the PC's wild card berth and will face its counterpart from the Mid-Florida Conference, Seminole State College, at 5 p.m. in a one-game playoff for the right to move on to Lakeland, Fla., for the traditional FCSAA Tournament, which is now expanded to ten teams. 

Monday's game will be played at St. Johns River State College. 

The Eagles, 6-11 in PC play just a week ago, defeated Northwest Florida State on April 22 to pull within two games of the Raiders. Then, Tallahassee swept a pair of season-ending games from Gulf Coast State – the second after rallying from a 5-1 deficit to claim an 8-5 win – while Chipola College did the same against Northwest Florida State. 

The result: Tallahassee and Northwest Florida State both finished with 9-11 marks in league play, but the Eagles won the tie-breaker by claiming a 3-2 advantage in the season series. 

Seminole State didn't have to chase anyone down to punch its postseason ticket but the Raiders didn't lock up the MFC's wild card berth until the next to last day of the regular season. 

Seminole State brings a 23-18-1 record into Monday's game. The Raiders finished 13-11 in league play, well behind conference champion St. Johns River State (20-4 MFC) and runners-up College of Central Florida (17-7). 

Neither Tallahassee nor Seminole State are currently ranked in the FCSAA Baseball Coaches' Poll although both teams have spent time in the top ten during the season, including two separate stints at No. 1 by Tallahassee. 

Seminole State boasts a deep pitching staff, including a pair of arms who have caught the attention of major league scouts. 

Righthanders Jake Cosart and Gianni Zayas could hear their names called in the early rounds of the 2014 draft. In fact, they were ranked Nos. 2 and 7, respectively, on Perfect Game's Top 200 JUCO Prospects list. 

Tallahassee is expected to counter with freshman righty Logan Elliot, who threw a complete-game in the win over Northwest Florida State that started the Eagles' comeback. 

If you're looking for ways to compare the two teams, you may be hard-pressed. There were only three common opponents on the teams' 2014 schedules – Seminole's MFC rivals Florida State College at Jacksonville, Santa Fe College and St. Johns River State. 

Tallahassee went a combined 3-1 against the trio – sweeping a pair of games from Florida State College, losing to Santa Fe and beating St. Johns River State. 

Seminole State, meanwhile, had a 7-5 combined record. The Raiders won the season against Florida State College, 3-1, and split the four-games against both Santa Fe and St. Johns River State.