Tibbs’ Career Day Sends Noles to College World Series – Florida State University

TALLAHASSEE – ACC Player of the Year James Tibbs III broke an 8-8 tie in the top of the 12th inning with his third home run of the day, leading Florida State (47-15) to a 10-8 victory over UConn (35-26) in Game 2 of the Tallahassee Super Regional.
 
The Seminoles advance to the 2024 College World Series, marking the 24th appearance in program history and first since 2019.
 
Tibbs, who became the first Seminole since Stephen Cardullo in 2010 to hit three home runs in a single game, broke the stalemate on a 1-0 count after Max Williams singled to start the inning. Tibbs also set a new career high with five hits and tied a career high with six RBI.
 
Trailing 2-0 in the third inning, Tibbs tied the game with a two-run home run, his first of the postseason. Tibbs gave FSU a 4-2 lead with a two-run blast in the fifth inning, a shot that was quickly followed by Marco Dinges’ solo home run for a 5-2 FSU lead.
 
The back-and-forth affair continued in the middle innings, with the Huskies hitting a two-run home run off Jamie Arnold in the bottom of the fifth and taking the lead on a three-run double in the sixth inning.
 
Leading off the bottom of the eighth, Jaxson West hit his second home run of the season, knotting the game at 7-7.
 
In the top of the ninth, the Seminoles went ahead after Drew Faurot hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Jordan Williams to give FSU an 8-7 lead. UConn tied the game with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth, sending the contest to extra innings.
 
Arnold struck out nine batters in 5.1 innings. Conner Whittaker picked up the win, his fifth of the season, working 3.2 innings, facing 12 batters, striking out three and giving up one hit. He sent FSU to the College World Series with his third strikeout, improving to 5-0 on the year.
 
SCORING SUMMARY:
B1 | UCONN 1, FSU 0                           Broadhurst singled, Shpur scored
B1 | UCONN 2, FSU 0                           Morton doubled, Tammaro scored
T3 | UCONN 2, FSU 2                           Tibbs III home run, Smith scored
T5 | UCONN 2, FSU 4                            Tibbs III home run, Smith scored
T5 | UCONN 2, FSU 5                           Dinges home run
B5 | UCONN 4, FSU 5                           Broadhurst home run, Tammaro scored
T6 | UCONN 4, FSU 6                           Williams home run
B6 | UCONN 7, FSU 6                           Broadhurst doubled, Tammaro, Studley, Minnick scored
B7 | UCONN 7, FSU 7                           Jaxson West home run
T9 | UCONN 7, FSU 8                           Farout flied out to left, J. Williams scored
B9 | UCONN 8, FSU 8                           Malcom home run
T12 | UCONN 8, FSU 10                      Tibbs III home run, Williams scored
 
OF NOTE:

• Florida State advanced to the College World Series for the 24th time in school history.
• James Tibbs III hit his 26th, 27th, and 28th home runs of the season. Tibbs’ 28 home runs are the most since Marshall McDougall also hit 28 in 1999. He ties McDougall for the fifth-highest total in program history. His 96 RBI this season rank seventh in FSU history and most since McDougall’s 106 in 1999.
• Tibbs III went 5-of-6, setting a career-high.
• Tibbs III’s two-run home run that broke the 8-8 tie in the 12^th inning was the first Seminole to hit three home runs in a single game since Stephen Cardullo in 2010.
• With his nine strikeouts, Jamie Arnold passed the 150 barrier for a single season bringing his total to 155. It is the most for a Seminole since Paul Wilson in 1994 – a No. 1 MLB draft pick who struck out 163. 
• The Seminoles’ 24-win improvement extends the largest year-over-year jump in program history; the previous (non-Covid) best was a 13-win bump from 2001 (47) to 2002 (60).
• FSU’s six home runs brough the team total to 123, 64 more than last year. It is the third-highest tally in program history. The Noles have hit a home run in 15 consecutive games and in 57 of 62 this year. It is the fourth-longest streak in school history;

FSU Single-Season HR
146, 1985 (82 games)
131, 1982 (74 games)
123, 2024 (62 games)

• FSU hit a season high six home runs, the first time since 2019. It was FSU’s 36th multi-homerun game in 2024.FSU also hit five home runs on Friday against the Huskies.
• Cam Smith’s 79 runs scored are the most for a Seminole since Taylor Walls finished second in the country with 82 in 2017.
• Max Williams went 3-for-7 with his 13th home run of the season and fourth of the postseason, most on the team. Williams has a 16-game on base streak.
• The Seminoles closed the season at Dick Howser Stadium 32-4.

 
UP NEXT:
Florida State will advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. The Noles will open Friday against the winner of Sunday’s Tennessee-Evansville game.
 
For more information on Florida State baseball, check Seminoles.com for the latest news and scheduling information, and keep up with the team on social media through X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) & Instagram (@NoleBaseball).