The 14th-ranked Florida State Seminoles are knocking on the door of history, and they did it in style on Friday night at Clemson’s Doug Kinsmore Stadium—a venue that has been anything but friendly to them in recent years.
Two years ago, the Seminoles were swept here in heartbreaking fashion, and they had lost their last four series on the road against the Tigers. But a hot start and a resilient finish changed the narrative. FSU jumped out to a 7-2 lead, scoring in four of their first five innings, and held on for an 8-4 victory in the series opener. They are now just one win away from their first series win at Clemson since 2014—a milestone that feels long overdue.
The game wasn’t without drama. Clemson loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, bringing the tying run to the plate. But reliever Payton Manca, stepping in for an injured closer John Abraham, delivered a clutch flyout to seal the win. It was the kind of finish that keeps fans on the edge of their seats and builds championship-level confidence.
The top of the FSU order was the engine behind the offense. The first four batters combined for seven hits, with Brayden Dowd (three runs), Brody DeLamilleure (a home run and three RBIs), and Hunter Carns (two RBIs) each collecting two hits. Their ability to string together hits and put up crooked numbers was the key difference in the game. While Clemson scored in singles, the Seminoles answered every Tigers push with multiple runs.
Junior left-hander Wes Mendes was masterful on the mound, delivering his fourth double-digit strikeout performance of the season with 10 Ks. He allowed three runs on five hits over six innings, walking two, and picked up his ninth win of the year. His command and composure kept Clemson at bay, even when the Tigers threatened.
The game started with a bang: Carns’ RBI single put FSU ahead 1-0 in the first. They added three more in the third, sparked by Carter McCulley’s leadoff single (extending his hit streak to five games). Dowd, DeLamielleure, and Carns followed with consecutive one-out singles, and Nathan Cmeyla’s sacrifice fly to deep center made it 4-0. Clemson answered with a run in the bottom of the third, but FSU responded immediately with a two-run homer from John Stuetzer—his eighth of the season and third in the last five games.
The Tigers pulled another run back in the fourth, but it wasn’t enough to derail the Seminoles’ momentum. With the win, FSU extends its streak to six games and keeps its ACC title hopes alive. For a team that has struggled in this ballpark, Friday’s victory was a statement: the Seminoles are ready to change the narrative, one win at a time.