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Noles Baseball Not Looking Too Far Ahead

By SCOTT CARTER The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 11, 2007

TALLAHASSEE - Even at 63 and with more than 1,450 career victories on his resume, Florida State baseball coach Mike Martin isn't immune to learning new lessons.

A year ago, Martin really liked his team for much of the season. He expected big things from the Seminoles, who were cruising along at 32-4 and ranked near the top of the polls. Then they ran into turbulence, some of it fueled by a divided clubhouse. Before Martin knew it, he was walking off Foley Field at the University of Georgia with an empty feeling in his gut.

A once-promising season was over after FSU lost a three-game series at Georgia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. It was the Noles' earliest postseason exit in nine years. Fast forward nearly a year, and Martin, sitting peacefully in FSU's dugout as he watches the start of practice, has a different outlook. The second-ranked Noles (42-7, 20-4 ACC) are off to the best start in school history and have been ranked either No. 1 or 2 in the polls most of the season.

And Martin could not care less.

"I have not gotten the least bit excited all year long, and will not until it's over with," he said. "I don't care where the season is, I will not, because I was so crushed [last year]."

FSU's late-season collapse in 2006 - the Noles staggered home losing 17 of their final 29 games - extended the program's streak of failing to reach the College World Series to six years, by far the longest stretch of Martin's 28 seasons.

Despite the disappointment of a year ago, Martin hasn't used what happened as a teaching tool for this year's team. He has left that for the players to figure out themselves.

"I haven't said a word to the guys," Martin said. "This club has a very good grasp of the game. Nobody is taking anything for granted. This club is approaching it a lot differently than last year's club."

Starting pitcher Bryan Henry (12-0, 2.59 ERA) was around last season and felt as badly as Martin leaving the field at Georgia. He said there really is no comparison between last year's team and this year's, and fans shouldn't expect a repeat performance as FSU enters its final six games of the regular season.

"We've got guys with good heads on their shoulders, guys who know the game a little bit better," said Henry, who will start tonight's home game against Clemson. "It's not how you start; it's how you finish. We've concentrated a lot on finishing strong."

FSU's success can easily be found when browsing the NCAA hitting and pitching leaders. The Noles lead the nation with a .362 team batting average, highlighted by second baseman Tony Thomas Jr.'s team-leading .439 average, sixth in the nation. Henry's 12 victories are tied for second in the country, and the Noles' 3.31 ERA is ranked ninth. FSU is scoring an average of 9.2 runs a game, third in the country.

FSU won its first 20 games and ran its record to 23-0 - including a three-game sweep of Wake Forest in its opening series in ACC play - before finally losing to Jacksonville. The Noles quickly rebounded and have been consistent all season, marked by the fact they haven't lost back-to-back games all season. The last time FSU finished a season without losing two straight was 1986.

Catcher Buster Posey, who moved from shortstop to catcher this season to bolster the club, believes the Noles have answered any questions about whether their start was a fluke.

"Everybody questioned our schedule up to that point," he said. "I'd say since the start of the ACC, how much success we've had shows that we've got a solid team."

Martin may not be ready to get excited, but he can't argue Posey's point.

"I didn't see this coming," he said. "I thought we would be better than we were last year, but I had no way of knowing that we would have the record we have now."

Still, finishing with a sparkling record didn't top anyone's to-do list at the beginning of the season, nor did finishing ranked on top of the polls.

What FSU really wants is to end that CWS drought that is hanging over the program's head.

"If we can be the team to get us back there, we'd be remembered for a long time," Henry said.

Reporter Scott Carter can be reached at (850) 294-3088 or scarter@tampatrib.com.