Martin's reply to the FSU baseball woes, from Warchant.com
It has been seven years since Florida State has dropped consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference series. Even so, Seminoles coach Mike Martin understands the importance of composure.
Martin doesn't expect his club to panic as it returns to practice in preparation for this weekend's series against rival Miami.
The Seminoles (28-10, 3-6 ACC) dropped two of three at Wake Forest, losing Sunday in the ninth inning on a two-run, pinch-hit homer off reliever Eric Roman. FSU was swept in three games at North Carolina two weekends ago.
"I am not frustrated," Martin said Monday morning.
"I am disappointed because we've had some games that we played pretty well and gotten beat and yesterday (Sunday) was one of them. Yesterday was very, very disappointing. You just have to keep everything in perspective. We are just over the halfway mark (in the regular season).
"There's an awful lot of baseball left to be played and we can't think things are going so bad that we can't turn it around. There's nothing wrong with our team. In fact, we are pretty good. The only thing is, so are about seven or eight other teams we've played this year."
Even so, Martin admits he's contemplating changes with FSU's pitching staff, namely dropping Roman (0-2) from the closer's role. Roman threw just one pitch Sunday, surrendering the game-winning home run to pinch-hitter Stephen Ghutzman. It was Ghutzman's first home run of the season and the only time all game that Wake Forest held a lead.
Roman also struggled in previous conference games at Virginia and UNC.
"I don't know if I want to relegate Eric Roman to a middle relief (role), but I think I am gonna have to just to get him back on track," Martin said. "I think he's literally in state a shock right now having pitched like he has the last four outings and then, yesterday (Sunday) of course, I am sure that was unsettling, unnerving. But this guy can pitch. He's very important to us and we just have to get him in the right spot for some outings."
The Hurricanes (17-13), meanwhile, dropped two of three in Coral Gables last weekend against Elon. Javy Rodriguez's two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted UM to a 5-4 victory Sunday and snapped the Phoenix's 14-game winning streak. It was only the second time this season the 'Canes won when trailing after eight innings.
"This is obviously a great series," Martin said. "It's a year that both teams are not playing. ... I shouldn't say. I don't know how they are playing. We are playing pretty good, we are just getting beat. We are not stinking it up. There are going to be a lot of clubs that lose ballgames and still be looked at as a good club.
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