AP Sports Preview

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Interstat) — The Florida State Seminoles host the South Florida Bulls in a midweek non-conference matchup Wednesday evening at Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. under partly cloudy skies with a temperature of 72 degrees.

Florida State (29-14) carries a slight edge in the win column over South Florida (28-15), but both teams enter having dropped their most recent series. The Seminoles lost two of three at Stanford, falling 7-4 on Sunday despite 4.0 innings of one-run relief from right-hander Bryson Moore. The Bulls were swept on the road at East Carolina, capped by a 12-4 defeat Saturday.

Moore, a player to watch for Florida State, has been effective despite mixed results. He threw 7.0 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in a win over Virginia on April 4, but allowed two earned runs in 3.0 innings at Georgia Tech on April 11. His most recent outing at Stanford featured five strikeouts and one earned run over four frames.

South Florida counters with right-handed pitcher Will Allen, who has been sharp out of the bullpen. He tossed 2.0 scoreless innings with one strikeout against East Carolina on Saturday and allowed just one earned run over 2.0 innings in a win at Stetson on April 21. Allen has not allowed a hit in his last two appearances, covering 4.0 innings.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-4 Florida State victory, and the ELO system gives the Seminoles a 78 percent probability of winning.

The Seminoles will look to build on recent home success, while the Bulls aim to end a three-game skid. Both teams open conference series at home Friday, with South Florida hosting Florida Atlantic and Florida State welcoming Pittsburgh.