Stanford Cardinal star pitcher Mark Appel started the week off by falling from his presumed perch at the top of the 2012 MLB Draft all the way to the No. 8 overall pick. He ended it with his worst start of the 2012 season, as his Cardinal fell 17-1 to the Florida State Seminoles in the first game of the best-of-three Super Regional in Tallahassee.
Appel lasted only four innings on Friday night, allowing five hits and five earned runs, all of which came during a seven-run fourth inning for FSU (two of those runs were not charged to Appel). Most troublingly, Appel had serious issues with his control, walking in two runs and four batters in total. The Cardinal hitters were of little help, scoring only one run on seven hits despite the presence of high draft picks Stephen Piscotty and Kenny Diekroeger.
The Cardinal will have to win the final two games of the series to reach the College World Series in Omaha. FSU, meanwhile, can punch their ticket with a win on Saturday.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For a complete bracket, visit NCAA.com.