Baseball
No. 10 Florida State won its series vs. Duke this weekend, starting things off Friday with a 3-1 win earned off the arm Wes Mendes, who tied his career high with 12 strikeouts over 6.2 shutout innings in front of a sold-out 6,700 white-out crowd at Dick Howser Stadium. The Seminoles clinched the series Saturday with a 12-11 comeback win, their third straight ACC series win to open the year:
Saturday’s win was overshadowed by a severe leg injury to first baseman Myles Bailey, who was taken off the
field on a stretcher. FSU announced Sunday that Bailey underwent successful surgery and will miss the remainder of the 2026 season:
Link Jarrett released a statement:
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Myles for a full, speedy recovery. I have not coached a player with a better combination of work ethic, character, and skill. His application of work allowed Myles to develop into a spectacular player both offensively and at first base. He has amazing parents, who molded him into a wonderful young man. Our medical team was fully engaged from the moment he was injured. He will recover from this injury and return to his dynamic form.”
The Seminoles (21-6, 7-2 ACC) hit the road for Stetson on Tuesday before heading to Virginia from April 2-4.
Softball
No. 10 Florida State swept Clemson on the road this weekend, outscoring the Tigers 15-6 across three games to extend the Seminoles’ winning streak to 21. FSU is now 31-4 overall and 9-0 in ACC play:
Sunday’s win gave head coach Lonni Alameda her 1000th career victory:
Football
Florida State held its first spring scrimmage Saturday, with head coach Mike Norvell offering his highest compliments to offensive skill players and the linebackers:
The quarterback competition continues to unfold for FSU, with Norvell not tipping his hand on either transfer Ashton Daniels or redshirt freshman Kevin Sperry:
“They were good. It’s a first scrimmage — good and bad really did show up on both of them. They both had explosive plays that showed up today, and there were also some plays that you just have to grow from. If you look back, I think Ashton had a really good first week. We’re grading everything. He’s placing the ball at a high percentage — today there were a couple we missed. I think Kevin has had a good first week too. There were some plays he was looking to clean up, and I thought he made a couple really nice throws on things he had missed earlier in the week — definitely a great response for him.“
“It’s a really good room, and those guys are battling. Today was a really solid day for them — because of the good, and then the things we have to get corrected.”
Norvell, asked to expand on Daniels as a person and competitor, said that he’s “been pleased with what he’s done within the locker room and how he operates on the field.”
“That was the thing that everybody pointed back to: take the talent and ability, but you add in the work ethic and the player, and I think that’s why you’ve seen the improvement he’s had,” Norvell said. “Just in the last year with the opportunities he got playing last season — with what I’m getting to see out on the practice field, the way the team works with him since he’s been here. He’s not afraid to speak his opinion, not afraid to call guys up to a standard. He’s definitely a guy who is pushing himself to show that leadership capability. He’s been good.“
The first preseason SP+ rankings are here, with Florida State coming in at No. 35.
As a reminder, SP+ is a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football, not a résumé ranking. Along those same lines, these projections aren’t intended to be a guess at what the AP Top 25 will look like at the end of the season. These are simply early offseason power rankings based on the information we have been able to gather.
1. Returning production. The returning production numbers are based on rosters I have updated as much as possible to account for transfers and attrition. Combine last year’s SP+ ratings and adjustments based on current returning production numbers, and you’re pretty far down the projections road.
2. Recent history. Using a chunk of information from previous seasons gives us a good measure of overall program health, even in this era of wild swings in quality. It still stands to reason that a team that has played well for only one year is less likely to duplicate that effort than a team that has been good — and has likely spent bigger on its roster — for years on end (and vice versa).
3. Recent recruiting. This piece informs us of the caliber of a team’s potential replacements (and/or new stars) in the lineup. It is determined by both the past few years of recruiting rankings and the quality of incoming transfers, though as you might have predicted while watching Indiana surge to the national title last season, this doesn’t carry nearly the weight that it once did. A decade or so ago, this piece made up about 20-25% of the preseason formula. Now it’s about 1-2%. That’s pretty incredible, isn’t it?
4. Coaching change effects. I referenced this in a recent piece. As it turns out, comparing last season’s output to a 20-year SP+ baseline gives us a pretty good idea of what’s going to happen when a team changes coaches (and/or coordinators). If you underachieved to an historic degree, like Oklahoma State did last season, a change is likely to bring with it significant improvement. (That’s doubly true when the new coach brings loads of high-productivity transfers with him, as OSU’s Eric Morris did.) And on the flip side, if you overachieved significantly against history, as Morris’ North Texas team did in 2025, you’re likely to take a pretty significant hit when the head coach leaves (along with most of his star talent). Adding this to the list of projection factors allows me to make SP+ a bit more nimble in an era when fortunes can change significantly with coaching changes.
The Seminoles sit as the sixth-best team in the ACC (No. 8 Miami, No. 23 Clemson, No. 27 Louisville, No. 28 SMU, and No. 32 Virginia Tech), with Florida sitting at No. 19.
All Sports
Florida State lacrosse fell 15-10 to No. 16 Duke on Sunday:
Freshman attacker Summer Harrell led the Seminoles offensively with four goals, marking the second four-goal performance of her career. Harrell now has 20 goals this season and is tied for second on the team with five multi-goal outings. Sophomore midfielder Meg Kenny extended her point streak to nine games, finishing with two goals and one assist. She continues to lead the team with 31 points, 22 goals and nine assists. Sophomore midfielder Lydia Ward recorded four points against the Blue Devils, tallying two goals and two assists. Ward now has five multi-goal games this season along with her second multi-assist performance.
Brooke Long and Sienna Cassella each added a goal for Florida State.
The opening quarter was a defensive battle. Duke struck first on a woman-up opportunity following an FSU green card, but Kenny quickly answered with her 21st goal of the season to even the score at 1-1. Neither team found the net during the final 12:42 of the quarter.
Kenny opened the second quarter by connecting with Harrell on a cut, as Harrell finished with an underhand shot to give FSU a 2-1 lead. Duke responded with two goals to regain the advantage before Ward set up Long to tie the game at 3-3. Cassella then took advantage of a Blue Devil turnover, going coast-to-coast to give the Seminoles a 4-3 lead. Duke answered with two goals before Harrell converted on a woman-up opportunity to tie the game for the third time. The Blue Devils closed the half with three straight goals to take an 8-5 lead into the break.
Florida State surged in the third quarter, outscoring Duke 3-1. Ward opened the half with an 8-meter goal, followed by a diving finish from Kenny to cut the deficit to one. Harrell completed her hat trick in the quarter off a pass from Long to tie the game at 8-8. Duke scored with 19 seconds remaining to take a 9-8 lead into the final period.
Duke opened the fourth quarter with two quick goals before Ward capitalized on a free-position chance after a Blue Devil yellow card to make it 11-9. After another Duke score, Harrell netted her fourth goal of the day for FSU’s final tally. The Blue Devils added three late goals to secure the 15-10 win.
FSU women’s golf heads to the Coach Mo Classic starting Monday in St. Augustine:
Ranked 16th in the Scoreboard poll, the Seminoles are one of two top 25 squads in the 15-team field. Sophia Fullbrook, who is ranked 23rd in the nation, finished 10-under, 206, winning the Florida State Match Up title last week.
As a team, Florida State secured its second victory of the season, winning the Florida State Match Up at home. The Noles ended the tournament 4-under, and Elin Pudas Remler followed with a top 10 finish, taking fourth place at 2-under.
Florida State will make its first ever appearance at the Coach Mo Classic, after the tournament began in 2025, with Purdue taking first place.
The Seminoles will play 36 holes on Monday and 18 on Tuesday. Play will begin at 8:30 a.m. on both days with a shotgun start.
No. 5 FSU beach volleyball went 3-0 at the Big 12 Preview in Fort Worth, defeating Boise State and No. 20 Arizona on Friday before topping No. 7 TCU 3-2 on Saturday to improve to 22-1:
FSU faced Boise State to open the Big 12 Preview after defeating the Broncos 3-2 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana last weekend. The Noles put together their 10th compete dual sweep, with Myriah Massey and Bailey Higgins starting the scoring on court five with sets at 21-14, 21-17.
Florida State expanded its win streak against the Wildcats to 3-0 with a 4-1 victory in their first conference showdown. Kyleene Filimaua and Saofe Duval made quick work and secured the first dual point, taking down Arizona’s fourth court 21-11, 21-14.
In their third meeting of the season, FSU faced conference rival TCU on the Horned Frogs home turf. The Noles managed to earn three dual points in two sets on courts one, two, and four. It was Gella Andrew and Maddie Trusty who clinched the match, outscoring Texas Christian’s court two pair by 26 points. Sets one and two ended 21-14, 21-12 respectively.
Florida State returns to Tallahassee for the FSU Challenge next weekend, taking on Jacksonville, LMU, and Southern Miss. The Seminoles will play their final home match of the 2026 season at 1:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 4.
No. 13 FSU men’s swimming and diving concluded the NCAA Championships with a 25th-place finish and 40 points, its third consecutive top-25 finish at NCAAs:
Seeded eighth and competing in the final heat of the 400 medley relay, the quartet of seniors Max Wilson and Tommaso Baravelli, sophomore Logan Robinson and junior Gustav Olsson clocked a 3:01.58 to place ninth overall. With the finish, the men secured All-America honors, awarded to the top 16 finishers.
Robinson finished fifth in the 200 butterfly and sophomore Carlos Vargas placed 16th on platform as the No. 13 Florida State swimming and diving team concluded competition at the 2026 Division I Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships at McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta. Robinson and Vargas helped Florida State to a 25th-place finish with 40 points. It’s the program’s third consecutive top-25 finish at the NCAA Championships, its longest stretch since an eight-year run from 2007-14.
After placing fourth in prelims, Robinson recorded a time of 1:39.44 in the 200 butterfly final to earn All-America honors, awarded to the top 16 finishers. His fifth-place finish is the best for the FSU men since the 200 and 400 freestyle relays both were fifth in 2019. Robinson’s performance also marks the best individual finish by a Florida State men’s swimmer or diver since Pavel Sankovich was the runner-up in the 100 butterfly in 2014, which also was the last time Florida State recorded a top-five finish in a butterfly event at the national meet. Additionally, today’s swim stands as the program’s best 200 butterfly finish, men’s or women’s, since Stephen Parry placed third in 1999.
Vargas added an All-America honor on platform, finishing 16th with a score of 349.90. In the 100 freestyle, senior Max Wilson placed 40th with a time of 43.04, while sophomore Michel Arkhangelsky touched the wall in 43.33 to finish 41st. Over the four-day meet, the Seminoles recorded one top-eight finish and earned five All-America honors. Eight student-athletes represented Florida State, including seniors Tommaso Baravelli, Utku Kurtdere and Max Wilson, who closed out their collegiate careers.
FSU track and field concluded the Terry Long FSU Relays on Friday with 15 podium finishes and four all-time top-10 performances:
Kaitlyn Bullock competed in the women’s discus throw with a top three finish, placing third overall with a mark of 49.77 meters. Bullock’s mark ranks as the 10th-farthest throw in program history. Zach Extine placed third in the men’s 110-meter hurdles with the 10th-fastest time in program history at 13.71.
Liana Tyson led the Seminoles in the women’s 100, crossing the line in second with a time of 11.60. Florida State took the top six spots in the women’s 800 with Suus Altorf leading the way with a time of 2:04.62. Leah Taylor followed in second with a new personal best and eighth-fastest time in program history at 2:04.67. Nicole Dinan added a personal best and third place finish at 2:07.97.
Ana Bulat was victorious in the women’s triple jump with a mark of 12.67m. Rylee Blade led Florida State in the women’s 1,500 with a time of 4:22.07. Lindy White crossed the line in second with a personal best time of 4:28.42. Isaac Hirshman Chandler placed first on the men’s side with a time of 3:44.45.
Shamar Reid earned his first victory as a Seminole in the men’s discus throw with a new personal best and second-furthest throw in program history at 62.68m. The men’s 4×400 consisting of Adrian Caredero, Amare Williams, Durian Moss and Micahi Danzy placed first with a six second margin for a time of 3:05.91.
FSU track and field earned ACC Indoor accolades Friday, with senior Shenese Walker named the 2026 Indoor Women’s Performer of the Year and head coach Matt Kane earning Men’s Coach of the Year:
Florida State captured its first Coach of the Year honor since 2018, and the first under Kane’s leadership as head coach. Walker added to the milestone moment, becoming only the second recipient in program history to earn the annual honor on the women’s side.
Kane led the Florida State men’s team to its first ACC Championship title since 2020. The men’s team won their 15th title in program history after accumulating a total of 94 points. At the ACC Indoor Championships, Kane led the Seminoles to two individual champions, five bronze medals and a silver medal with five first team all-conference members. Florida State finished with a combined total of six new top 10 performances in its program history.
Walker had a remarkable final indoor collegiate season, earning multiple conference honors and etching her name into the record books multiple times this season. At the ACC Indoor Championship, Walker was named the women’s MVP for the second time in her career after pulling off double victory in the sprints with 20 total points. Walker competed in the women’s 60, setting a meet record of 7.13. She concluded the championship in the women’s 200 with a winning time of 22.98. The Jamaican native went on to the NCAA Indoor National Championship, recording one of the most memorable seasons in Florida State history. The senior captured her first national title after being crowned the 60-meter national champion in Fayetteville, Arkansas, posting a winning time of 7.08 to complete an undefeated season. The three-time first-team All-American breezed through the preliminaries with a blistering time of 7.07, which stands as a new conference and school record. Walker’s first round time is the 13th-fastest time in collegiate history and fifth all-time in Division I history.
No. 50 FSU men’s tennis split its home weekend, falling 4-0 to No. 4 Virginia on Friday before bouncing back with a 5-1 win over Virginia Tech on Sunday:
The Cavaliers gained early momentum, securing doubles points on courts one and three.
On court two, Justin Lyons and Mohammad Alkotop battled Keegan Rice and Mans Dahlberg, with the Seminoles striking first to take a 6-3 victory. Erik Schiessl and Luis Felipe Miguel finished next on court one, falling to Dylan Dietrich and Stiles Brockett, 4-6. Andres Santamarta Roig and JangJun Kim clinched the doubles point for the Cavaliers on court three with a 6-3 win.
Virginia added three singles victories on court two three and five.
Virginia picked up the first singles victory on court two as Rice defeated Schiessl in a two-set match, 6-4, 6-3. Stiles Brockett followed with a ranked defeat over No. 124 Azariah Rusher 6-3, 6-2. The Cavalier claimed the remaining singles matches, including a win on court three to clinch the match with No. 42 Santamarta over Corey Craig.
Alkotop nearly forced a third set before the match went unfinished on court four, while Lyons had a 5-3 advantage in set two on court six.
A close doubles battle went in favor of Virginia Tech after securing wins on courts one and three. Florida State got the ball rolling first on court two, taking down Ilyas Fahim and Patrik Jurina 6-1. After Virginia Tech evened it up on court two, all eyes turned to court three for a back-and-forth battle between the Seminoles’ Oren Ezerzer and Gabor Hornung. Ultimately, the Hokies pulled out the match 7-5 to secure the doubles point.
Florida State added five straight singles victories on courts two, five, six, three and one to clinch the match after dropping the doubles point. The Seminoles were able to shift the momentum after claiming all six first sets in singles play. No. 92 Erik Schiessl cruised to a 6-2, 6-4 victory of Eyal Shumilov, marking Schiessl’s fourth ACC victory on the season. Justin Lyons delivered a convincing two-set win over the Hokies’ Blake Hilsen. Mohammad Alkotop sealed the team win with a 7-5, 6-4 decision court two. No. 112 Luis Felipe Miguel finished on court one simultaneously giving Florida State an extra point to conclude the weekend.
FSU women’s tennis (4-14, 0-8 ACC) dropped both road matches this weekend, falling 4-2 at No. 22 Clemson on Friday and 4-2 at Georgia Tech on Sunday, though the Seminoles claimed the doubles point in both matches:
Cade Cricchio and Mary Boyce Deatherage secured their fifth straight win on Court 3 doubles and improved to 7-1 in conference play. Kristyna Lavickova and Tina Li clinched the doubles point for FSU with a 7-5 victory on Court 2, marking back-to-back matches in which the Seminoles have claimed the doubles point. Georgia Tech responded in singles, earning wins on Courts 1 and 3 to take a 2-1 lead. Lavickova evened the match at 2-2 with her first ACC victory of the season, defeating Olivia Carneiro in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2. The Yellow Jackets secured the match with singles wins on Courts 2 and 4.
Florida State returns home for its final five matches of the regular season, beginning Friday at 3 p.m. against Boston College. The Seminoles will then host a Sunday doubleheader, facing Syracuse at 11 a.m. and Bethune-Cookman at 4 p.m.
FSU Splatoon won its third group championship in program history and will compete in CCA Division 7 playoffs beginning the week of March 30:
