The college baseball season is finally here.
Florida State, led by fourth-year head coach Link Jarrett, begins its 2026 campaign on Friday as they take on James Madison in a three-game set. This is the second-straight year that the Seminoles will open the year against the Dukes, and FSU is 9-0 all-time against JMU.
The infrastructure around the Seminole program will look vastly different in 2026, both the roster and Dick Howser Stadium. Jarrett will need to replace the backbone of an FSU team that finished one win away from Omaha, as the top two in Florida State’s rotation, middle infield, and center fielder have all moved on to professional baseball. In their place, the Noles have 23 newcomers on their roster, including LHP Trey Beard, a top 10 transfer in On3’s rankings, to try and reload for another deep postseason run.
Even with the roster turnover, expectations are still College World Series or bust in Tallahassee. The Seminoles open the season as the 16th-ranked team on D1 Baseball’s preseason rankings and the 12th-ranked team on The Athletic’s preseason rankings. FSU was selected to finish third in the ACC.
James Madison finished the 2025 season 17-38 and was picked to finish 13th out of 14th in the Sun Belt conference. The Dukes made the NCAA tournament in 2024.
Game one: FSU 5, JMU 1
In the top of the first, Wes Mendes set down the Dukes in 1-2-3 fashion, only throwing 10 pitches. Mendes found a bat on each, but nothing was brewing. The Seminoles didn’t get anything from their first two plate appearances; then, Myles Bailey took the first pitch he saw and sent it 425 feet deep to right center to put FSU up 1-0.
The Dukes led off the second with a double and Mendes responded by setting down the next two by strikeout, before giving up a walk and then striking out the next hitter.
Brody DeLamielleure led off for FSU in the second, with a homer to the same place that Bailey went deep to just an inning prior. This one was 392 feet, putting FSU up 2-0.
The third came and went quietly on both ends, with James Madison leading off the fourth again with a double. The Dukes laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the run over to third with one out, but squandered the opportunity by striking out twice to end the inning. JMU put in a new pitcher on the bottom frame and Florida State went without noise outside of a Gabe Fraser single.
Mendes began the fifth by hitting the first batter, but bounced back to retire the next three. Another strikeout put him up to seven through five innings, with his pitch count at 75.
Myles Bailey kept the bottom of the frame going with a two-out scorching single back up the middle. Unfortunately, Cal Fisher grounded out right after, closing out the inning.
Florida State made a pitching change at the top of the sixth, with John Abraham replacing Mendes. He gave up a walk before a single lofted into short center field led to the runner from first making it all the way to third on a bang-bang play. A wild pitch by Abraham scored the first run of the game for James Madison, and then he threw another one that got away from him. Fortunately, the batter chased it, and after the drop-third-strike, the Seminoles escaped the jam, giving up only one.
FSU led 2-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth, where Hunter Carns and Chase Williams both struck out with poor at-bats to start the sixth. Overall, plate discipline was a problem for the Seminoles in this one.
After a single and a stolen base by Reece Moody in the top of the seventh, Brodie Purcell was handed the ball to replace Abraham. Purcell quickly retired the third out of the inning to send it to the bottom of the frame, where the Seminoles once again were unable to get much going.
In the top of the eighth, JMU led off with a base knock, though the Dukes’ momentum was quickly shut down as the next batter grounded into a 5-4-3 double play that was smoothly turned by the Florida State infield. Purcell then punched out the next batter, leading to a major frame for Florida State.
Cal Fisher and Hunter Carns got on base by way of the walk to start off the bottom of the eighth against new JMU arm Jaden Kinsler. Chase Williams laid down a bunt towards first base with a man on first and second and beat it out to load the bases with no outs. Brody DeLamielleure struck out to record the first out. Right after, new pitcher Adam Horvath awkwardly balked to bring in a run. This was immediately followed by a Noah Sheffield single up the middle to bring in Carns and Williams and tack on two more runs. This stretched the lead to 5-1 before a couple of fly-outs ended the scoring run for the Seminoles.
JMU’s first batter struck out swinging, the next walking before another strikeout from Purcell, with a third base groundout closing out the game and handing FSU its first win of the season.
As tends to be the case, both teams were a bit rocky to start the year, with some early-season growing pains in this one. Florida State rode the long ball early with Myles Bailey and Brody DeLamielleure going yard in the first two innings. With a great pitching performance by Wes Mendes, this game slowed down throughout the middle innings, until James Madison got on the board by way of a John Abraham wild pitch in the sixth. Florida State broke the game open in the bottom half of the 8th with a balk immediately followed by a 2-run single by Noah Sheffield, who had just come in as a pinch hitter. Brodie Purcell went the final two innings to close this one out. There is much to improve on in all spheres, but it is early in the season and a 5-1 Seminoles win is a great way to start it.
Game 2: FSU 16, JMU 5
After a closer-than-expected win in the season opener Friday night, the Florida State baseball team flexed its muscle in a dominating _ run-rule victory over James Madison Saturday afternoon in the second game of its opening series.
The Seminoles (2-0) scored multiple runs in five of their six innings at the plate — including three four-run innings — with 17 hits from nine different players.
The top of the Florida State order led the offensive charge. USC transfer Brayden Dowd reached all five times he came to the plate with a first-inning double, second-inning three-run homer, a single, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. He finished with five runs and five RBIs.
Noah Sheffield, hitting second in the lineup, also reached all four times he came to the plate, following up his clutch late hit Friday with a three-hit, four-run performance Saturday.
Cal Fisher also came through with four hits and five RBIs in the cleanup spot, backing up Myles Bailey, who had two more hits, two RBIs and a pair of runs.
Overall, the top four hitters in the lineup were a combined 12-for-14 with 11 runs and 11 RBIs.
That offensive outburst helped cover up an underwhelming first FSU start for Virginia transfer Bryson Moore on the mound.
The right-hander navigated a scoreless first inning, allowing FSU to take a 2-0 lead on a Fisher double and a Hunter Carns sacrifice fly, before the wheels fell off in the second inning.
After the first two batters of the JMU second reached, Moore recorded two outs with just one run across before he hit a wall. He walked the next two batters, loading the bases, before allowing a double to Ike Schmidly that gave James Madison a 3-2 lead and ended his outing after just 1 2/3 innings over which he allowed three runs on four hits.
The Seminoles immediately reclaimed the lead for good in the second inning with a pair of baserunners before Dowd cranked out his first homer as a Seminole to right field to make it 5-3 Noles.
FSU tacked on two more runs in the fourth on singles by Bailey and Fisher, and then four in each of its final two innings at the plate to enter run-rule territory.
After the tough start by Moore, the Florida State bullpen picked the team up as three relievers combined to allow two runs on two hits over 5 1/3 innings. Cade O’Leary was first, racking up a team-high four strikeouts before allowing two runs in the fourth inning.
Cooper Whited followed with two no-hit innings, striking out three and walking one in his FSU debut, and Oregon transfer Cole Stokes threw a no-hit seventh, pumping 98 mph while striking out two and walking one.
The series finale is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m., although the weather forecast — and the pitching decisions from both teams Saturday — indicate that game may not be played.
If the game is played, Link Jarrett did not have an idea who would start for the Seminoles. Trey Beard was scratched Saturday due to a stomach bug and they plan to keep Payton Manca on Tuesday.
Game times, starting pitchers, how to watch/listen
Sunday, February 15th, 11:00 AM EST
- Pitching matchup: TBD vs. JMU Sr. RHP Patrick Bauer (NR)
- How to watch: ACCNX
- How to listen: WFLA 100.7 FM