In 2023, the Florida State Seminoles missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1977 after going 23-31 in head coach Link Jarrett’s first season. FSU returned to national prominence with a vengeance last season, going 49-17 and returning to Omaha for the first time since 2019. Led by James Tibbs, Jaime Ferrer, and Cam Smith, Link Jarrett’s squad led the ACC in home runs, runs scored, and total bases. They were second in the conference in batting with a .315 team average.
Florida State fell just short of competing for a National Championship after losing twice to the eventual champions in Tennessee. They lost ACC Player of the Year Tibbs along with fellow first round pick Cam Smith. Cleanup hitter Marco Dinges and three year starter Jaime Ferrer also departed. But the ‘Noles return a key core that is supported by an impressive group of newcomers. Led by ace and potential Top 5 MLB Draft pick Jamie Arnold, the Florida State Seminoles are ranked #6 in our College Baseball Central Preseason Poll. It’ll be a different looking squad, but just as capable of delivering the ever elusive National Championship to Tallahassee.
Catchers (Starter Rank: 3, Group Rank: 5)
For much of last season, time at the catching position was split between Jaxson West and McGwire Holbrook. Ultimately, West won the job down the stretch and started every NCAA tournament game. Holbrook has since graduated and West appears set to retain his role, though he’ll likely still split time with freshman Hunter Carns. West hit .274 with just 12 extra base hits, but only struck out 19 times in 146 at-bats. The former Alabama backstop has bulked up over the offseason and has made hitting the ball hard a priority.
In a press conference on January 28th, Jarrett was effusive with his praise for the junior. “West’s quality of at-bat has been pretty, pretty good. He’s becoming a complete player and you’re seeing it.” West showed off his development with some monster home runs in the fall and with his new found power, could find himself shooting up MLB draft boards this season.
Carns is one of the most highly-touted freshman in the country and was ranked as the 4th best recruit to make it to campus by Perfect Game.
Graduate transfer Nathan Cmeyla provides experienced depth behind West and Carns. The former Dartmouth man slashed .350/.403/.594 over 37 games last season and will provide another right-handed bat off the bench. Despite a preseason rank of 5th in the ACC, the trio of West, Carns, and Cmeyla could end up as the best catching group in the entire country.
Infield (Starter Rank: 2, Group Rank: 3)
Florida State returns their middle infield duo as juniors Alex Lodise and Drew Faurot look to build on solid debut seasons in Tallahassee. The pair of former transfers enter 2025 as one of the best middle infield duos in the country. Lodise hit .281 with 23 extra base hits while Faurot went .286 with 26 extra base hits. Both will be expected to take steps forward as they each look to improve their stock ahead of the 2025 MLB Draft.
Sophomore Cal Fisher is in line to replace Cam Smith at third base after a great freshman season. Fisher is capable of playing across the infield and might be the FSU shortstop of the future after Lodise. In 32 games last season, the Wisconsin native hit .277 with 5 home runs and a .930 OPS. He’s competing for the spot with junior college transfer Carter McCulley. McCulley is coming off a season in which he hit .302 with 11 doubles, two triples, and 12 home runs. He is susceptible to striking out but provides depth behind Fisher.
True freshman Myles Bailey could get the nod at first base after an electric fall, showcasing his monster power in several viral scrimmage clips. Link Jarrett says that Bailey “[has] physicality that I’ve never seen. I’ve had some really dynamic offensive players. I just haven’t had somebody the size of Jared Verse run around in practice.’ Bailey is competing for the first base job with redshirt freshman James Hankerson and transfer Blayden Plain.
Hankerson is a 6’3”, 230 pound native of Tampa, Florida. He is coming off a strong fall and his switch-hitting ability gives Florida State another versatile option to play matchups. Blaydon Plain is a JUCO transfer with monster left-handed power to all fields. He is athletic enough to play in the corner outfield and is coming off a season in which he slashed .370/.491/.642 with 14 stolen bases for Pensacola State.
Freshmen infielders Noah Sheffield and Jace Estes have the potential and pedigree to be future stars but may be hard pressed to find playing time in their first season.
Outfield (Starter Rank: 3, Group Rank: 5)
After being a bit of a defensive liability in 2024, the Florida State outfield is set to consist of three center fielders in Max Williams, Chase Williams, and Gage Harrelson. The range of this three-headed monster will certainly rob quite a few base hits in 2025. Max is the headliner after a breakout campaign that saw him hit .311 with 11 doubles, four triples, and 14 home runs. He is currently projected to be a day one draft pick in the next MLB draft.
Gage Harrelson comes over from Texas Tech where he hopes to bounce back from a disappointing sophomore season in Lubbock. The left-handed Harrelson is very good defensively and will wreak havoc on the basepaths. Speaking of baserunning chaos, JUCO transfer Chase Williams
Brody DeLamielleure is coming off a strong summer and fall that will result in increased playing time as the Seminoles’ fourth outfielder. The redshirt freshman hit .343 with 16 doubles in the Northwoods League before carrying over that success into fall ball.
Blaydon Plain and football star BJ Gibson also provide outfield depth.
Projected Lineup
Rotation (Rank: 4)
The Florida State pitching staff will be head-lined by the nation’s best pitcher and projected Top 5 MLB draft pick Jamie Arnold. The southpaw from Tampa went 11-3 with a 2.98 ERA and 159 strikeouts in 19 appearances. He operates from a low arm slot and boasts a mid-90s fastball and devastating slider. Over the offseason, Arnold has developed a nasty changeup that often looks like a splitter. With the new weapon in his arsenal, the junior ace could be in contention to be the first overall pick in this year’s MLB Draft.
In an ideal world, star pitcher Cam Leiter would follow Arnold in the rotation. Unfortunately, the former UCF right-hander hasn’t pitched since March 28th and Coach Jarrett stated in his press conference that “Cam’s got a significant rehab, so there’s not even a discussion right now.”
With no time table for Leiter, Florida State will likely turn to transfers Evan Chrest, Wes Mendes, and Joey Volini to fill out their rotation. Chrest is a junior from Jacksonville who started 15 games and struck out 74 hitters for the Dolphins last year. The right-handed hurler’s arsenal consists of a low-to-mid 90s fastball, a curveball, and a slider.
Wes Mendes started the Florida State scrimmage against Auburn in the fall and didn’t have the best outing, but has outstanding upside and stuff. The Ole Miss transfer throws a mid-90s fastball and possesses a fantastic changeup. Of Mendes, Jarrett said, “[He] is a thoroughbred type horse. I feel like that’s what Wes is. It is a dynamic, downhill, explosive fastball with some velo. The secondary packages are really good. It’s just the command and can we get that horse, that saddle on it, and manage what we’re doing.”
Joey Volini, a redshirt junior, went 3-0 with a 4.40 ERA for USF last year while striking out 26 hitters in 28.2 innings pitched. The southpaw might be a lock for the rotation after an impressive fall display. “Volini has been as consistent as any left-handed arm I’ve had in a fall/preseason setting,” said Jarrett. “The pitchability has been there.”
Link also mentioned the possibility of starting roles for Brady Louck, John Abraham, Peyton Prescott, and Jacob Marlowe.
Bullpen (Rank: 6)
While roles have yet to be determined, it’s clear that Florida State’s bullpen possesses more depth than a season ago. Closer Brennan Oxford and long-time reliever Andrew Armstrong are gone, but the Noles return some formerly injured arms and bring in some quality transfers.
Key arms such as Ben Barrett, Connor Hults, and Joe Charles return. Ben Barrett battled injury last year as well but still managed to appear in eight games and provide 12 strikeouts. Hults pitched a lot in high-leverage situations last season and excelled. The left-handed fifth year senior went 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 27 games. Fellow fifth year Joe Charles was used almost as often as Hults and features a mid-90s fastball that saw quite a bit of success last season.
Transfers Peyton Prescott and Maison Martinez could be bullpen aces. Prescott is a two-way sophomore from Jacksonville that pitched 55.1 innings for the Dolphins last year. His arsenal includes a mid-to-high 90s fastball. Martinez, a right-handed junior, could end up as the biggest impact transfer at Florida State. The former VCU Ram went 4-0 with a 2.98 ERA over 42.1 innings pitched last year. Martinez has a starter’s mix and throws in the low 90s.
John Abraham, Hudson Rowan, and Brady Louck each received valuable experience as FSU freshmen and will be important pieces in their sophomore seasons. Abraham is a righty that gained valuable experience starting games in both the ACC Tournament and College World Series. He’s poised for a breakout after going 5-2 with a 4.72 ERA as a first year. Rowan and Louck are a pair of southpaws who struggled at times in their first season but continue to develop and should see an improvement on their 2024 numbers.
David Barrett and Jacob Marlowe are back after missing all of 2024 due to injury. According to Jarrett, David looks better than ever after the setbacks. “He’s throwing a pretty elite fastball that actually cuts a little bit,” said the Florida State head coach in his preseason presser. “And I think his breaking ball is better.” Jacob Marlowe transferred to Tallahassee from UCF but had to undergo open heart surgery in the fall of 2023. He pitched for the first time last summer in the Cape Cod League and impressed, garnering a 2.95 ERA over 18.1 innings. The lefty struck out 14 batters while walking just 2.
Freshmen David Davila and Payton Manca are set to be featured after being redshirted due to injuries last year. JUCO transfers Chris Knier and Nick Greaney along with true freshmen Matt Hoag and Rhett Vaughn provide plenty of additional depth.
Projected Staff
Outlook
The Seminoles return a quality core, but look to be a very different team heading into 2025. The production of Tibbs, Ferrer, and Cam Smith is not easy to replace, but Florida State’s deep pitching staff could make up for the losses in the aggregate. The returning quartet of Max Williams, Jaxson West, Drew Faurot, and Alex Lodise will have to transition from role players to stars while Cal Fisher, Chase Williams, Myles Bailey, and Hunter Carns will have to live up to massive expectations. From what I’ve seen and heard from the fall and preseason, I expect this lineup to still be one of the ACC’s best.
On the pitching side, Florida State has the depth and talent to compete for a National Championship, even without Cam Leiter. Jamie Arnold will lead a staff that I believe will improve over the course of the season. If this team is in a groove heading into June, watch out. There may be some growing pains or a transition period to start the year, but this Florida State team will host a Regional and have a very good shot at returning to Omaha.
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