Florida

‘Back on the map’: How Florida State baseball clinched first College World Series berth since 2019

Published

2 years ago

June 8, 2024

Press Room

‘Back on the map’: How Florida State baseball clinched first College World Series berth since 2019

Omaha, Nebraska, is a place that Florida State baseball hasn’t been since 2019. Until now. The Seminoles clinched a berth in the 2024 College World Series with an NCAA Super Regional sweep over UConn.

Florida State baseball is returning to a place it hasn’t been for half a decade.

Omaha, Nebraska.

The Seminoles (47-15) clinched a spot in the College World Series with a sweep over the UConn Huskies (35-26) in the NCAA Tournament’s Tallahassee Super Regional, ending with a 10-8 win in 12 innings in Saturday’s game two.

Since FSU’s last College World Series appearance in 2019, reaching the eight-team tournament in Omaha was only a dream in the Seminoles locker room.

Now, it’s a reality.

“Just being able to be part of putting Florida State baseball back on the map has been a wild ride,” said FSU’s James Tibbs III, who slammed three home runs against UConn Saturday.

“We’ve had conversations about being the next Omaha team. Words can’t describe how thankful I am and how cool this is. It’s perfect. It’s exactly how I want it to be.”

FSU baseball coach Link Jarrett last reached the College World Series in 2022, leading the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the second round. His success at Notre Dame parlayed him into getting the coaching job at his alma mater, FSU, ahead of the 2023 season, which saw the Seminoles miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1977.

“As you move to different programs, they need different assets and tweaking to get the roster and the program how you want to construct it,” Jarrett said. “I reflect on how challenging that is ― especially in this day and age. There’s a lot that goes into it.

“And I’m proud. It’s not easy to go there. I’m so excited for these guys.”

The College World Series begins on Friday, June 14, at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.

FSU will meet the NCAA Super Regional series winner between Tennessee and Evansville in the first round of the eight-team double-elimination College World Series tournament. Tennessee and Evansville will play a winner-takes-all game on Sunday at 6 p.m.

“[FSU’s] a very good team and going to make some noise in Omaha,” said UConn’s Matt Malcom, who homered at the bottom of the ninth inning to force extra innings.

FSU baseball’s experience at the College World Series matches up with top sports environments

Jarrett went to Omaha thrice (1991, 1992, 1994) as the Seminoles’ starting shortstop.

As a head coach, Jarrett is entering his second College World Series.

Jarrett didn’t hoist the trophy in any of his five appearances.

However, his experience with the double-elimination tournament has provided him with knowledge as he leads his Seminoles to where only eight teams in the nation get to go.

“There’s a lot of things that come at you in Omaha,” Jarrett said of the College World Series. “The opening weekend in Omaha is right up there, with an experience at an NFL Super Bowl, playoff-type game, the Final Four, and Augusta ― it’s that.

“And they’re going to feel it. And I’m probably more prepared for it now because of what I had to go through.”

To open the FSU-UConn series on Friday, the Seminoles scored the most runs ever in an NCAA Super Regional game in their 24-4 win. FSU and UConn went down to the wire on Saturday in extra innings.

The two games gave UConn head baseball coach Jim Penders an idea of how FSU can fare in the College World Series, regardless of who they match up with.

“They should feel very confident heading to Omaha. It’s something to have to do in front of those people. There’s pressure there,” Penders said of FSU.

“Congratulations to Florida State. We hope they go on to win it all.”

Experiencing loss moves FSU baseball to its 24th College World Series appearance

Last season, FSU endured one of its worst seasons in recent memory, finishing 23-31 and missing the entire postseason.

However, the Seminoles’ success this season was something the Omaha-bound squad envisioned when preseason camp began.

“It’s so surreal,” said FSU relief pitcher Conner Whitaker, who notched the save in the Seminoles win over the Huskies Saturday.

“From day one, when we got here in the fall, you could feel the new vibe and the culture we needed here. We have such good chemistry and compete for each other and our coaches. We love being together every single day.

“We just want to win at the end of the day.”

As Jarrett coached his Seminoles to their first College World Series appearance since 2019, he always recalled lessons learned from his college coach, Mike Martin.

Martin, the last to coach FSU to the College World Series before Saturday, passed away from Lewy body dementia last February.

Now Jarrett, standing where Martin once stood, looks to finish the story in capturing FSU’s first national championship at the College World Series.

“He means so much to me. I think about him all the time and how he would handle a situation in a game,” Jarrett said of Martin. “He was a remarkable man — Father figure. I’m proud of what he helped me learn along the way.

“There’s one more thing that I want to do. And we all know what that is. This is a step towards that ultimate quest. The mindset is to go finish it off for him.”

Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.

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Florida

What Rick Barnes is searching for after Tennessee’s brutal loss to Florida

Published

12 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

What Rick Barnes is searching for after Tennessee’s brutal loss to Florida

Four minutes can alter a season.

Well, 3 minutes and 51 seconds, to be exact. In that span, Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes began to question his team’s resolve.

Unranked Florida (11-5, 2-1 SEC), the defending conference and national champion, got everything it wanted and more against No. 22 Tennessee (11-5, 1-2) in a 91-67 romp at Stephen O’Connell Center on Jan. 10.

In the final 3:51 of the first half, the Vols committed four turnovers and could not convert a single field goal. Overall, they turned the ball over 18 times (12 in the first half), resulting in 30 points for the Gators.

“Thirty points off turnovers, you don’t have a chance,” Barnes said after the game. “Last four minutes of the first half, just really poor basketball. I’ll take the blame for it because I don’t know if I’ve had a team play that bad, doing the things and making the decisions they made. It was just really poor basketball.”

Tennessee associate coach Justin Gainey tried to warn his team about the physicality in the matchup. The Vols matched Florida’s tempo until those final four minutes of the half, then continued to unravel in the second.

Although several of the guards on Florida’s championship team moved on to the NBA, the Gators retained their top big men. Barnes knew winning the frontcourt battle would go a long way in securing the Vols’ first road victory this season.

“Our whole deal was, we wanted a front line that could help us, but we’re not there yet,” Barnes said. “Can we get there? It’s a long way to go. I hope this game is a game we’ll look back on and think, ‘OK, these guys showed us what it takes to win at the highest level.’ “

Florida’s front court of Rueben Chinyelu, Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon combined for 41 points and 26 rebounds, a jarring contrast to Tennessee’s 30 team rebounds. Chinyelu alone had 16 rebounds, plus 17 points.

“If he didn’t catch it where he wanted it, he caught it and got to where he wanted it,” Barnes said about Chinyelu. “He dominated the game from an inside perspective. I thought today, if nothing else, we’re going to find out if we’re going to get out of the comfort zone our guys are in to compete against a team like that, especially on the front line.”

Ament has some ideas

Tennessee fought fires on two sides. While the Vols had trouble dealing with Florida’s frontcourt, guard Boogie Fland torched them all over the floor. Fland, who hadn’t made a 3-pointer since Dec. 21, finished with 23 points and knocked down 3-of-6 from long distance. He also added five assists, four steals and three rebounds and was key to extending Florida’s lead early in the second half.

Although Barnes couldn’t figure out what was wrong with his squad, Nate Ament, who led the Vols with 17 points, tried to diagnose the illness.

“You’ve seen that when we get uncomfortable, we lay down a little bit,” he said. “Knowing teams prior, that’s just never been the team Tennessee has been. I’m sure Coach Barnes is going to make sure we fix that. For us, we have to be more competitive. You could chalk up all our mistakes to them being more competitive than us. Props to them for playing harder than us, turning us over and rebounding every loose ball.”

Tennessee welcomes Texas A&M (13-3, 3-0) at Food City Center at 7 p.m. ET on Jan. 13 (SEC Network). The Aggies just earned their sixth straight victory after beating Oklahoma 83-76 on Jan. 10.

Barnes is eager to see how his players bounce back.

“I think it’s great to see how we’re going to respond,” he said. “If we’ve got the kind of players that we think we have, we’ll learn from this.”

Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com

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Florida

Florida Lands Late Commitment From 2026 TE

Published

24 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Florida Lands Late Commitment From 2026 TE

While all eyes may be on the transfer portal and the upcoming 2027 recruiting class, the Florida Gators football program continues to beef up its current recruiting class.

Based on a post made to his personal Instagram page, the Gators have landed a preferred walk-on commitment from class of 2026 tight end Tripp Brown.

According to Rivals’ recruiting rankings, Brown is a three-star prospect with several Division I offers. Before deciding to attend Florida, he had offers from programs like Toledo, Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan.

Earlier in the week, he announced on his X profile that new Gators tight ends coach Evan McKissack had extended him an offer.

As it stands, 247 Sports ranks Florida’s 2026 recruiting class 15th nationally and eighth in the SEC. With Brown’s commitment, he joins Heze Kent as the Gators’ two tight ends in this incoming class.

During his time at Tampa Plant High School, where he ws teammates with current UF running back Duke Clark, the 6-foot-5, 237-pound tight end made his presence felt all over the field, finishing his high school career with 2,270 all-purpose yards and 25 total touchdowns. The incoming freshman was a two-time All-County selection and also earned an All-State nod during his high school days.

This season, Brown hauled in 15 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown, with his receiving production limited by having to spend time filling in as an emergency quarterback. While under center, he threw 68 times for a total of six touchdowns and 419 yards while completing 51.5 percent of his passes.

Through three varsity seasons, he has caught 57 passes for 699 yards and six touchdowns.

He helped lead the Panthers to the first round of the 2025 FHSAA Football State Championships before ultimately falling to South Lake High School, 37-36. In 2023, Plant reached the state semifinals before losing to South Florida powerhouse Miami Christopher Columbus High School.

A quick look at his film shows a physically gifted, willing blocker who’s also a capable route runner and uses his large frame to shed defenders after the catch.

With former Gators starting tight end Hayden Hansen and backup Cameron Kossman entering the transfer portal, Florida is likely looking to build some depth at the position ahead of next season.

As of Friday, the Gators have already landed a commitment from former James Madison tight end Lacota Dippre and has also scheduled visits with Georgia tight end Pearce Spurlin III and Georgia Tech tight end Luke Harpring.

Protest photos in Florida after ICE shooting in Minneapolis

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Protest photos in Florida after ICE shooting in Minneapolis

ICE shooting: After Renee Nicole Good was killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, millions of Americans are protesting — including in Trump’s home state.

A week ago, President Donald Trump rang in the new year like a king — in grandeur and opulence at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.

Following this week’s deadly shooting by a federal immigration officer in Minnesota, millions of Americans frustrated with his administration are protesting — including in his home state.

Groups in Orlando, Tallahassee and Miami have held vigils and peaceful protests after Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot in the head while attempting to use a vehicle to flee authorities. The incident was captured on camera, and multiple videos posted on social media have gotten millions of views.

The nationwide protests are the latest in a year of Trump’s second term, which is coming up on a one-year anniversary later this month. Most cite Trump’s:

immigration crackdowns
ICE and National Guard deployments
on-again-off-again tariffs
his perceived control over all three branches of the U.S. government

More than 25 Trump protests and vigils for Renee Nicole Good were scheduled Wednesday, Jan. 7, to Sunday, Jan. 11, in his home state of Florida, and at least one was scheduled in Palm Beach County − about 30 miles down the road from his private club.

Last week, Donald and Melania Trump hosted their annual New Year’s Eve gala at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. He returns there Friday, Jan. 9, amid the ICE protests and vigils for Renee Good in Minneapolis.

USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network will provide live coverage of the anti-Trump administration protests.

Below are photos of the ICE protests in Florida, which occurred as Trump returned home to his private club, Mar-a-Lago.

Photos of ICE protest in Gainesville, Florida

Photos of ICE protest in Palm Coast, Florida

Photos of ICE protest in Stuart, Florida

Photos of ICE protest in Tallahassee, Florida

US protests after Renee Nicole Good is shot dead by an ICE agent

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Subscribe to the free Florida TODAY newsletter.

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