Florida
‘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.
FSU baseball talks first trip to Omaha since 2019
FSU baseball talks first trip to Omaha since 2019, win over UConn in Super Regional
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.
TAMPA, Fla – New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.
What we know:
These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.
Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.
Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.
“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”
Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.
“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”
The other side:
This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”
What they’re saying:
Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.
“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.
This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.
“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”
The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.
Big picture view:
The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.
The Source: Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.
“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.
What to expect
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
- 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
- 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
- Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.
For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.
Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.
Other Friday highlights included:
- 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
- 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
- 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
- 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
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With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A quiet Monday turned into a frantic race against time when a deputy stepped in to save a choking 1-year-old’s life.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call about a 1-year-old baby choking. Upon arrival, the responding deputy performed life-saving procedures to help the child breathe again.
See also: Two arrested after 6-year-old arrives at Florida school with bruises, deputies say
Body camera video shows a deputy holding the baby, flipping it over on its stomach, and beginning to pat the baby’s back.
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When the baby begins to cry, the deputy is heard saying, “he’s good.”
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