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.
Brevard County couple gets married in NICU after birth of premature twins
A Florida couple, told they may not be able to have children, welcomed premature twins and had an impromptu NICU wedding.
Provided by AdventHealth for Children
Ben and Danielle Cassidy were told they likely wouldn’t be able to have children.
But this year they will celebrate Mother’s Day just months after having an impromptu wedding in the AdventHealth for Children hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit shortly after Danielle gave birth to twins prematurely — a week before the Palm Bay couple was scheduled to get married.
Both babies, Joshua and Rhett, are doing well despite arriving nine weeks ahead of schedule on Jan. 19, 2026, just one day after their scheduled baby shower. With a proper wedding out of the question with two premature babies in the NICU, a nurse took action.
Issabel Kenkel, the nurse behind the ceremony, said she was already in wedding planning mode for her own upcoming nuptials when she found out the Cassidy family’s ceremony would be interrupted.
“I couldn’t just let them do something small. They needed decorations and something fun, so I spoke to the music therapist and the chaplain,” Kenkel said. In short order, a wedding was being planned for their hospital room and the couple was saying their vows in the company of their safely delivered newborns.
“When we found out we could request staff members to be on our team, that’s when we requested Issabel and having that kind of consistency from someone who has such a big heart and is so kind,” Danielle said.
The hospital ceremony was all the more special because of the Cassidy family’s own health struggles.
“I have five autoimmune diseases and didn’t really think I would have kids. It’s been a rough journey. When Ben and I met, we were floored at how much a miracle it was to have kids,” Danielle said.
Ben, who battled and beat cancer, said he was worried that his prior treatment would result in negative health outcomes for his future children. Having twins for him was an unexpected blessing.
“When we found out we were pregnant, we found it so shocking. We said, wouldn’t it be great if it was twins? It filled out our hopes and dreams list,” Ben said. “They’ve been miracles for sure.”
The Cassidy couple said there was so much fear and uncertainty when their twins were born nine weeks early. Being able to get married right away just made them feel all the better about the future.
“It was nice getting married because we didn’t have to wait any longer to make it official. It made it that much harder for her to get rid of me,” Ben said.
“The unknown made it scary,” Danielle added. “We had no idea how long we would be in the hospital. Our wedding was going to be at the beach with immediate family and parents. Having NICU babies, we realized we’d never be able to get to the beach. It was really special having the people who care for our babies be part of the ceremony.”
The couple hadn’t even planned to have a band at their wedding ceremony and now the hospital’s music therapist was performing live for them and the chaplain was conducting the ceremony, something nurse Kenkel said was just part of her job.
“The babies are going to have the best outcomes if the families are taken care of and going home happy,” she said. “Being in the NICU is already so stressful. This is just one more thing I could do to take care of my patients.”
Tyler Vazquez is the Growth and Development Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-480-0854 or tvazquez@floridatoday.com. X: @tyler_vazquez.
The Vero Beach Police Department took a man into custody May 8 in connection with a threatening phone call directed toward a business.
The agency received information at 5:21 p.m. May 7 about a threatening call to Thrive IRC Inc. at 2300 5th Ave. in Vero Beach, according to a news release. The call included someone threatening to come to the business with an AK rifle and “light the building up.”
Detectives began investigating the threat and identified Michael Sean O’Brien, 27, of Vero Beach, as the person associated with the phone number used during the call.
O’Brien was taken into custody at about 3:30 p.m. May 8 without incident. He was charged with the false report concerning the use of firearms in a violent manner, which is a second degree felony, according to the news release.
O’Brien was booked in the Indian River County Jail at 6:13 p.m. May 8 but was released at 1:36 p.m. May 9 after posting the $5,000 bond, according to the jail website.
No additional information was available the afternoon of May 9.
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
Charmaine Hickey, of Lang Realty in Port St. Lucie, was named in KNOW Women’s “100 Women to KNOW in America” list.
A Treasure Coast woman was named in a “100 Women to know in America” list for 2026.
KNOW Women is a global media company dedicated to giving women leaders connections and visibility. The company released a list of “100 Women to know in America” for 2026 to highlight the most influential women in business and leadership.
Charmaine Hickey, who works for Lang Realty in Port St. Lucie, was on the list.
“Charmaine’s recognition on a national stage like this comes as no surprise,” said Scott Agran, president of Lang Realty in a news release. “Her leadership, integrity, and commitment to both her profession and her community exemplify what this award stands for. She represents the very best of our industry.”
Hickey holds many industry designations and is known for her expertise in complex real estate transactions, as well as her client-first approach defined by honesty, patience and attention to detail, according to the news release.
Her community involvement includes serving on nonprofit boards, mentoring emerging leaders and supporting initiatives focused on education, women, families and youth.
“I am truly honored to be recognized among such an inspiring group of women,” said Hickey in the news release. “This award reflects not just individual achievement, but the power of community, mentorship, and lifting others as we grow. I’m grateful to be part of a network of women who are building meaningful impact every day.”
To see the full list go to theknowwomen.com.
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
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