Florida

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

Published

2 years ago

June 8, 2024

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‘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

Florida man accused of driving drunk, causing head-on crash and seriously injuring 2

Published

2 hours ago

July 10, 2026

Press Room

Florida man accused of driving drunk, causing head-on crash and seriously injuring 2

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A driver accused of driving under the influence caused a head-on crash that sent two people to the hospital before crashing into a fence, abandoning his vehicle and fleeing the scene, authorities said.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, at about 11:42 p.m. Tuesday, Kelly Castleman was driving on Turner Road in Tampa when he crashed into a sedan, causing it to strike an SUV and resulting in a head-on collision. The drivers of the sedan and the SUV were taken to the hospital with serious and critical injuries.

See also: Armed Florida man arrested after setting restaurant on fire with propane tank, police say

Deputies say Castleman’s vehicle continued north before crashing through a fence. According to the sheriff’s office, he stopped in the backyard of a nearby residence and then fled the scene on foot.

Castleman was found about a mile from his apartment and taken into custody. Investigators say he provided breath samples of 0.287 and 0.283.

Castleman is charged with DUI with serious bodily injury, DUI with a breath-alcohol level of 0.15 or higher and property damage, leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury, and leaving the scene of a crash involving unattended property.

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Florida Airport Officially Renamed After Trump. Here’s What to Know

Published

12 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

Florida Airport Officially Renamed After Trump. Here’s What to Know

The Palm Beach International Airport was officially renamed to the President Donald J. Trump International Airport on Thursday, becoming the latest place to take on the President’s name since he took office for a second term.

The Florida airport announced the change on social media early Thursday morning, changing its handle on X to bear the new name and saying that staffers were “working behind the scenes to update our physical signage, terminal spaces, and digital channels to our new name.”

The President’s son, Eric Trump, said that his father’s plane, which he was on, was the first flight to land at the newly-branded airport.

“There is no person who has done more for Florida and our country, and no one more deserving of this incredible honor,” Eric Trump said in a post on X. “As a son, and someone who flies out of this airport nearly every day, I will forever be proud to see the initials ‘DJT’ on my boarding pass.”

Here’s what to know about the change.

Why was the airport renamed?

In March, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill to rename the Palm Beach airport after Trump, after state lawmakers passed the legislation. The Trump Organization had previously submitted trademark applications for possible airport names.

The President frequently travels through the Palm Beach hub, as it’s close to his Mar-a-Lago estate.

There are a number of airports across the country named after U.S. Presidents, such as New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. But the Palm Beach rebranding makes Trump the first President to have an airport named after him while in the White House.

When does the name change go into effect?

The airport was officially renamed on Thursday, but it said on its website that “transition activities, including updates to signage, branding and public-facing materials, will occur in phases.”

Will the name change affect airport operations?

The airport said on its website that “airport operations and services will continue without interruption” and that flight routes and schedules will not be impacted by the change. It added that “this is a branding change only,” and that the airport’s ownership and governance will not undergo any changes.

The three-letter identifier that airlines and travelers reference for services related to their flights, such as ticketing and baggage handling, will change from “PBI” to “DJT,” but the airport said on its website that that change will go into effect on Aug. 18. Until that date, travelers should stick to using the original code, “PBI.”

As of Thursday afternoon, some airline booking sites, such as Delta’s portal, recognized both codes, while others, such as American Airlines, only recognized the original PBI identifier.

How much is the rebranding going to cost?

According to the airport’s website, the Palm Beach County Department of Airports predicted that the total cost of rolling out the new name for the travel hub would be roughly $5.5 million. That amount will cover the price of changing airport signage, branding, and printed materials, among other items.

The state has allocated $2.75 million in funding for the rebranding, according to the airport’s website. The rest of the funding for the project will come from the Department of Airports’ operating budget and capital improvement program. The airport said that the rebranding “does not result in a separate fee charged to passengers.”

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Summer Scheming ‘26: Florida State Seminoles

Published

22 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

Summer Scheming ‘26: Florida State Seminoles

After a stellar run at Memphis Mike Norvell has had a rollercoaster run in Tallahassee as the Florida State Seminoles head football coach. Norvell finished his four year stint at Memphis with a 38-15 record.

At FSU Norvell started off slow winning only eight games in two years. Then the ‘Noles had an awakening and won 23 games from 2022-2023. And now that reality has come crashing back down with seven wins the past two seasons.

FSU will have 17 transfers in the 2-deep once again in 2026. It’s become a double-edged sword where he only way Norvell can keep his job (buyout be damned) after this year is to inject talent into the roster but he’s got a bad culture in the field house up at Doak Campbell Stadium.

Now let’s put the ‘Noles through The Goal, our 2026 Summer Scheming analysis system.

Acquisition: The ’Noles high school recruiting hasn’t been as ‘bad’ s advertised. FSU is 16th over the past three years in prep signings and 14th when it comes to the transfer portal for an average of 15th overall.

Development: Now this is the crazy part. Over the past couple of years the ‘Noles have only produced eight NFL players. Only eight have stuck it out from the 2025 and 2026 NFL Draft classes. Remember all of those drafts loaded with FSU talent like Jameis Winston and Jared Verse? Right now it’s Deuce Robinson and who else?

Deployment: This preseason Bill Connelly’s SP+ has FSU 35th in overall SP+. The Seminole offense is 45th, the defense 30th and the kicking game is 94th. So where as Mike Norvell has the 15th best players he’s producing the 35th best team. He’s revamped his coordinators once again sending Gus Malzahn off to the glue factory and promoting Tim Harris Jr to OC.

The bottleneck to success at FSU is the culture within the program. The Seminoles went hellbent on the transfer portal to improve from 5-7 to 10-3 and dipped their toe in again to move to 13-1. They were Jordan Travis’ leg away from competing for a national championship. But injuries do happen and losing your starting QB is a devastating one.

NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 05: A fan cosplays as Scorpion from Mortal Kombat during the 2018 New York Comic Con at Javits Center on October 5, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

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Mike Norvell has taken the Manny Diaz approach to the transfer portal and it’s killed any semblance of a culture that could possibly have been built in the FSU locker room AND he’s losing games.

The FSU strength of schedule is 45th of 138 in FBS per CFB News. Florida State faces SMU before an off week. Then they head to Tuscaloosa to play the Alabama Crimson Tide. After a cupcake, FSU hosts UVA before consecutive road trips to Louisville and Miami. The ‘Noles also face Clemson, Pitt and Florida over the back half of the schedule.

The inventory space includes returning production per Bill Connelly, the On3 top-100 list and the Athlon preseason All-Conference Team honorees. The ’Noles returning production is 48th in FBS at 57% production. FSU has two players on the On3 top-100 list in WR Deuce Robinson (74th) and DL Mandrell Desir (97th). The ‘Noles have one player on the Athlon All-ACC Team and that’s Robinson.

CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 08: Mandrell Desir #93 of the Florida State Seminoles sacks Cade Klubnik #2 of the Clemson Tigers during the first half of a football game at Memorial Stadium on November 08, 2025 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)

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FSU hit the transfer portal for four of their five potential starting OL in ‘26. They also brought in QB Ashton Daniels (Auburn) and RB Quintrevion Wisner (Texas). Daniels is another FSU QB with a penchant for throwing interceptions.

Robinson averaged 19.3 yards per catch with six scores in 2025. Wisner adds over four yards per carry and three TD’s from his run at Texas. On defense M. Desir returns with 7.5 TFL’s and 6.5 sacks from a year ago.

Southern Miss transfer LB Chris Jones logged 9.5 TFL’s and 3.5 sacks a year ago. Another transfer, this one DB Nehemiah Chandler, picked up 13 PBU’s last season with two INT’s.

Mike Norvell is committing highway robbery with the past two seasons performances. After the 13-1 season and the Alabama opening with Nick Saban’s retirement, Norvell landed himself a nice raise up to $10.3M a season. The issue is they’ve only won six games per season under Norvell which adds up to $1.7M per win. That’s second to only Bill Belichick in the grand theft coaching category.

There is no chance the goal at FSU is anything short of eight wins. What a sad cry from only three seasons ago when the ‘Noles were potentially a national championship program. That’s the crux of the transfer portal, live by the transfer / die by the transfer.

TALLAHASSEE, FL – MARCH 13: Head Coach Mike Norvell of the Florida State Seminoles during Spring Football Practice at the Albert J. Dunlap Athletic Training Facility on the campus of Florida State University on March 13, 2026 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)

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Highly successful clubs have started to be extremely careful with who comes in and out of their program, think: Ohio State, Notre Dame, Indiana and even lately- Miami. The vetting process is pivotal for not bottlenecking your success by bringing in locker room cancers.

Season Prediction: I can see this winding up anywhere from 5-7 to 7-5. They’ve got the 2nd most players on the On3 top-11 than anyone else on Miami’s schedule (ND has five). They also have the 15th best grouping of talent in the country. And yet I just can’t see Daniels, four new OL, a new RB, and another dozen guys on defense gelling together under Mike Norvell and into some phoenix that rises from the ashes of the ACC cellar.

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