Connect with us

Florida

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

Published

on

‘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.

play

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

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

“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.

Advertisement

“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

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

“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.”

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

“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.

Advertisement

“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.





Source link

Florida

Toddler dies by drowning in Pembroke Pines amid record deaths in Florida: Police

Published

on

Toddler dies by drowning in Pembroke Pines amid record deaths in Florida: Police


A toddler died by drowning on Sunday in Pembroke Pines, according to authorities.

The child, who was about 1-and-a-half years old, was found unresponsive in the area of Southwest 118th Avenue and Southwest 7th Street, Pembroke Pines Fire Rescue said.

They were rushed to Memorial Hospital West, but “despite all lifesaving efforts, we are saddened to confirm the child died,” police said.

Authorities did not provide more information about what led to the drowning, besides that there was no indication that the incident was criminal in nature.

Advertisement

So far in 2025, 112 children have died in the state of Florida due to drowning, according to the Florida Department of Children and Families. That is six more children than last year, and the most reported by the department since 2007.

According to Water Smart FL, DCF’s initiative offering vouchers for swimming lessons, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death to children ages 1 to 4.

“Drowning is fast, silent, and can happen to anyone. It can happen in the few minutes a distraction can take you away from the water to answer the phone or run inside for a towel,” officials warn on the program’s website.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Florida

Florida hires Tulane’s Jon Sumrall as football coach with six-year, $44.7 million deal

Published

on

Florida hires Tulane’s Jon Sumrall as football coach with six-year, .7 million deal


GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida hired Tulane’s Jon Sumrall as football coach Sunday, settling for its second choice after Lane Kiffin picked LSU over the Gators.

Sumrall finalized a six-year, $44.7 million contract that comes with incentives, according to a person familiar with the search. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because financial details were not released. The deal averages $7.45 million annually.

The 43-year-old Sumrall will remain with the 22nd-ranked Green Wave for the American Conference title game next week and through the College Football Playoff if Tulane makes the 12-team field.

The Gators also agreed to terms with longtime NFL executive Dave Caldwell as their general manager. Caldwell won a Super Bowl during his five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and built a roster that made the AFC title game in eight years (2013-20) with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also spent time with Atlanta, Indianapolis and Carolina.

Advertisement

Caldwell is expected to help manage Florida’s salary cap and evaluate talent — essentially taking some things off Sumrall’s plate as college football moves closer to adopting NFL-style front offices.

Sumrall played linebacker at Kentucky (2002-04) and returned to his alma mater for a three-year stint before becoming Troy’s head coach in 2022. He won consecutive Sun Belt championships in two seasons with the Trojans and then enjoyed similar success at Tulane.

Sumrall is 19-7 in two years in New Orleans and led the Green Wave to the American championship game both seasons. So he has made four league title games in four years as a head coach. The Gators are hoping he’s Urban Meyer 2.0 and not Billy Napier 2.0.

“Not many coaches win big at two different non-Power programs, and even fewer do it as quickly as Jon has done it,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said. “He joins rare company — coaches like Urban Meyer, Brian Kelly and Willie Fritz — who’ve delivered immediate success at multiple stops. Jon’s track record of rapid turnarounds speaks directly to his leadership and the culture he establishes.”

Sumrall had been considered a possibility at Auburn, Arkansas and Ole Miss. Florida made a late push when Kiffin’s interest in the Gators waned. Florida fans are likely to view him as a consolation prize, another gamble from a Group of Five conference.

Advertisement

Sumrall replaces Napier, who was fired in mid-October and went 22-23 over four seasons in Gainesville. Napier was nicknamed “Sun Belt Billy” because he often looked in over his head in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference.

Going back to Louisiana for another G5 coach? And a defensive guy to boot? That’s a bold move for Stricklin, who is sure to draw the ire of the Florida faithful for failing to land Kiffin.

He was roundly booed at a championship celebration to honor men’s basketball coach Todd Golden and his title-winning team in April. Now, the fan base is calling for his job.

A website titled FireScottStricklin.com documents Stricklin’s shortcomings, and some fans organized a rally Sunday outside Florida Field to promote Stricklin’s “immediate removal.”

But Stricklin seemingly has the support of the Board of Trustees, which gave him a three-year contract extension in June and allowed him to conduct a coaching search that included roughly 10 interviews without interference.

Advertisement

There were rumors and reports about boosters getting involved and straining relationships with Kiffin and his camp. But Stricklin made it clear he was the only one making the hire. Kiffin chose LSU after a public tug-of-war involving all three schools.

Kiffin’s family members took scouting trips to Gainesville and Baton Rouge, and he met with administrators and fundraisers on several occasions. The trip to Gainesville was underwhelming, according to people familiar with the search, and high school football in the area left plenty to be desired.

Florida even turned to Heisman Trophy winners Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel during its pursuit of Kiffin, who eventually slowed communication with UF officials to the point where the Gators decided they had to move on in a crowded market.

Now, Sumrall will be counted on to lead a downtrodden program back to prominence in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference.

Tulane’s numbers are far from gaudy: The Green Wave rank 39th in the country in total offense and 64th in total defense. Sumrall is expected to hire outside coordinators to help him rebuild in Gainesville.

Advertisement

The Gators (4-8) clearly have talent and ended a dismal season with one of their best performances, a 40-21 victory against rival Florida State in the Swamp in which running back Jadan Baugh ran for a career-high 266 yards and two touchdowns and DJ Lagway threw for three scores.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Florida

Ukrainian delegation to meet US officials in Florida for fresh talks on Trump’s plan to end war | CNN

Published

on

Ukrainian delegation to meet US officials in Florida for fresh talks on Trump’s plan to end war | CNN


A Ukrainian delegation will meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff in Florida later Sunday for the latest round of negotiations over the US-backed plan to end the war.

Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will also attend the meeting in Miami, a White House official told CNN.

Ukraine is seeking international security guarantees as part of any agreement to end the war and a ceasefire based on the current frontlines. It has rejected ceding any territory not already occupied by Russian forces.

But Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has shown little signal he’s ready to offer concessions, saying that the war would only end “once Ukrainian troops withdraw from the territories they occupy.”

Advertisement

Rubio met the Ukrainian team in Geneva last weekend, but since then the lead Ukrainian negotiator, Andriy Yermak, has resigned amid a corruption scandal. Yermak’s place has been taken by Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.

The Geneva meeting substantially amended the original 28-point blueprint developed by Witkoff and Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian sovereign wealth fund and a Kremlin special envoy.

Ukraine’s European allies said that the original plan – which was seen as highly favorable to Russia – would require “additional work.”

Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov said last week the Kremlin had received the latest version of the plan.

“This isn’t an official one, but we do have the document. We haven’t discussed it with anyone yet because the points in it require truly serious analysis and discussion,” Ushakov said.

Advertisement

After suggesting that he wanted Ukraine to agree to a deal by Thursday of last week, Trump backed away from imposing any kind of deadline.

“You know what the deadline for me is? When it’s over,” he said.

The negotiations come against a backdrop of persistent Russian missile and drone attacks against cities and infrastructure across Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that in the last week, Russia had used nearly 1,400 attack drones, 1,100 guided aerial bombs, and 66 missiles in attacks.

For its part, Ukraine continues to target Russian energy and defense infrastructure with long-range drones and domestically manufactured missiles. Ukraine also used maritime drones on Friday and Saturday in strikes in the Black Sea against two sanctioned oil tankers used to ship Russian oil.

Advertisement

The two tankers, which flew under the Gambian flag, were damaged but not sunk.

As the negotiations continue, Ukraine’s former military chief of staff, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who is considered a potential rival to Zelensky, wrote in the Daily Telegraph Sunday that “war does not always end with the victory of one side and the defeat of the other.”

“We Ukrainians strive for complete victory, but we cannot reject the option of a long-term end to the war,” Zaluzhnyi wrote.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending