Florida State has landed its second pitching transfer of the summer, and this one comes with a fastball that touches the mid-to-high 90s. Right-hander Sebastian Lippman, a rising redshirt freshman transferring from Florida Gulf Coast, announced his commitment to the Seminoles this weekend.
Lippman put together a solid first full season of game action in 2026, working 40 innings across 21 appearances for FGCU with a 3.38 ERA. He struck out 50 while walking 28, and opposing hitters managed just a .219 average against him. The one blemish on the ledger: he ranked fourth in the ASUN in wild pitches with 10, a control issue worth watching as he steps into a bigger role in Tallahassee.
Lippman was a top 250 national prospect out of high school in Plainview, New York, and originally signed with Georgia Tech, where he redshirted. FGCU gave him his first real chance, and he’s turned that opportunity into a Power Four commitment one year later. He’s also been lights out this summer in the Cape Cod League, tossing 11 innings for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks with a 1.64 ERA, 14 strikeouts and just four walks in four outings. That’s the kind of summer that gets programs calling.
Lippman only saw 16 at-bats at FGCU this season, producing one hit, a home run against Miami. Don’t expect him at the plate in Tallahassee, though, but it’s a fun detail for a pitcher who clearly has some athletic ability.
FSU is staring down the loss of essentially its entire starting rotation and top reliever. Wes Mendes and Trey Beard are both ranked among the top 100 prospects for the MLB Draft, which kicks off July 11, and Sunday starter Bryson Moore and closer John Abraham figure to hear their names called as well. Add in departures like Brodie Purcell, Cole Stokes, Manny Lantigua and Jake Echols, and Link Jarrett’s staff has a real talent gap to fill before next spring.
That’s exactly why arms like Lippman matter right now. He joins fellow transfer lefty Cayden Suchy, the Big East Pitcher of the Year at UConn who posted a 2.72 ERA with 105 strikeouts in 89 innings, as the second piece of what’s shaping up to be a portal-built pitching staff for 2027. Lippman won’t need to be the ace. He just needs to be a reliable strike-thrower, and the underlying numbers, especially that walk rate improvement this summer on the Cape, suggest he’s trending the right way.
Some fans will look at the walk numbers and wonder if he’s more project than sure thing. Fair concern. But a redshirt freshman who’s already sitting in the mid 90s with strikeout stuff, and getting better against elite competition on the Cape, is worth being excited about. Jarrett and his staff clearly see something, and this program has developed arms before. Thanks for reading and Go Noles!