Thousands of fans filled Dick Howser Stadium to witness the opening weekend of Florida State baseball’s highly anticipated 2025 season. The Seminoles delivered the performance fans had come to see with a commanding series sweep over James Madison. Certainly, tougher competition lies ahead, but JMU is a strong program coming off a solid campaign in 2024; nevertheless, FSU wasted no time showcasing why they were a consensus top 10 team entering the season.
Florida State’s opening day win showcased one of the primary reasons this team is considered a contender: dominant pitching. Left-handed ace Jamie Arnold lived up to his preseason expectations with a stellar six-inning performance. He allowed just one hit and no runs while racking up 8 strikeouts with no walks.
The JMU offense struggled against Arnold on the mound. When his outing ended, right-handed reliever John Abraham took over and rose to the challenge set by Arnold. Abraham closed out the final three innings by allowing just one hit, no runs, and registering 8 strikeouts of his own with only one walk allowed. The two returning pitchers proved to be a potent one-two punch for FSU.
The offense started a bit sloppy in game one, displaying a lack of discipline at the plate. FSU chased several bad pitches and was called for multiple half-swings. However, Drew Faurot ignited the offense in the third inning with a three-run blast, and the Noles pulled away late in the game by adding another three runs in the seventh. FSU only managed 4 hits and struck out 10 times, but it was sufficient to secure the win after pitching a shutout on defense. The issues at the plate appeared to largely be first-game jitters, as they steadily improved over the weekend.
FSU sealed the series win on Saturday with a solid performance on both offense and defense. USF transfer Joey Volini excelled in his pitching debut in garnet and gold, going 4.2 innings while allowing only 2 hits, 1 run (0 earned), and recording 7 strikeouts to 1 walk. The only run allowed on Volini’s watch came on a fielding error in the fifth inning that would have been the final out. FSU utilized a total of three relievers (Martinez, Prescott & Knier) who collectively added 6 strikeouts while allowing 5 hits and 1 earned run.
The Noles had a stronger day at the plate and demonstrated that there is still power in this lineup with four home runs on Saturday. Gage Harrelson started with a leadoff solo homer to right-center that was a no-doubter when it left the bat. Max Williams contributed a two-run shot in the third, and Drew Faurot hit his second home run of the weekend in the fourth inning. Junior infielder Alex Lodise added another two-run homer in the sixth. FSU scored nine runs putting runs on the board in five separate innings. They still racked up double-digit strikeouts, but the number of hits increased to ten.
FSU completed the series sweep with a dominant 10-0 run-rule win on Sunday. Ole Miss transfer pitcher Wes Mendes was impressive in his season debut, showcasing his talent over five innings. The skilled lefty allowed only 2 hits and no runs while striking out 8 batters and walking just one. He has some nice stuff including a nasty breaking ball that was on display in a career-high performance for Mendes in innings and strikeouts. Link Jarrett praised his performance after the game saying this might be the best he’s looked since arriving at FSU.
Hudson Rowan came in as a relief but threw only 12 pitches before leaving with what appeared to be a right oblique injury. Sophomore LHP Brady Louck closed out the game for FSU, going 2.1 innings, allowing 1 hit and no runs, with 3 strikeouts and no walks.
The Noles had their best offensive performance of the weekend, scoring 10 runs on 18 hits while reducing their strikeouts to just 5. FSU also stole 8 bases in the final game after having just one in the prior two. It was a collective effort, with 9 different batters recording a hit. The two head coaches agreed to call the game after the eighth inning, with the Dukes trailing by 10 and facing a time constraint to catch a flight home.
It was a good outing to open the season for the Seminoles. We saw flashes of what could propel this team to Omaha, and they also made quick improvements on some early mistakes. Here are my top takeaways from the opening series.
Pitching Prowess with Solid Defense
Florida State’s strength coming into the season was its pitching staff, led by left-handed ace Jamie Arnold, a new crop of talented transfers, and improved bullpen depth. If this weekend was a sample of things to come, the Noles could be in for a special season. FSU’s weekend rotation consisted of all left-handers, Jamie Arnold, USF transfer Joey Volini, and Ole Miss transfer Wes Mendes. The three starters combined for 15.2 innings, allowing just 5 hits, no earned runs, and an impressive 23 strikeouts with only 2 walks.
FSU pitchers combined for an impressive 40 strikeouts over the weekend while giving up just 10 hits and 2 runs. Although the pitching staff didn’t allow the JMU offense to put the ball in play often, when they did, FSU backed its pitchers with solid defense, committing just 2 errors throughout the series compared to 10 by JMU. We have yet to see the likes of Evan Chrest, Connor Hults, and Joe Charles take the mound, but even without Cam Leiter (injury), the Noles appear to have a depth of talented arms in their arsenal.
Production & Speed on Offense
One big question for FSU entering this season was how they would replace the lost offensive production after a historic season in 2024. Despite a sluggish start on Friday, FSU demonstrated that there is still plenty of horsepower in the lineup, especially when the bats heat up. Florida State hit .302 over the weekend, racking up 32 hits, 25 runs, 21 RBI, and 5 home runs.
Link Jarrett said he was not pleased with how the offense performed in the first two games but liked what he saw on Sunday with a more consistent presence at the plate and on the bases. However, Jarrett admitted that it is nice to be able to attack teams in multiple ways offensively.
Coach Jarrett did a commendable job of adding athleticism to the lineup, and it shows in the amount of speed FSU has on the bases. The Noles were a perfect 9 of 9 on stolen base attempts, and players like Chase Williams and Gage Harrelson proved they are a threat to score from anywhere and at any time.
Veteran Leaders
Florida State had a strong veteran presence on last year’s team, but with most of those names gone from the roster, new leaders needed to emerge this season. In the Seminoles’ opening series, three players who needed to step up and be a steady force in the lineup did just that. Junior infielder Drew Faurot led the charge on offense, batting .500 with 6 hits, 2 home runs, and a team-leading 6 RBI.
Texas Tech transfer Gage Harrelson was another standout. He had an impressive weekend from FSU’s leadoff spot, batting .417 with 5 hits, 5 RBI, and scoring 5 runs. He also led the team in stolen bases, going a perfect 3 for 3.
Junior infielder Alex Lodise got off to a disappointing start, going 0-5 with 4 strikeouts in game one, but bounced back in games two and three, going a combined 6 for 9 with a home run and driving in 4 RBI.
FSU will need its veterans to anchor the lineup with a handful of young players who are getting adjusted to the college game. For example, talented freshman Myles Bailey started the weekend 0-4 with 3 strikeouts but flashed his potential on Sunday with a 3-hit performance.
The Noles will need to be more consistent across its lineup when it matters most. One of the returning leaders from last year, Max Williams, had a home run but finished the weekend hitting just .143 (2-14).
FSU flexed its strengths on opening weekend with dominant pitching, good defense, and an offense that put the ball in play and became aggressive on the bases. Of course, there are things to clean up like leaving 27 runners stranded and striking out 20 times in the first two games, but overall, you have to feel good about how the opening weekend went for the Seminoles. They will face tougher competition once they reach conference play, but opening with a series sweep over a solid JMU ball club was a great way to start the season.
It’s still very early, but the Noles looked crisp on an opening weekend where 9 of the top 25 teams suffered a loss. They don’t face a team ranked in the RPI top 100 until the rivalry game against Florida at home on March 11th, so they have plenty of time to make adjustments and find their rhythm.
Next up is a trip to Tampa for a midweek contest against South Florida (2-1) on Tuesday before coming home for a weekend series against Penn (0-0). Thanks for reading and Go Noles!
Share this Article with other Nole fans!
