Under the lights at USF Baseball Stadium, Florida State carried its momentum from opening weekend into Tampa and left with their first road win. This midweek win showcased some resilience from the Seminoles holding a solid South Florida squad at bay for a 6-2 victory on Tuesday night. The Bulls put up a fight keeping the game within reach until late when FSU pulled away and closed out the game for its fourth win of the 2025 season.
The pitcher’s duel during the early innings gave way when Chase Williams roped a two-out triple that snuck past the foul line to bring home Jaxson West and Drew Faurot, giving the Noles a 2-run lead in the fourth. Williams’ speed on the bases is truly incredible. Max Williams added a solo home run in the fifth extending the lead to 3. FSU found itself on disaster’s doorstep in the sixth inning when USF loaded the bases with only one out. Thankfully, John Abraham had ice in his veins and got FSU out of the jam with a big strikeout and forcing a ground out to end the inning. The Noles added another run on a Jaxson West RBI single in the seventh.
Cal Fisher drove in Alex Lodise in the ninth to add some breathing room for FSU. South Florida put two runs across the plate, one in the fifth and one in the ninth, but couldn’t capitalize when it counted against FSU’s solid defense, which was the difference in the game. The Bulls managed to get 9 hits but stranded 10 runners with only 2 RBI. Florida State racked up 11 hits, stranded 9, but had 6 RBI.
These were two well-coached ball clubs with solid arms and good defenses. Neither team committed an error in the game. Florida State had some tough at-bats making solid contact with nothing to show for it early on, something Link talked about after the game. Talented freshman Myles Bailey struggled at the plate as he continues getting acclimated to the college game going 0-4 with 4 strikeouts. Max Williams had a good day on offense going 2-4 with a home run, RBI, and drawing a walk. FSU did not have a stolen base against the Bulls with Gage Harrelson getting caught on their lone attempt.
Tampa native Evan Chrest debuted in garnet and gold going 4.2 innings, allowing 5 hits and 1 earned run. The right-hander punched out 4 batters and only walked 1. Link Jarrett said after the game that he saw exactly what he wanted to see from Chrest in his first start for the Seminoles. “He moved the fastball around, kept it down. The cutter was in play and the slider.” Jarrett continued, “He threw some changeups that were effective. He manages a game; he’s in control and he throws strikes. He was in total command of the game.”
John Abraham had another strong performance in relief going 1.1 innings, allowing 1 hit, 0 runs with 2 strikeouts and 1 walk. Ben Barrett made his first appearance in 2025 pitching two scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth. Payton Prescott came in for the final two outs in the ninth to get the save. Freshman catcher Hunter Carnes threw out a USF base runner attempting to take second on a blocked ball in the dirt.
Coach Link Jarrett’s strategy was clear tonight: leverage the pitching staff to keep games tight and let the offense do the talking when opportunities arose. After the game, Jarrett praised his team’s focus and execution, especially highlighting the bullpen’s role in maintaining the lead. Jarrett said that overall, he was happy with the team’s performance. The Noles have only allowed 3 earned runs through the first 4 games.
This win keeps Florida State unbeaten at 4-0 after last weekend’s sweep of JMU. With a schedule that includes several ranked matchups, this early-season game against USF was a good opportunity to continue finding their rhythm and gaining experience before conference play begins.
The Seminoles will look to carry this momentum back to Tallahassee for their next series against Penn, a team that made a regional the past two years. They will have to face Florida State’s lethal weekend rotation in Howser, but it will be another good series to test how long this Seminoles team can consistently stay in the win column. Thanks for reading and Go Noles!
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