🏹 April 9th - The Chief Brief 🏹

Midweek Heat, Honors & Heartbreaks in Tally

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The Chief
April 09, 2025

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How concerned are you about FSU Baseball after back-to-back series losses?

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🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

Happy humpday, Seminole!

It’s been a whirlwind few days in Nole Nation — from a down-to-the-wire loss in the Sunshine Showdown to national awards, portal flips, and a Hall of Fame class stacked with legends. 💫

On the diamond, FSU Baseball couldn’t finish the comeback in Gainesville, but Brody DeLamielleure, Gage Harrelson, and Payton Manca provided silver linings as the Noles prep for another ranked ACC battle this weekend.

Meanwhile, Alexandra Gazzoli shined in Georgia, Joey Volini earned national Pitcher of the Month honors, and Jahni Kerr took home her first ACC Player of the Week nod after torching No. 2 Florida. 🎯

Basketball recruiting continues to accelerate with Max Green set to visit and Alex Steen now officially on board, while football welcomes more elite talent on campus — including 2026 RB Damarius Yates, who came away raving about the brotherhood and tempo in Norvell’s program. 🏈💨

Oh, and Jameis + Rashad are headed to the Hall of Fame. Let’s go. 👑

Let’s dive in — you don’t want to miss a headline. 👇

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⚾ Tough Loss in Gainesville: Noles Drop Sunshine Showdown

No. 9 Florida State Baseball (25–7) came up just short in Tuesday night’s Sunshine Showdown finale, falling 5–4 to Florida (21–14) at Condron Family Ballpark. The Gators took the 2025 series 2–1 with wins in both Tallahassee and Gainesville, while FSU’s lone win came in walk-off fashion in Jacksonville.

🔥 Key Moments:

  • Brendan Lawson crushed a three-run homer in the 5th inning on an 0-2 pitch with two outs to give Florida the lead for good.

  • FSU’s offense left 8 runners on base and went just 1-for-10 with RISP.

  • The Noles used six pitchers who combined for 150 pitches across 8 innings.

  • Peyton Prescott made his first start of the year, allowing 1 run in the 1st.

💥 Offensive Highlights:

  • Max Williams tied the game at 1 with a sac fly.

  • Brody DeLamielleure tied it again at 2 with an opposite-field solo homer — his 4th of the season.

  • Myles Bailey delivered an RBI single in the 7th, and Gage Harrelson scored on a passed ball to make it 5–4.

🧱 Defensive Bright Spots:

  • Hunter Carns made a diving tag at the plate to save a run in the 2nd.

  • Payton Manca struck out two in a row to strand a pair in the 6th and tossed a clean 7th.

  • Chris Knier worked a scoreless 8th to keep the game within reach.

⚠️ Final Frame: The Seminoles brought the top of the order to the plate in the 9th, but Florida’s Jake Clemente struck out two and forced a pop-up to close the door.

📍 What’s Next: FSU heads north to face No. 25 Virginia Tech in a top-25 ACC clash this weekend in Blacksburg. Game 1 starts Friday at 6 PM ET on ACCNX.

⛳ Gazzoli Finishes 3rd at Brickyard with Career-Best Finish

Freshman Alexandra Gazzoli delivered a standout performance this week, firing a 1-under 71 in the final round to finish third overall at the Brickyard Collegiate — the best finish of her young career. 💥

🔥 Leaderboard Recap:

  • 🥉 Gazzoli: 71 (-1) | 147 total | 2nd career top-10

  • 📈 Improved 20 spots in Round 2 with 3 birdies

  • 🧊 Kaylah Williams: 76-76 | T–12th | 5 birdies, 2nd straight top-12

  • 🔁 Layla Pedrique: 84-74 | T–28th | 10-stroke improvement

📍 Next Up:
Florida State begins postseason play at the ACC Championship (April 16–19) at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, NC.

🥎 Kerr Named ACC Player of the Week After Gator-Smashing, Virginia Domination

Jahni Kerr just caught fire — and the ACC took notice. 🔥

The veteran slugger was named ACC Player of the Week for the first time in her career after a monster stretch at the plate, becoming the third Nole to win the honor this season (joining Kennedy Harp and Jaysoni Beachum). That’s the most FSU winners in a season since 2019. 💪

📊 Kerr’s Week at a Glance:
• 6-for-12 (.500) | 2 HR | 5 RBI | 1 BB
• 💣 2 HR, 4 RBI vs. No. 2 Florida (first career multi-HR game)
• 🔥 3-for-3, RBI vs. Virginia in comeback win

🚨 Hot Streak Alert:
Kerr leads the ACC in batting average (.545) in conference play and is hitting .396 overall this season.

🔥 Volini Named National Pitcher of the Month After Dominant March

Joey Volini is stacking accolades like strikeouts. The redshirt junior southpaw was named the Dick Howser Trophy National Pitcher of the Month, becoming the first Seminole to earn the honor since 2022. 🏆

🧢 March by the Numbers:
• 5–0 record | 1.09 ERA | 33.0 IP
• 50 Ks | 7 BB | .165 opponent AVG
• 2 complete games in ACC play (at Miami, at Notre Dame)
• 3x with 11 strikeouts in a start

🏅 Also Named:
• Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List
• Midseason 1st Team All-America (D1Baseball & Perfect Game)
• ACC Pitcher of the Week (Mar. 31)
• No. 10 SP in the nation (D1Baseball)

Volini’s been a game-changer in his first season in Tallahassee — and the national spotlight is officially on. 📈

🏆 Jameis, Rashad & More Headline 2025 FSU Hall of Fame Class

A pair of 2013 national champions are headed to the Hall. 👑

Florida State announced its 2025 Athletics Hall of Fame class on Tuesday — and it’s loaded with Seminole royalty.

🎟️ Induction Ceremony:
📍 Sept. 19 at University Center Club
🏈 Honorees will be recognized during the Sept. 20 football game vs. Kent State

👑 Headliners:
• Jameis Winston – Heisman winner, 2013 national champion, 26–1 career record
• Rashad Greene – FSU’s all-time leader in catches (270) and receiving yards (3,830)

🏅 Full Class Includes:
• Lacey Waldrop – 2014 USA Softball Player of the Year, 109 career wins
• Bryan Henry – Baseball All-American, 32 career wins with 2.60 ERA
• Colleen Quigley – NCAA champ steeplechaser, 2016 Olympian
• Terry Horner – NCAA champion diver, 6x All-American
• Bob Braman – Legendary track & XC coach, 3x national champion, 47 Olympians coached

📍 Ticket info will be announced soon via Seminole Boosters.

🏀 Max Green Visiting Sunday + Q&A with New Commit Alex Steen

Florida State men’s basketball continues to reload fast — and the next potential piece could be on the way this weekend. 💥

🔍 Portal Target Visit Alert:
Max Green, a 6’6” freshman guard from Holy Cross, will visit Tallahassee this Sunday.

📊 Green’s Resume:
• 14.9 PPG | 5.6 REB | 3.5 AST
• 38.0% from 3 | Patriot League Rookie of the Year
• 25-point breakout in Game 3 of his college career
• 16 points vs. Virginia (4-of-7 from 3)

🧠 Scouting Report: A polished freshman scorer with size, confidence, and floor spacing ability. Could be a high-impact two-way guard in Loucks’ system.

🚨 Ta'Niya Latson Transfers to South Carolina After Historic FSU Career

It’s official: one of the most prolific scorers in Florida State women’s basketball history is on the move.

⭐ Ta’Niya Latson, a three-year starter and 2,000+ point scorer for the Seminoles, has committed to South Carolina, just two days after the Gamecocks’ loss in the national championship. The Miami native averaged 25.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 4.6 APG last season on 45.1% shooting — and now she’s heading to Columbia to join her former AAU teammate Raven Johnson.

🗣️ Latson in her announcement: “Feelin’ cocky.”

📊 Career Stats at FSU:

  • 93 games, 93 starts

  • 2,095 points (22.5 PPG)

  • 2.2 steals per game (2024)

  • 45.1% FG | 36.2% 3PT

🔥 Why It Matters: Latson isn’t just a high-level scorer — she’s become a two-way star. South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley called her “a birdie flying into the nest” and credited Raven Johnson for helping seal the deal.

👯 Johnson + Latson: Reunited in the backcourt, the duo brings chemistry, elite defense, and instant offensive firepower to a Gamecock team looking to reload after losing starters Te-Hina Paopao and Bree Hall.

📍 What’s Next for FSU: The Seminoles now look to fill a massive production gap heading into the offseason — both in scoring and leadership.

🔋 RB Target Damarius Yates Impressed by FSU Energy, Brotherhood on Visit

One of the top running backs in the 2026 class — 4⭐️ Damarius Yates out of Kemper County (Miss.) — was in Tallahassee this week and came away with strong impressions of the Seminole culture. 🌴

📍 On-Campus Details:

  • Yates spent Monday and Tuesday at FSU

  • Observed the Noles’ 10th spring practice

  • Met with RBs coach David Johnson and HC Mike Norvell

  • Watched close friend and former HS teammate Mario Nash Jr. in action

🗣️ Yates on FSU:

“The pace is always fast. They never slow down… The energy from Coach Norvell — I like that. I feel great about FSU.”

🔥 What Caught His Eye:

  • The “brotherhood” in the RB room

  • Explosiveness + effort on the field

  • Norvell’s intense, energized leadership

  • Honest advice from Nash: “If you don’t want to work, don’t come here.”

🗓️ What’s Next:

  • Yates said FSU is in line for an official visit

  • Still wide open — mentioned Alabama, Ole Miss, FSU, and Tennessee as potential OV spots

  • No public leader or Crystal Ball predictions yet

📊 Rankings:

  • No. 110 overall | No. 7 RB in 2026 class per 247Sports

And that’s a wrap!

Big swings, bold moves, and a few tough bounces — but the climb continues. From Max Green’s visit to Kerr’s hot bat, Volini’s rise, and the next wave of Noles on the recruiting trail, this edition brought all the momentum you need heading into the weekend.

Stay locked in — Virginia Tech, postseason golf, and spring practice finale coverage are all on deck. 🎯

Until next time…

Go Noles 🍢

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