Yesterday’s Poll Results
Today’s Poll
🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹
Happy Sunday, Seminole!
Resilience, rising stars, and red-hot rallies — this week had it all.
From historic comebacks to spring scrimmage standouts, Seminole squads showed what it means to battle — whether it’s late-inning heroics at JoAnne Graf, defensive domination in Doak, or clean sweeps on the sand.
Here’s what’s inside today’s loaded lineup:
🔥 Softball stages one of the greatest comebacks in program history
🛡️ Defense takes center stage in FSU’s second spring scrimmage
⚾ Baseball’s bounce-back test looms after a lopsided Saturday
🎾 Men’s Tennis wins No. 6 straight behind senior leadership
🏖️ Beach Noles sweep the final day at the Unconquered Invitational
👟 Track & Field drops national-caliber times and PRs in Gainesville
Let’s break it all down and set the stage for another big week ahead in the Garnet & Gold. 👇
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🥎 Harp’s Heroics Complete Historic Comeback for Noles
Down 7–1? No problem. 💪
No. 10 Florida State Softball (35–6, 10–1 ACC) delivered one of the wildest wins in program history on Saturday, storming back from a six-run deficit to stun Virginia 9–8 in front of another sold-out JoAnne Graf Field crowd. The comeback ties the largest in FSU history — matching the 7–1 rally over No. 1 Alabama in 2020.
🎆 How It Happened:
The Cavs jumped out to a 7–1 lead through 3.5 innings.
The Noles chipped away behind clutch knocks from Kennedy Harp, Hallie Wacaser, and Jahni Kerr — who had 3 hits and reached base 4 times.
In the 6th, down 8–7, Harp delivered the dagger — launching a 2-out, 2-run go-ahead homer on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.
🧤 Defense + Bullpen Locked It Down:
Addie DeLong made a highlight-reel diving catch to save runs in the 6th.
Jazzy Francik came in clutch again — tossing 3.1 innings of one-run ball to earn her 6th win of the season.
📈 Stat Snapshot:
FSU’s largest comeback since 2020 vs. Alabama
Harp: 9th home run of the year • Kerr: 3-for-3, 2 runs, 1 RBI
📍 Next Up: The Noles go for the series win Sunday at noon (📺 ACCNX)
🔥 Spring Scrimmage No. 2: Defense Dominates as Noles Continue to Mold 2025 Identity
Florida State held its second scrimmage of spring on Saturday, and this one was all about defense. Despite some meaningful absences on offense — particularly along the offensive line and wide receiver room — the Noles showed physicality, energy, and flashes of what's to come under Malzahn’s new-look scheme. 💥
🛡️ Defensive Takeaways: • The defense won the day — both on the field and in the energy department.
DE Amaree Williams tipped a screen pass that led to a wild pick-6 by KJ Sampson.
Walk-on DB Smoke White grabbed an INT in deep coverage.
DLs Darrell Jackson, James Williams, and Deante McCray made plays in the trenches.
LB Omar Graham was everywhere, while Elijah Herring and Justin Cryer also flashed.
CB Shamar Arnoux won multiple 1-on-1 red zone reps in impressive fashion.
🎯 Offensive Highlights:
QB Tommy Castellanos scored on a red zone scramble and tossed a long TD to Randy Pittman, but also had 2 picks. Still, the offense looked most fluid with him at the helm.
QB Brock Glenn threw the prettiest ball of the day — a dime across the hash to Elijah Moore.
True freshman Kevin Sperry showed some serious tools, even if still raw.
TE Randy Pittman had three chunk plays, including a bruising RAC score. He looks like a mismatch nightmare in the making.
RB Caziah Holmes and walk-on Zay Parks ran hard behind a banged-up OL that included flashes from young tackles Jonathan Daniels and Manasse Itete.
📈 Position Notes:
Tight ends could be the best group on the offense with Pittman, Chase Loftin, and a slimmed-down Markeston Douglas all contributing.
The WRs were limited due to injury, but Elijah Moore and Camdon Frier (returning from injury) stood out.
The defensive front depth looked real with guys like Sampson, Diggs, and Hester all making plays.
LB play was solid — a major step up from this time last year. Graham and Herring look ready to lead.
Secondary flew around — Max Redmon and Earl Little Jr. were active, and the communication was clean.
🚨 Final Thought: This defense is ahead of schedule — and once this roster gets healthy, the competition on both sides is going to heat up fast. Next stop: spring game.
⚾ Wake Rolls, Noles Blanketed in Saturday Blowout at The Mac
No. 4 Florida State Baseball (25–5, 8–3 ACC) suffered its most lopsided loss of the season on Saturday, falling 12–0 in seven innings to No. 11 Wake Forest in Game 2 of their weekend series at Dick Howser Stadium.
After a Friday night walk-off thriller, the Seminoles were flat in every phase. Starter Joey Volini — who entered 7–0 with a 1.25 ERA — was tagged for 10 hits and 7 earned runs in just 2.1 innings of work. Wake took control with a solo HR in the 2nd, then blew it open in the 3rd with a 5-run frame capped by a 3-run homer from Dalton Wentz.
📉 FSU’s Offense Struggled: • Just 3 hits on the day — 2 from Gage Harrelson
• Cal Fisher and Jaxson West had a brief rally in the 2nd, but it fizzled
• Freshman Hunter Carns struck out on a full count with two in scoring position
🧱 Meanwhile, Wake’s Logan Lunceford was dominant on the mound: • 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 9 K, 2 BB
• Retired 10 of his final 12 batters faced
🛠️ Out of the bullpen, Payton Manca provided a solid 3-inning relief effort for the Noles, allowing just one run — a bright spot in an otherwise tough afternoon.
📍 Next Up: The series finale is set for Sunday at 1 PM, with the Seminoles aiming to bounce back and secure their 8th straight weekend series win.
🎾 #19 Noles Top Louisville for 6th Straight Win, Extend ACC Dominance
The streak keeps rolling. No. 19 Florida State Men’s Tennis (16–7, 8–4 ACC) fought back from an early deficit to beat Louisville 4–2 on Sunday — their sixth straight win and third consecutive season with 8+ ACC victories. 💪
🔥 How it Happened:
After dropping the doubles point, the Noles stormed back in singles — winning four of the first sets.
Senior Jamie Connel set the tone with a 6–3, 6–1 blitz on Court 2. He’s now won 36 of his last 42 games.
Erik Schiessl kept his streak alive (6 straight unbeaten) with a 7–5, 6–2 win to put FSU ahead.
Corey Craig — now ranked No. 15 — delivered win No. 10 over a ranked opponent this year with a gritty 6–2, 7–5 dub on Court 1.
Senior Youcef Rihane clinched it with a 6–2, 7–6(4) win on Court 6, sealing the match in style.
📅 Next Up: FSU hosts Miami on Friday at 5:30 PM to close out the regular season — and will honor seniors Alex Bulte, Jamie Connel, Joshua Dous-Karpenschif, and Youcef Rihane in a special pre-match ceremony.
🏖️ Beach Noles Go 4–1 at Unconquered Invitational, Sweep Final Day
The No. 5 Florida State Beach Volleyball team capped off a dominant weekend in Tallahassee, finishing 4–1 at the Unconquered Invitational after going a perfect 3–0 on Saturday. 💪
🔥 Saturday’s Sweep Recap:
🆚 USF (W, 4–1):
Court 3: Carra Sassack & Makenna Wolfe — 21–9, 21–6 🚀
Court 4: Angeline Bergner & Kyleene Filimaua — 21–15, 21–13
Court 2: Alexis Durish & Bailey Higgins — 21–15, 21–17 (Clincher)
Court 1: Gella Andrew & Maddie Trusty — 21–17, 21–13
🆚 No. 15 FAU (W, 5–0):
All 5 courts won in straight sets 🔒
Court 2: Andrew & Trusty — 22–20, 22–20 (Thriller)
Court 1: Durish & Audrey Koenig — 21–18, 21–11
🆚 South Carolina (W, 5–0):
Another full sweep — no dropped sets 💯
Court 3: Sassack & Higgins — 21–7, 21–13 (Clincher)
Court 2: Andrew & Trusty — 21–13, 21–15
📍 Tournament Takeaways:
FSU improves to 23–4 on the season.
Andrew & Trusty went undefeated on the weekend.
Sassack & Higgins shined on Court 3, including a dominant 21–6 set vs. South Carolina.
All three Saturday matches were clinched without needing a third set.
📅 Next Up: The Noles head west for the Center of Effort Challenge in San Luis Obispo, CA — their final regular season tournament:
Friday: 🆚 USC (10:00 AM ET), 🆚 Stanford (3:00 PM ET)
Saturday: 🆚 Cal Poly (11:30 AM ET)
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👟 Noles Shine at Pepsi Florida Relays with Big-Time PRs
Florida State Track & Field made noise in Gainesville this weekend, capping off the Pepsi Florida Relays with standout performances, personal bests, and multiple top-10 program marks. 💥
🚀 Highlights from Saturday:
Neo Mosebi clocked a 10.03 (PB) in the 100m to finish 2nd overall — the fastest wind-aided time in the world this year and 3rd-fastest in the NCAA.
Andre Korbmacher placed 6th in the 110m hurdles with a 13.52 (PB) — 5th-fastest in FSU history.
Kyvon Tatham soared in the triple jump with a 53-8½ (16.37m) leap — 8th-best all-time at FSU, finishing 3rd.
Finn Thomas captured his first career win in the 3,000m (8:49.49).
Kayla Pinkard led the women’s team in the triple jump, placing 4th with a 41-3 (12.57m) PR.
The women’s 4x400 relay (Green, Wilson, Francis, Liburd) placed 4th with a time of 3:30.32 — the 7th-best mark in school history.
📊 Other Notables:
Men’s Discus: Ahmari Avin – 6th (48.94m)
Women’s 800m: Jaden Francis – 17th (2:07.59 PB)
Men’s 100m: Durian Moss – 13th (10.35)
Men’s 3,000m: Michael Toppi – 3rd (8:59.32)
📍 Next Up: The Noles return to Gainesville for the Tom Jones Invitational, April 18–19.
And that’s a wrap!
That’s a wrap on a wild weekend across the board for the Noles — comebacks, clean sweeps, and spring sparks from every corner of campus.
👏 From Hallie Harp’s legendary long ball to breakout scrimmage buzz and record-setting performances on the track, it’s clear: Florida State is rolling into April with fire in every sport.
📅 Be sure to circle next weekend — we’ve got Senior Days, showdowns, and spring game storylines on deck. Until then…
Keep chopping. 🍢
