Saturday’s Poll Results (Whoops! 😆)

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

Happy Monday, Seminole! What a weekend.

⚡️ Softball put the ACC on notice with a firetruck-blasting mercy-rule win to lock up another series.
⚾️ Baseball took a tough tumble against Wake but now has its eyes set on a high-stakes Gator showdown.
🎾 Women’s Tennis sent its seniors off in style with a ranked W over Wake.
⛳️ Golf weathered early challenges at the Brickyard, while Lottie Woad keeps racking up elite finishes.
🧠 Spring scrimmage No. 2 gave us a clearer picture of what Gus Malzahn’s offense is becoming — and just how electric Kevin Sperry could be.
🔥 And over on the hardwood, Luke Loucks’ roster overhaul is in full swing as transfer season hits overdrive.

Let’s dive into all the action, breakdowns, and what’s next for the Noles ⬇️

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🥎 Noles Mercy Rule Virginia to Clinch Another Series W

No. 10 Florida State Softball (36–6, 11–1 ACC) made quick work of Virginia on Sunday, blasting the Cavaliers 13–2 in just five innings to lock up the series win in dominant fashion. 💣

🔥 How It Happened:

• FSU jumped ahead 3–0 in the 1st without a hit — thanks to small ball, wild pitches, and aggressive baserunning.

• Then came the big swing: Angelee Bueno smashed her first career HR — a grand slam off the firetruck in right — to blow the game wide open. 🚒💥

• The offense poured it on with 10 hits, including rockets off the wall from Michaela Edenfield and Katie Dack.

• Shelby McKenzie added a 2-RBI single in the 3rd to push it to 13–0.

🧤 Pitching Power:

• Ashtyn Danley was solid again, tossing 3.0 scoreless innings and allowing just 3 hits to improve to 8–1 on the season.

• Mimi Gooden slammed the door with a 1-2-3 5th to seal the mercy rule W.

📊 Stat Snapshot:

• 13 runs | 10 hits | 0 errors

• Bueno: 1st career HR (Grand Slam)

• Edenfield: 2B, 2 R

• Dack: 2B, 2 RBI

• McKenzie: 2 RBI single

📍 Next Up: FSU heads west to face Saint Mary’s on Wednesday before a 3-game set at Cal this weekend.

👉 Full game recap + road trip preview right here.

⚾ Rough Weekend: Noles Drop Series Finale to Wake in Blowout Loss

No. 4 Florida State Baseball (25–6, 8–4 ACC) dropped its first series of the season on Sunday — and did so in tough fashion. Wake Forest rolled to a 17–2 mercy rule win in eight innings, marking back-to-back run-rule losses for the Noles and a 29–2 scoring margin over the final two games. 😬

🔥 How It Started:

• FSU led 2–0 entering the 4th behind a solid early outing from Wes Mendes, who tossed 3 scoreless on just 49 pitches.

• The Noles plated a run in each of the first two innings and worked Wake starter Blake Morningstar hard — 77 pitches through 3 innings — but stranded 6 runners across the first three frames.

💥 Then It Unraveled:

• Wake tied the game with a 2-run HR to open the 4th, then followed with a second 2-run blast to take a 4–2 lead.

• A 7-run 5th (with 3 unearned) blew it wide open.

• FSU’s bullpen struggled: 4 different relievers combined for 10 runs (7 ER) across 4 innings.

📉 Tough Trend:

• Mendes has now allowed 16 ER over his last 11.2 IP, after surrendering just 2 ER over his first 27.1 IP this season.

🗓️ What’s Next:
FSU looks to rebound Tuesday in a huge midweek showdown at No. 6 Florida. The in-state rivals have split the first two games — including a walk-off grand slam from Alex Lodise in Jacksonville.

📺 First pitch: 7 PM ET on ESPN2

👉 Full recap + Florida preview right here.

🎾 Senior Day Spark: Noles Top #36 Wake Forest, 4–1

On a celebratory afternoon at the Scott Speicher Memorial Tennis Center, No. 75 Florida State Women’s Tennis (13–7, 4–6 ACC) delivered in front of the home crowd — defeating No. 36 Wake Forest 4–1 on Senior Day. 🌟

🔥 How it Happened:

• After dropping the doubles point, FSU responded with dominant singles play, taking four straight matches.

• Kristyna Lavickova tied the match 1–1 after a first-set win and Wake’s retirement on Court 3.

• Mary Boyce Deatherage gave FSU the lead with a 6–4, 6–1 win on Court 4 — her 15th of the year.

• Senior Maria Juliana Parra Romero showed out on her day with a convincing 6–4, 6–1 win on Court 5.

• Laura Putz clinched it on Court 6 with a clutch 7–6 (1), 6–4 victory.

💪 Doubles Bright Spot:

• Tina Li & Millie Bissett earned their first ranked win together, knocking off No. 78 Carton/Tannenbaum, 6–3, on Court 2.

📊 Notables:

• Putz: 8–3 overall | 4–2 in ACC

• Deatherage: 15 wins on the season

• Parra Romero: 11th win of the year | 5–4 in ACC

📍 Next Up:
The Seminoles close the regular season with two road tests:

• 🆚 No. 4 Duke – Saturday, 11:00 AM

• 🆚 No. 7 UNC – Sunday, 12:00 PM
  🔗 Live stats at Seminoles.com

👉 Full recap + player results here.

⛳️ Williams Paces Noles at Rain-Adjusted Brickyard Collegiate

Senior Kaylah Williams leads a trio of Seminoles at the Brickyard Collegiate after a strong back-nine showing on Sunday. In a weather-adjusted schedule, players opened the tournament with 18 holes — and Williams surged late to post a 4-over 76, putting her in a tie for 14th.

📝 Noles on the Leaderboard:

• Kaylah Williams — 76 (+4), T–14th

• Alexandra Gazzoli — 77 (+5), T–23rd

• Layla Pedrique — 84 (+12), T–58th

🌧️ Format Change:
Originally set for 36 holes Monday, weather moved one round to Sunday with the final 18 to be played Tuesday at 9:00 AM (shotgun start). Players teed off with no practice round — making Williams’ performance even more impressive as she played her final 14 holes at 1-under with two birdies.

🔜 What’s Next:
No. 4 Florida State will return to full-team action at the ACC Championship (April 16–19) in Greensboro, N.C.

🏁 Meanwhile...

🎖️ Lottie Woad wrapped up another stellar week with a 3rd-place finish at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur — her second career top-3 at the prestigious event. The reigning champion once again proved she’s among the game’s elite.

👉 Full Brickyard recap + final round tee times here.

🧠 Malzahn Talks Growth, Ground Game & QB Mobility After Scrimmage No. 2

FSU offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn isn’t in the business of overreacting in April — and after Saturday’s scrimmage, his tone was one of measured progress as the Noles continue installing his offense.

🔥 The Results:
• Offense scored 2 TDs — one in OT, one on a 2-yard QB run
• Turnovers: 2 INTs by Tommy Castellanos (deep ball + deflected screen)
• 229 rushing yards on 45 carries (excluding sacks)
• 400+ total yards despite a reshuffled OL and WR room

🗣️ Malzahn:
“We’re growing as an offense… You can tell our quarterbacks are feeling more comfortable every time out.”

📉 WR Room Thin:
FSU was without Duce Robinson, Squirrel White, Lawayne McCoy, and Jalen Brown. Hykeem Williams was limited. That left reps for Cam Frier, Elijah Moore, Jayvan Boggs, and walk-on Willy Suarez, who led the group with 5 catches.

🚀 QB Run Game Flashing: • Castellanos had a short TD run and several would-be chunk plays blown dead.
• Brock Glenn was 4-of-10 but delivered the best throw of the day to Boggs.
• Kevin Sperry wowed teammates with three electric scrambles — finishing with 60+ yards and some serious open-field shake.

🧠 Malzahn on his QBs:
“All three of them can really run… Tommy is a handful when you let him go live.”

🏗️ The Plan Moving Forward:
While the aerial attack was limited due to injuries, the Noles continue building a downhill, up-tempo rushing identity — with physicality, ball security, and QB mobility all taking center stage this spring.

👉 Full quotes + detailed breakdown here.

🧠 Inside the Scrimmage: Coaching Chemistry & First Impressions of FSU’s New-Look Staff

Saturday’s scrimmage didn’t just offer a glimpse at the 2025 roster — it also pulled back the curtain on Mike Norvell’s revamped coaching staff and the contrasting styles of his new coordinators. 💼👀

💥 Tony White Brings the Heat
FSU’s new defensive coordinator was fired up throughout the afternoon — commanding attention with volume, urgency, and a “details win games” energy.
• Didn’t love the post-play celebrations when the offense was rushing to the line
• Laser-focused on staying ready, getting aligned, and keeping tempo
• His presence feels like a tone-setter — and players responded well to the intensity

🎯 Key Quote from White:
“We get a sack or TFL... and the offense is on the ball while we’re celebrating. We’ve got to be locked in. Lined up. Ready.”

🧊 Malzahn = Calm, Calculated, In Control
While White is high-volume, Gus Malzahn plays it cool.
• Stoic on the sideline, doing most of his coaching in 1-on-1 convos
• Known to fidget with his shirt or move around a bit while play-calling
• Extremely locked in during series — all about the sequencing and timing

🔀 How Malzahn + Norvell Work Together:
There’s trust. Norvell largely let Malzahn operate — staying back to observe from a wider lens.
• Norvell’s headset was on, but his focus was on the whole operation
• Occasionally called QBs over between drives, but didn’t micromanage play calls

🎛️ Other Sideline Vibes:
• D-line drills were rapid-fire and physical — Terrance Knighton and Odell Haggins ran separate lines, bringing energy and teaching intensity
• DBs coach Evan Cooper sprinted into the end zone with players after an INT
• Defensive assistants had autonomy in rotation calls — a key part of White’s mix-and-match style

📍 Bottom Line: This staff has chemistry, complementary styles, and a clear structure. White sets the tone on defense. Malzahn works quietly but deliberately. Norvell orchestrates the full picture. The culture is firming up fast.

👉 Full breakdown + more observations here.

🏀 Roster Reset: FSU Men’s Hoops Bracing for Major Turnover Under Loucks

New era, new faces — and a lot of change.

New head coach Luke Loucks said it himself last week: he expects a majority of the 2024–25 Florida State men’s basketball roster to depart via the NCAA Transfer Portal. And as of now, that prediction is coming true.

Here’s where things stand:

📤 Departures (11 Players)
The portal has already claimed much of last year’s rotation:

• Taylor Bol Bowen (to Alabama) — FSU’s top 3-point shooter

• Daquan Davis (to Providence) — Talented freshman PG

• Malique Ewin — Starting center, trending toward Arkansas

• Chandler Jackson, Jerry Deng, Justin Thomas, and Christian Nitu also gone

• Four others entered portal with limited roles last season

🔁 Who’s Returning?
Only a few holdovers are currently expected back:

• Jamir Watkins — Team’s leading scorer (18.4 PPG) has another year

• AJ Swinton — Freshman wing says he’s “Here to Stay”

• Alier Maluk — Still undecided

🔥 New Additions (5 Committed)
Loucks and his staff have hit the trail hard:

• G Kobe Magee (Drexel) — Elite shooter (43.9% from 3)

• G Lajae Jones (St. Bonaventure) — Local product with size and versatility

• F Chauncey Wiggins (Clemson) — Stretch big with ACC experience

• G Robert McCray V (Jacksonville) — Explosive scorer (16.2 PPG)

• F Thomas Bassong (Overtime Elite) — Long, athletic, defensive-minded wing

🎯 Priority Targets (Still in Play)
Keep your eyes on these names:

• Max Green (Holy Cross) — 14.9 PPG as a freshman

• Alex Steen (Florida Southern) — 17.9 PPG, 10.6 RPG

• Juslin Bodo Bodo (High Point) — 2x Big South DPOY

• Samage Teel (Indiana State) & Malachi Smith (Dayton) — High-level guards

• Sebastian Mack (UCLA) — FSU reportedly in talks

📍 Big Picture:
With nearly the entire 2023–24 roster in flux and new faces coming in fast, this will be Luke Loucks’ team from Day 1. The rebuild is real — and it’s already well underway.

👉 Full portal tracker + target breakdown here.

And that’s a wrap!

From scrimmage sparks to softball slugfests, it’s full-throttle energy across every FSU sport this spring.
Keep riding the wave with us — and don’t forget:
⚾ Tuesday night, FSU–UF is must-watch TV.
📍 Hoops is heating up on the recruiting trail.
🚀 And spring ball? Far from finished.

We’ll be back soon with more news, notes, and Nole Nation moments. Until then… go Noles. 🍢