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Yesterday’s Poll Results
Today’s Poll
Roses are red, violets are blue…
🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹
Happy Valentine’s Day Seminole!
🏟️⚾ Opening Night Energy in Tallahassee ⚾🏟️
FSU baseball wasted no time in 2026, pairing early power with steady pitching in front of another sold-out Dick Howser crowd.
🥎🔥 Freshmen Flip the Script in Clearwater 🔥🥎
Down early against FAU, Florida State softball leaned on youth, poise, and timely power to deliver one of the most telling wins of the weekend.
🏃♀️📈 Records Fall as Track Peaks at the Right Time 📈🏃♂️
Across two meets, Seminoles climbed the all-time lists again; a strong signal with postseason season fast approaching.
🏀🧠 The Calm in the Chaos 🧠🏀
Martin Somerville’s decision-making, ball security, and leadership are quietly powering FSU basketball’s late-season push.
⛳🏆 History in Play at the Moon Invitational 🏆⛳
Fresh off another team title, FSU women’s golf arrives at a familiar venue chasing something no one has done before.
🥍📉 A Narrow Miss, Not a Step Back 📉🥍
FSU lacrosse showed it belongs immediately in ACC play, even if the first result didn’t break their way.
🏈🗓️ Spring Ball Takes Shape 🗓️🏈
Dates are set, scrimmages are coming, and Pro Day looms as football begins laying the foundation for 2026.
🏈🧠 No Reset on the Standard 🧠🏈
Mike Norvell isn’t lowering expectations; he’s restructuring, reclaiming control, and betting that hard lessons lead to a better version of Florida State football.
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⚾🔥 FSU Baseball Opens 2026 With Statement Win vs. James Madison 🔥⚾
Opening Day delivered power, pitching, and a packed Dick Howser.
Florida State Seminoles baseball opened the 2026 season Friday night with a 5–1 win over James Madison in front of a sellout crowd of 6,700.
🔥 How It Happened
Myles Bailey wasted no time — a first-pitch, two-out homer in the first inning set the tone
Brody DeLamielleure followed with a leadoff bomb in the second
Wes Mendes was dominant: 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 7 Ks, just one walk
After JMU scratched across a run in the sixth, Noah Sheffield delivered the dagger — a two-RBI pinch-hit single in the eighth
Brodie Purcell slammed the door: 2.1 IP, 0 ER, 4 Ks for the save
🧠 By the Numbers
FSU improves to 10–0 all-time vs. JMU
Link Jarrett is now 9–0 in season-opening series at FSU
Bailey has homered in 8 of his last 10 games dating back to 2025
Seven Seminoles recorded a hit, RBI, or run
🏟️ Atmosphere Check
Second straight Opening Day sellout at Dick Howser
6,700 in attendance with Opening Weekend energy fully delivered
📍 Up Next
Saturday: 2:00 p.m. ET (Military Saturday)
Sunday: 1:00 p.m. ET (Sunday Funday — kids run the bases, beads available)
🧠 Why It Matters
Power showed up early, the rotation looked steady, and the bullpen closed clean. For a team with expectations, this was exactly how Opening Night was supposed to look.
🥎🔥 No. 6 FSU Softball Storms Back to Beat FAU in Clearwater 🔥🥎
Freshmen fueled a statement comeback under the lights.
Florida State softball erased an early deficit Friday night, rallying past Florida Atlantic 9–5 at the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational to move to 7–1 on the season.
🔥 How It Happened
Hayley Griggs jump-started the night with her first career triple to open scoring
FAU answered with four runs in the second, putting FSU in a 4–1 hole
The Seminoles exploded in the fourth, scoring four runs to take the lead
Ashtyn Danley and Anna Hinde went back-to-back with homers in the fifth
Makenna Sturgis capped it with a two-run homer in the seventh
Jazzy Francik shut the door for her fourth win of the season
🧠 Freshman Takeover
9 of 13 hits came from true freshmen
7 of 9 RBI were driven in by freshmen
Three freshmen homered Friday — a season high for the team
📊 Notable Nuggets
Largest FSU comeback since April 5, 2025 (down 7–1 vs. Virginia)
First back-to-back HRs since May 9, 2025 (ACC Tournament vs. Georgia Tech)
Griggs has reached base in 7 of 8 games this season
FSU improves to 21–10 all-time at Clearwater
🏆 Final Thought
Depth, poise, and youth carried the night. When freshmen are delivering the biggest swings in high-leverage moments, that’s a remarkable signal for the ceiling of this team.
🏃♂️🏟️ FSU Track Stacks Records on Split-Squad Friday 🏟️🏃♀️
Program history kept getting rewritten.
The Florida State Seminoles track and field delivered six top-10 program performances Friday across the Tiger Paw Invitational and Boston Valentine Invite.
🔥 Record Watch
Neo Mosebi & Durian Moss (Men’s 60m):
Both ran 6.59 in the semifinals — tied for 10th-fastest in program history
Alyia Green (Women’s 400):
53.12 — personal best, 7th-fastest in FSU history
Braeden Ofosu-Kwarteng (Men’s 400):
46.53 — lifetime best, 8th-fastest all-time
Aniol Borras (Men’s Mile):
4:00.45 — career best, holding 7th all-time
Isaac Hirshman Chandler (Men’s 5,000):
13:46.27 — personal best, 6th-fastest in program history
⏭️ What’s Next
Saturday at Tiger Paw: Jumps, sprints, throws continue (Women’s high jump ~9:00 a.m.)
Saturday in Boston: Women’s distance resumes (Women’s mile ~4:05 p.m.)
🧠 Big Picture
Late-season form is peaking at the right time. With multiple athletes climbing the all-time lists in one night, postseason momentum is very real.
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🏀🧠 Martin Somerville’s Steady Hand Is Driving FSU’s Late-Season Push 🧠🏀
When the game tightens, Martin Somerville has become Florida State’s calming force with the ball.
The first-year Seminole enters Saturday’s matchup against Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball playing some of his cleanest, most efficient basketball of the season.
🔥 Numbers That Matter
2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio through 24 games
23 assists, just 4 turnovers over the last eight games (5.8:1)
Zero turnovers in each of the last two games
4:1 A:TO ratio in ACC play (28 assists, 4 turnovers)
🧠 Why He’s So Trusted
Handles pressure possessions calmly
Makes the “right play” consistently, even with increased usage
Filled in seamlessly when the primary PG was in foul trouble vs. Notre Dame
🗣️ What Coach Loucks Sees
“Martin’s a coach on the floor… a vocal leader who isn’t afraid to hold teammates accountable.”
That leadership shows up on both ends.
🛡️ Two-Way Impact
37 steals this season (top-tier ACC defender)
Team-leading 48 made threes
8.4 points per game with the ability to create offense on or off the ball
⏱️ What’s Next
Florida State heads to Blacksburg to face Virginia Tech today at 2:00 p.m. ET on ACC Network, riding momentum from four wins in its last six games with Somerville quietly orchestrating much of it.
⛳🔥 No. 26 FSU Women’s Golf Chases History at the Moon Invitational 🔥⛳
Fresh off another trophy, Florida State heads back to familiar, and successful ground.
The Florida State Seminoles women's golf enter this week’s Moon Invitational at Suntree Country Club as defending champions, aiming to do something no program has ever done in the event’s nine-year history.
🏆 What’s on the Line
Chance to become the first repeat champion
Chance to become the first three-time champion (FSU won in 2022 and 2025)
Riding momentum from a team win at the Collegiate Invitational
Eighth team title in the last 13 tournaments
🧠 Why This Field Matters
This is one of the strongest fields of the season, featuring 12 of the Top 26 teams nationally, including Texas A&M, Florida, Wake Forest, Auburn, Texas, Duke, Ole Miss, and Tennessee.
⛳ FSU Lineup
Sophia Fullbrook
Elin Pudas Remler
Alexandra Gazzoli
Layla Pedrique
Haruhi Nakatani (Fr.)
Freya Russell (Individual)
⭐ Player Spotlight
Sophia Fullbrook: three straight Top-15 finishes, 9-under over her last three events
Pudas Remler: tied for 10th in the season opener, fourth career Top-10
Nakatani: freshman ranked second on the team in stroke average (72.33)
📅 Tournament Details
54 holes / three rounds
Sunday–Tuesday (Feb. 15–17)
Tee times: 8:00 a.m. (Sun/Mon), 9:00 a.m. (Tue)
Live results via Scoreboard by Clipp’d
🥍📉 FSU Lacrosse Drops One-Goal Heartbreaker at Cal 📉🥍
A strong start wasn’t quite enough in conference play.
Florida State lacrosse opened ACC action with a narrow 10–9 road loss to California Golden Bears women's lacrosse on Friday afternoon at California Memorial Stadium.
⏱️ How It Played Out
FSU jumped out to a 3–0 lead and held Cal scoreless for the first 20 minutes
Meg Kenny caught fire early, scoring four first-half goals
Seminoles led 6–3 at halftime before Cal rallied
⚖️ Second-Half Swing
California scored three straight goals in the third to tie it
Teams entered the fourth quarter knotted at 7–7
Lydia Ward tied it late (9–9) on a clutch free-position shot
Cal answered with 1:38 remaining to seal the one-goal win
⭐ Standouts
Meg Kenny: 4 goals (7 on the season)
Summer Harrell: 2 goals on 2 shots + 2 assists
FSU’s defense limited Cal early and forced long scoreless stretches
🧠 Big Picture
Florida State showed it can dictate tempo and compete immediately in ACC play — but closing late against elite opponents remains the next step.
📍 Up Next
The Seminoles look to bounce back Sunday at UC Davis Aggies women's lacrosse, with first draw set for 2:00 p.m. ET.
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🏈🗓️ FSU Football Sets Tentative 2026 Spring Practice Schedule 🗓️🏈
Spring ball is officially taking shape in Tallahassee.
Florida State Seminoles football is expected to open 2026 spring practice on March 9, with workouts spread across March and April leading into two scrimmages.
📅 Spring Practice Breakdown
March (before spring break)
March 9
March 11
March 13
Return from spring break
March 24
March 26
March 30
March 31
🧪 Notable Date
FSU Pro Day: Tentatively set for Friday, March 27
April Practices & Scrimmages
April 2
April 4 – First scrimmage
April 7
April 9
April 11 – Second scrimmage
April 13
April 15
FSU will still have one additional date available to reach the NCAA’s 15 allowed spring practices.
⏰ Scheduling Notes
Practices: early morning
Scrimmages: mid-morning starts
🧠 Big Picture
Spring ball will give the staff its first extended look at roster roles, leadership development, and scheme installation heading into the 2026 season with Pro Day and two scrimmages serving as key evaluation checkpoints.
🏈🧠 Mike Norvell Embraces the Standard and the Pressure- Heading Into 2026 🧠🏈
Florida State Seminoles football isn’t lowering expectations even after two difficult seasons. And Mike Norvell isn’t backing away from that reality.
🗣️ Norvell on Expectations
Despite a 7–17 stretch over the last two seasons, Norvell made it clear the bar hasn’t moved:
Championship expectations come with choosing Florida State
The focus is daily growth, not shortcuts
Learning from both success and failure is non-negotiable
“Every year… there are championship expectations, and that’s what I want.”
🔧 Structural Changes, Not Excuses
After receiving a vote of confidence from AD Michael Alford, Norvell leaned into change:
Hired John Garrett as GM
Added Taylor Edwards to lead player acquisition
Front office resources expanded to modernize roster management
Norvell framed the overhaul as necessary evolution, not reaction.
📋 Offensive Reset
Following Gus Malzahn’s retirement, Norvell is reclaiming play-calling duties:
Tim Harris Jr. promoted to OC
Norvell returns to a role he’s handled extensively in his career
Front office support gives him more schematic bandwidth
🧠 Quarterback Direction
The Seminoles enter 2026 with Ashton Daniels as the likely starter:
Transfer with experience across multiple offenses
Heavily vetted by Norvell through multiple former head coaches
Praised for playmaking ability and “magnetic personality”
Norvell stopped short of naming a starter but acknowledged “high expectations” for Daniels.
🔄 Roster Reality
23 transfers added
26 transfers out
New starters across multiple position groups
Norvell’s takeaway: there’s no blueprint anymore, just accountability, adaptability, and consistency.
🧠 Big Picture
Norvell isn’t denying the last two seasons. He’s betting that the lessons, structural changes, and renewed control over the offense position Florida State to climb back to championship relevance in 2026.
And that’s a wrap!
Whether you’re spending tonight at a nice dinner, on the couch with a game on, or pretending it’s just another Friday; hope you’re feeling a little love today.
We’ll be back tomorrow with more moments worth caring about.
Until then,
– Chief 🏹
