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Yesterday’s Poll Results
Today’s Poll
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Happy Hump Day, Seminole!
A day where response mattered and Florida State largely delivered.
⚾🔥 Baseball Sets the Tone 🔥⚾
A road run-rule win showed Opening Weekend wasn’t a fluke as the competition level rises fast.
🥎🔥 Softball Answers Loudly 🔥🥎
After Clearwater exposed the margins, FSU responded with authority — and followed it with hardware.
🏀🔥 Basketball Closes Under Pressure 🔥🏀
Execution late turned a tense night into another confidence-building win that keeps momentum alive.
🏊♂️🏆 Breakthroughs at ACCs 🏆🏊♀️
Titles, medals, and records arrived as swimming officially joined diving in Atlanta.
⛳✨ Golf Finds Its Moments ✨⛳
From leaderboard positioning to a hole-in-one, individual breakthroughs continue to surface.
🏀🧠 Recruiting & Roster Movement 🧠🏀
Reclassification news and Tour of Duty feedback both point to timelines speeding up.
🏈🧠 Football’s Early Signals 🧠🏈
Newcomers are buying in, defenders are separating, and accountability is starting to show before pads ever come on.
Let’s get into it 👇
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⚾🔥 FSU Baseball Rolls Past Jacksonville, Heads to Texas 🔥⚾
The Florida State Seminoles baseball moved to 3–0 with a 13–3 run-rule road win over Jacksonville Dolphins baseball, capitalizing on patience at the plate and clean pitching in their first midweek test.
🧠 What Stood Out
FSU drew 10 walks and forced five JU errors, turning pressure into separation
Payton Manca opened his season with 3.0 scoreless innings, followed by shutdown relief from John Abraham
Brayden Dowd set the tone at the top with 2 RBI as FSU scored in five different innings
⏭️ What’s Next
Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field
Matchups vs. Michigan, No. 9 Auburn, and Nebraska
🥎🔥 FSU Softball Answers with Run-Rule Shutout 🔥🥎
The Florida State Seminoles softball blanked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball 8–0 in five innings at Seminole Softball Complex, opening the 12-game home stretch with authority.
🧠 What Stood Out
Freshman Bella Dimitrijevic earned her first career win with 3.2 scoreless innings
Isa Torres reached base in all three plate appearances and continues to set the tone
A five-run second inning broke the game open and never let Louisiana breathe
⏭️ What’s Next
Dugout Club Classic begins Friday
Matchups vs. Alabama Crimson Tide softball, Dartmouth, and Elon
Why It Matters:
After Clearwater revealed the margins, FSU delivered a clean, disciplined response which is exactly the standard this homestand demands.
🥎🏆 FSU Softball Earns Back-to-Back ACC Honors 🏆🥎
The Florida State Seminoles softball swept weekly ACC honors as Jazzy Francik was named ACC Pitcher of the Week for the second straight week, while freshman Marin Heller earned ACC Co-Freshman of the Week.
🧠 What Stood Out
Francik went 3–0 with a 2.00 ERA across four appearances, including outings vs. top-10 competition
She now owns a 1.04 ERA through 27.2 innings this season
Heller hit .400 on the week, driving in five runs and leading a freshman-heavy lineup
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🏀🔥 FSU Basketball Finishes, Doesn’t Flinch 🔥🏀
The Florida State Seminoles men's basketball erased a 14-point deficit and closed on a 17–5 run to beat the Boston College Eagles men's basketball 80–72 at the Tucker Center, holding BC to two field goals over the final 4:36.
🧠 What Stood Out
Robert McCray V led with 27 points, plus 6 rebounds and 5 assists
Chauncey Wiggins drilled the go-ahead three with 1:49 left
FSU shot .619 in the second half, won the glass 20–12, and made a season-high 27 free throws
⏭️ What’s Next
Saturday at Clemson Tigers men's basketball
12:00 p.m. ET
🏊♂️🏆 FSU Breaks Through on Day 3 at ACCs 🏆🏊♀️
The Florida State Seminoles swimming and diving claimed an ACC title, two bronze medals, and a school record on Day 3 of the ACC Swimming and Diving Championships at McAuley Aquatic Center.
🧠 What Stood Out
Men’s 200 medley relay won gold — FSU’s first ACC title in the event since 2020
Divers Kayleigh Clark and Carlos Vargas earned bronze on platform, marking FSU’s first dual diving medals at ACCs since 2017
Freshman Ioana Stirbu set a school record in the 200 free lead-off leg of the 800 free relay
⏭️ What’s Next
Wednesday prelims begin 9:30 a.m. ET, finals at 5:30 p.m. ET
⛳✨ Hole-in-One Highlights Moon Invitational Finish ✨⛳
Sophomore Sophia Fullbrook carded her first career hole-in-one as the Florida State Seminoles women's golf finished 12th at the Moon Invitational at Suntree Country Club.
🧠 What Stood Out
Fullbrook closed with a 1-under 71, tying for 20th overall and recording FSU’s first ace since 2022
Freshman Haruhi Nakatani led the Seminoles, finishing T-13 with two under-par rounds
Auburn surged late to win the team title, while Texas A&M’s Vanessa Borovilos claimed individual honors
⏭️ What’s Next
Darius Rucker Intercollegiate (March 2–4)
Florida State Match-Up at Seminoles Legacy GC (March 20–22)
Why It Matters:
Even on a challenging week, individual breakthroughs matter and Fullbrook’s ace is the kind of confidence-builder that carries forward.
⛳📊 FSU Men’s Golf Holds 4th Entering Final Round 📊⛳
The Florida State Seminoles men's golf stayed 4th after Round 2 of the Watersound Invitational, posting 3-under 277 and sitting 7-under (553) overall at the Watersound Club – Third Course.
🧠 What Stood Out
Jack Bigham led the day with a 3-under 67, climbing into the top 25
Tyler Weaver and Carson Brewer remain team leaders at 3-under, tied for 14th
Steady rounds across the lineup kept FSU firmly in the hunt
⏭️ What’s Next
Final round Wednesday
11:00 a.m. ET shotgun start
Why It Matters:
FSU didn’t surge but didn’t slip either. With scoring conditions manageable, one clean round can still change the board quickly.
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🏀🧠 FSU in the Mix as Martay Barnes Reclassifies 🧠🏀
Four-star guard Martay Barnes announced he’s reclassifying from 2027 to 2026 and confirmed an official visit to Florida State later this month as his recruitment narrows.
🧠 What Stood Out
Barnes has limited his focus to FSU and Auburn, with official visits to both
He’s consistently praised FSU’s staff connection, honesty, and freedom to play
Barnes previously ranked No. 49 nationally and No. 5 SG in the 2027 class before reclassifying
⏭️ What’s Next
Official visit to FSU on February 24 for the Miami game
Auburn visit scheduled for February 21
Why It Matters:
Reclassification changes leverage fast and Barnes prioritizing an FSU official signals real traction as the 2026 board sharpens.
🏈🧠 Newcomers Buying In as Tour of Duty Sets the Tone 🧠🏈
Early feedback from Florida State Seminoles football newcomers points to a group that’s adjusting quickly to the demands of the program, with Tour of Duty accelerating both accountability and leadership.
🧠 What Stood Out
New arrivals consistently described Tour of Duty as different and demanding, with player-led energy setting the pace
Veterans like Duce Robinson and Andre Otto were repeatedly cited as tone-setters
Transfer OL Nate Pabst has embraced the jump from the MAC to the ACC, focusing on versatility at both guard and tackle under Herb Hand
LB Mikai Gbayor is already leaning into leadership, helping teammates adjust to scheme and detail
Why It Matters:
Early buy-in doesn’t guarantee wins, but it’s the baseline FSU has to get right before spring ball ever starts.
🏈🧠 Defensive Signals Emerging in Tour of Duty 🧠🏈
As offseason work ramps up, early feedback from inside the Florida State Seminoles football program points to defensive pieces beginning to separate — particularly up front and in the back end.
🧠 What Stood Out
DT Daniel Lyons is being counted on as a central piece, drawing praise for improved conditioning, movement, and emerging leadership
Transfer EDGE Rylan Kennedy has passed early tests, flashing versatility and athleticism
Freshman DL Cam Brooks is quietly turning heads for explosiveness and football IQ
At linebacker, Chris Jones is trending toward a real role, while Mikai Gbayor continues to look like a starter
In the secondary, Ma'Khi Jones and Ashlynd Barker are earning positive reviews, with freshmen Tre Bell and Chuck Kennon pushing early
Why It Matters:
Tour of Duty doesn’t crown starters but it does reveal who’s ready to carry responsibility. On defense, that process is clearly underway.
And that’s a wrap!
This was a response check across the board and in most places, Florida State passed it.
Wins traveled. Adjustments showed up. Young contributors stepped forward. And inside the football program, accountability is starting to separate noise from buy-in.
Early in the calendar doesn’t mean early in consequence.
The margins are already forming.
More soon.
— The Chief
