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Happy Memorial Day Seminoles!

Here’s today’s docket:

⚾ Florida State Falls to Duke in ACC Championship Game ⚾

Florida State lost to Duke, 16-4, in the ACC Championship Game. Despite early home runs from Cam Smith and Jaime Ferrer, the Seminoles were outpaced by Duke's offense. Notable performances included Smith's 14th home run and Ferrer's 17th. FSU now shifts focus to the NCAA Tournament.

⚾ FSU to Host Tallahassee Regional in NCAA Tournament 🏟️ 

Florida State will host its first regional at Dick Howser Stadium since 2018. With a 42-15 record and significant turnaround, the Seminoles are poised for a strong NCAA Tournament run. Ticket sales start Monday.

🏃‍♀️ FSU Women's Track and Field Qualifies Five for NCAA Championships 🌟

The No. 19 FSU women's track and field team qualified five athletes for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, highlighted by record-breaking performances from Dajaz DeFrand and Alexandra Webster. The championships will be held June 5-8 in Eugene, Oregon.

⛳ FSU Men's Golf Climbs to Fourth Place at NCAA Championships 🏆️

FSU Men's Golf shot 2-under and moved up to fourth place at the NCAA Championships. Key performances came from Luke Clanton, Frederik Kjettrup, Brett Roberts, and Cole Anderson. The team aims to finish in the Top 8 to advance to match-play quarterfinals.

🏈 FSU Gears Up for Star-Studded Elite Camp on June 9 🌟

FSU's Elite Camp on June 9 will feature top 2026 and 2027 prospects, including 5-star QB Faizon Brandon and 5-star WR Kaiden Prothro.

🏈 Four-Star DE Jared Smith Sets Official Visit to FSU 🌟

FSU has added four-star defensive end Jared Smith to its list of official visits on June 18. Smith, impressed by FSU's coaching staff and development of NFL talent, is eager to explore his fit with the Seminoles.

⚾ Florida State Falls to Duke in ACC Championship Game ⚾

Florida State lost to Duke, 16-4, in the ACC Championship Game at Truist Field. The Seminoles took an early lead with Cam Smith’s 14th home run of the season, but Duke responded with multiple grand slams and a two-run homer. Jaime Ferrer also hit a two-run home run, his 17th of the season.

Despite the loss, FSU tied for the league lead in wins and had notable performances from Smith, Ferrer, and Jaxson West. FSU will now focus on the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

Game Highlights:

• Cam Smith: 14th home run of the season, two RBIs.

• Jaime Ferrer: 17th home run of the season, two RBIs.

• Jaxson West: Two hits, two runners thrown out.

Stats and Notables:

• FSU’s 107 home runs this season mark a 52-home run improvement from last year.

• FSU scored 37 runs in the ACC Championship, its most since 2004.

• James Tibbs and Alex Lodise extended their on-base streaks.

• Daniel Cantu extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

⚾ FSU to Host Tallahassee Regional in NCAA Tournament 🏆

Florida State baseball will host its first regional at Dick Howser Stadium since 2018, marking the 36th time in program history. The announcement came Sunday night as FSU was named one of the top 16 seeds for the NCAA Tournament.

Season Highlights:

- Record: 42-15

- ACC Performance: Reached the ACC Championship Game with a 3-1 record.

- Key Players: ACC Player of the Year James Tibbs III and All-ACC pitcher Jamie Arnold.

- Turnaround: Largest in the country, with 19 more wins than last year.

Hosting Details:

- Previous Hosting: Last hosted a regional in 2018.

- National Seed: Likely to be a top-eight national seed, ensuring Super Regional hosting rights if they win their regional.

- Projected Opponents: D1Baseball predicts Louisiana, UCF, and Army in Tallahassee; Baseball America suggests Southern Miss, Florida, and Stetson.

Ticket Information:

- Sale Start: Monday, 2:00 p.m. EST for Seminole Boosters, 5:00 p.m. EST for the public.

- Purchase: Online at www.seminoles.com, by phone at 888-378-6653, or at the Seminole Ticket Office.

- Prices: Regional passes - $60 (reserved), $45 (general admission). Individual game tickets - $20 (reserved), $15 (adult GA), $10 (youth GA), free for children under 2.

Coach's Remarks:

Head coach Link Jarrett emphasized the challenging schedule FSU faced, highlighting their resilience and performance against strong opponents. He stated, "I would encourage anybody that has any questions about this to roll down there and sit through some of those Tuesdays that we have, three of them with the Gators, and Stetson twice, and Mercer, and JU three times, and (Florida) Gulf Coast. It just keeps coming at you. There's no breathing room... These guys have done more than enough."

Up Next:

The full NCAA Tournament bracket, including game times and seed order, will be revealed on Monday at noon on ESPN2. The regionals begin on Friday.

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🏃‍♀️ FSU Women's Track and Field Qualifies Five for NCAA Championships 🌟

The No. 19 Florida State women's outdoor track and field team saw five student-athletes qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships at the NCAA East Preliminaries.

Event Highlights:

- Dajaz DeFrand: Set a new school and ACC record in the 100m (10.94) and added the 200m to her nationals list with a personal best of 22.34.

- Alexandra Webster: Broke the program record in the 100m hurdles with a time of 12.70.

- Tyra Wilson: Advanced in the 400m hurdles, placing third with a lifetime best of 55.68.

- Shenese Walker: Qualified in the 100m with a personal best of 11.09.

- Suus Altorf: Qualified for the 1,500m with a time of 4:10.13.

Coach's Comments:

"I couldn't be prouder of our ladies this weekend," said head coach Bob Braman. "We had a lot of great things happen today with several all-time performances. It was a great meet and a great setup for nationals."

Additional Performances:

- Agnes McTighe: Competed in the 5,000m, finishing 36th with a time of 16:36.03.

- 4x400 Relay Team: Consisting of Kaelyaah Liburd, Tyra Wilson, Ava Klein, and Jaden Francis, placed 17th with a time of 3:33.56.

The Seminoles will compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on June 5-8 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

(More Details)

⛳ FSU Men's Golf Climbs to Fourth Place at NCAA Championships 🏆️ 

The Florida State Men's Golf team, seeded fifth, shot 2-under and moved up to fourth place after the third round at the NCAA Championships at Omni La Costa North Course in Carlsbad, Calif. FSU is 10-over, trailing Illinois (-2), Virginia (+4), and Vanderbilt (+9).

Key Performances:

• Luke Clanton: Shot 2-under 70, tying for seventh overall at 1-under.

• Frederik Kjettrup: Carded a 1-under 71, continuing to recover from a tough opening round.

• Brett Roberts: Finished even par 72, with a strong back nine.

• Cole Anderson: Added a 1-over 73 for FSU’s final counting score.

Up Next:

• Top 8 Goal: FSU aims to finish in the Top 8 after Monday’s final stroke-play round to advance to the match-play quarterfinals on Tuesday.

• Golf Channel Coverage: Begins with Golf Today from 4-6 p.m. ET, followed by live coverage from 6-10 p.m. ET.

• Tee Times: Gray Albright starts the fourth round for FSU at 2:40 p.m. ET.

(More Details)

🏈 FSU Gears Up for Star-Studded Elite Camp on June 9 🌟

Florida State's annual Elite Camp on June 9 is set to feature top-tier talent, attracting some of the nation's best 2026 and 2027 prospects.

Expected Attendees:

- 5-star '26 QB Faizon Brandon: No. 1 overall player in 2026.

- 5-star '26 QB Dia Bell: Recent offer.

- 4-star '26 QB Jaden O'Neal: Offered.

- 5-star '26 WR Kaiden Prothro: Big-bodied receiver coveted by FSU coaches, likened to Johnny Wilson.

- 4-star '26 ATH Jyron Hughley: Expected to throw at the camp.

- 4-star ‘26 ATH Darryon Williams: FSU commit.

- 4-star '26 Edge Trenton Henderson: Spring offer.

- 4-star '26 Edge Cam Brooks: FSU leads.

- 4-star '26 LB Xavier Griffin: No. 1 ranked LB in '26.

- 4-star '26 S Kaiden Hall.

Rising Stars to Watch:

- '27 RB Jayden Miles: FSU was his first offer.

- '27 DL Kalib Spivey: FSU has offered.

- '27 LB Kaden Henderson: FSU was first to offer.

Additional Prospects:

- 4-star '25 Edge Jaquavious Dodd: Offer candidate.

Deeper Dive on 5-Star Kaiden Prothro

Prothro, a three-sport athlete, is a major target for FSU. In 2023, he recorded 33 receptions for 831 yards and 13 touchdowns. FSU's coaching staff sees him fitting well in a role similar to wideout Johnny Wilson, while other programs are pursuing him as a tight end. Prothro is highly coveted by the FSU coaching staff and his recent decision to attend the camp is seen as a possible major development.

(More & More Details)

🏈 Four-Star DE Jared Smith Sets Official Visit to FSU 🌟

Florida State is intensifying its pursuit of four-star defensive end Jared Smith, who has added FSU to his list of official visits scheduled for June 18. The Alabama native, standing at 6-foot-6, has previously set visits with South Carolina, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Georgia.

Recruitment Details:

• Most Recent Visit: Last fall for the Miami game, which impressed him with its vibrant atmosphere.

• Relationships: Strong connections with head coach Mike Norvell and defensive ends coach John Papuchis.

• NFL Aspirations: Inspired by FSU's track record of developing top NFL draft picks like Jared Verse and Jermaine Johnson.

Smith’s Perspective:

• Impressions of FSU: "The people around FSU — people like Coach Norvell, Coach JP — all great people. They keep it real with you no matter if it’s good or bad."

• Development: "Seeing them put Jared Verse in the first round and seeing that and other guys and what Coach JP is doing … why not choose FSU?"

Smith, ranked as the No. 4 defensive end in the country and the No. 2 player in Alabama, is keen to explore FSU's schemes and plans for him during his visit. He is looking forward to understanding how he would fit into the team and engaging more with the players.

(More Details)

And that’s a wrap!

Thank you for joining us in this edition of The Chief Brief!

Stay tuned for the latest updates on Florida State's journey in the NCAA Tournament, stellar performances in track and field, golf achievements, and exciting football prospects.

As always, Go Noles! 🍢 👊