Despite a deep roster — one that rivaled their 2024 College World Series group — the Florida State Seminoles couldn’t get back to Omaha in 2025. FSU fell to Oregon State in the Super Regionals last year. But even though there was a lot of turnover, the Seminoles brought back several key pieces and landed one the best left-handers in the NCAA from the 2025 season via the portal.
While the Florida State Seminoles lost a lot of hitters — and I’ll get to that in a minute — it helps that their home run leader from 2025 is back for 2026: Myles Bailey.
Bailey could have easily gone pro in 2024 (he was a 20th-round pick by the White Sox) had he wanted to. Instead, he put on a show in his freshman season, as he slashed .327/.441/.663 (1.104 OPS) with 19 home runs and 30 extra-base hits for FSU. Bailey showed impressive bat speed and strength, putting him on track to be a top slugger available in 2026 as a draft-eligible sophomore.
The Tallahassee native hit only .219 with Hyannis across nine games in the Cape. Bailey didn’t play much, as he was named to the USA collegiate training camp roster.
Aside from Bailey, the Seminoles returned Cal Fisher, who hit .303 with eight home runs as a sophomore. Chase Williams, a junior outfielder who hit .342 in limited action, is back. Noah Sheffield and Brody DeLamielleur also return for 2026, as does catcher Hunter Carns. Carns hit .286 with six home runs a freshman.
Florida State’s bullpen returns some familiar faces, including John Abraham, Jacob Marlowe, Ben Barrett, and starter/reliever Payton Manca. Additionally, the Seminoles return Wes Mendes for his second season in North Florida.
Mendes was effective, despite the command (39 BB, 11 HR allowed over 78 IP) issues from 2024. The now-junior left-hander struck out 90 over 78 innings with the Seminoles, his first in Tallahassee after transferring from Ole Miss.
During his fall presser, head coach Link Jarrett emphasized the importance of having everyone on the same page heading into 2026. Jarrett’s group includes 23 new players, a collection of transfers and freshmen new to the FSU roster.
Arguably, the most notable transfer is Trey Beard. Beard was a strong recruit for FAU two summers ago who shone with the Owls thanks to impressive offspeed & breaking stuff to make up for a fastball that didn’t have a lot of velocity behind it.
Back in his sophomore season, his fastball sat in the 90-92 MPH range. But the curveball and “Bugs Bunny”-like changeup? The mid-70s. It’s a significant velocity differential on the changeup, very different compared to others across professional baseball.
Beard finished 2025 with 118 strikeouts over 86 innings, tied for 14th-most in Division I last year. Now, Beard — who was also on the USA collegiate training camp roster — joins a strong FSU team in a deep Atlantic Coast Conference.
As for other transfers, Bryson Moore comes to Tallahassee after two years with Virginia. Moore didn’t pitch much — only 31 innings — with the Cavaliers but struck out 31 across two seasons, along with a 2.59 cumulative ERA.
Brayden Dowd, who hit .324 with 10 home runs for USC as a sophomore, joined the Seminoles for this senior season.
Overall, it was par for the course for the Florida State Seminoles. FSU has done a strong job of working the transfer portal over the last few seasons. And that matters in a year where there was exceptional turnover. Joey Volini, Evan Chrest, and Jamie Arnold are gone from their pitching staff. As for the offense, Alex Lodise, Max Williams, Jaxson West, Gage Harrelson, and Drew Faurot all went pro.
Additionally, the Seminoles have nine true freshmen on their roster. Among them is Kelvyn Paulino Jr., a very good high school player from North Carolina who routinely made loud contact at showcase events.
Even though the Seminoles lost a lot of talent over the summer, FSU should remain a top-25 team again in 2026.
The pitching staff has punch, while the offense has power to generate runs. However, this won’t be an easy season. The ACC should be very strong again, as Georgia Tech returns much of its group from 2025. Clemson, Virginia, and North Carolina should also be highly competitive.
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