Florida State and Coastal Carolina are two of college baseball’s heavyweights in the Tallahassee Regional, which also features Northern Illinois and St. John’s.
While the Seminoles did not earn a top-8 national seed, they are home for the weekend and must navigate a field that also features Coastal Carolina (the 2025 College World Series runner-up) and includes Northern Illinois (MAC champion) and St. John’s (Big East champion).
The four-team regional begins on Friday, with FSU playing St. John’s at 3 p.m. (ACC Network) and then Coastal Carolina-St. John’s facing off at 8 p.m. (ESPN+). We’ll take a look each of the four teams in the regional:
No. 1 seed Florida State
Route to hosting the regional: FSU won eight ACC weekend series, including five at home, en route to a top 10 RPI and an-large bid.
Coach: Link Jarrett is in his fourth season at FSU. The Seminoles are one of three baseball programs to host a regional for three straight years (North Carolina and Georgia are the others). Jarrett is 152-81 in his fourth season at FSU, his alma mater.
Top hitters: OF Brody DeLamielleure (.344 batting average, .372 on-base percentage, 7 HRs, 27 RBI, 23 runs); C/DH Nathan Cmeyla (.322 batting average, .348 on-base percentage, 5 HRs, 28 RBI, 21 runs), C/DH Hunter Carns (.311, 6 HRs, 31 RBI, 34 runs), SS Gabe Fraser (.302 batting average, .432 on-base percentage, 10 RBI, 20 runs); OF Brayden Dowd (.294 batting average, 10 home runs, 34 RBI, 51 runs, 10 of 10 on stolen bases); OF John Stuetzer (.274, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 37 runs, 12 of 17 on stolen bases).
Top pitchers: LHP Wes Mendes was the ACC’s pitcher of the year. He went 9-3, 2.83 ERA, 117 strikeouts and 24 walks in 89 innings; LHP Trey Beard (6-1, 4.78 ERA, 88 strikeouts, 23 walks in 64 innings); RHP Bryson Moore (6-2, 3.88 ERA, 59 strikeouts, 24 walks in 62.2 innings).
Top relievers: RHP John Abraham (1-1, 1.04 ERA, 6 saves, 55 strikeouts and 19 walks in 43.1 innings); RHP Chris Knier (4-0, 2.75 ERA, 48 strikeouts and 14 walks in 39.1 innings).
Noteworthy: FSU is 27-4 at home … Jarrett said Abraham should be good to pitch after missing a few weekends with an oblique injury … DeLamielleure was hitting .225 going into April, with his average rising more than 200 points. He has 19 RBI in 20 games in April and May. … Ben Barrett is among FSU’s wild cards, starting the last seven games at first base. Barrett is hitting .370 in 27 at-bats. … Chase Williams is 17 of 22 on stolen bases.
No. 2 seed Coastal Carolina
Route to Tallahassee: The Chants (37-21) won eight Sun Belt series, four home and four road. They finished second in the Sun Belt.
Coach: Kevin Schnall is 93-34 at Coastal Carolina, which is his alma mater (he was a catcher from 1995-99 and the Big South player of the year as a senior). Schnall led the Chants to a school record 56 victories in year 1 in 2025.
Top hitters: Walker Mitchell (.314 batting average, .429 on-base percentage, 1 HR, 42 runs, 54 RBI); Blake Barthol (.311 batting average, .398 on-base percentage, 6 HR, 48 runs, 38 RBI); OF Dean Mihos (.305 batting average, .400 on-base percentage, 5 HR, 58 runs, 39 RBI); OF Rex Watson (.295 batting average, 12 home runs, 43 runs, 64 RBI).
Top pitchers: RHP Luke Jones (4-2, 4.62 ERA, 15 starts, 63 strikeouts, 28 walks, 70 hits in 76 innings, .245 opponent batting average); RHP Ross Norman (6-6, 6.15 ERA, 15 starts, 61 strikeouts, 17 walks, 90 hits, in 74.2 innings); RHP Jackson Smallets (0-2, 4.54 ERA, 10 starts, 26 strikeouts, 20 walks, 31 hits in 35.2 innings).
Top reliever: RHP Darin Horn was an all-Sun Belt first-team pick. Horn has seven saves and often pitches in long relief.
Noteworthy: Jones was the Chants’ Friday starter … Coastal Carolina has an RPI of 27, with the Chants playing Texas (loss) and Ole Miss (win) at a tournament in Houston. They played a tough midweek slate, taking two of three games against Wake Forest, picking up a run-rule win over North Carolina and splitting vs. Clemson. … Watson was a second-team all-Sun Belt selection. … Coastal Carolina made a run to the CWS championship series in 2025. … This is the Chants’ 22nd NCAA postseason appearance.
No. 3 seed Northern Illinois
Route to Tallahassee: NIU is in the NCAA postseason for the first time since 1972 after winning the MAC title. The Huskies won a school-record 35 games this spring.
Coach: Ryan Copeland is in his third season at NIU. He inherited a team that was coming off a 10-43 season when he was hired in June 2023 before winning 21 games in each of the last two seasons and now 35.
Top hitters: DH Caden Robertson was a second-team All-MAC selection with a .282 batting average, .350 on-base percentage, 14 HR, 58 RBI, 46 runs; OF Wyatt Wawro (.374 batting average, .507 on-base percentage, 1 HR, 47 runs, 24 RBI); 2B Cole Smith (.364, 6 HR, .442 on-base percentage, 47 RBI, 44 runs); OF Marcus Romero (.338 batting average, .460 on-base percentage, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 41 runs); SS Nolan Sandee (.300 batting average, .465 on-base percentage, 2 HRs, 26 RBI, 34 runs).
Top pitchers: LHP Max Vaisvila was a first-team All-MAC pick. He is 8-0 with a 2.04 ERA, 19 walks, 85 strikeouts in 83 innings; RHP Danny Cihocki (6-2, 4.93 ERA, 76 strikeouts and 29 walks in 87.1 innings); LHP Carter Cox (6-5, 5.33 ERA, 82 strikeouts, 29 walks in 74.1 innings).
Top reliever: RHP Blake Gaskey (7-2, 4.81 ERA, 44 strikeouts and 17 walks in 67.1 innings)
Noteworthy: NIU played at East Carolina (a loss) in February but has not played any power conference teams. … The Huskies’ RPI is 78. … NIU outscored opponents in the MAC Tournament 32-9.
No. 4 seed St. John’s
Route to Tallahassee: St. John’s went 3-0 in the Big East tournament. The team has won five straight games.
Coach: Mike Hampton was an 18-year assistant (hitting coach and recruiting coordinator) at St. John’s before being promoted to head coach since 2020. He played at Clemson for coach Jack Leggett. Hampton is 171-152-2 in his seven seasons at St. John's.
Top hitters: C Adam Agresti (.291 batting average, .432 on-base percentage, 17 home runs, 48 RBI and 45 runs); CF Jon LeGrande (.317 batting average, .412 on-base percentage, 6 HRs, 42 RBI, 48 runs); 3B Jayder Raifstanger (.328 batting average, .415 on-base percentage, 3 HRs, 47 RBI, 44 runs); 1B Shaun McMillan (.320 batting average, .394 on-base percentage, 10 Hrs, 41 RBI, 40 runs).
Top pitchers: RHP Liam O'Leary (8-4, 2.97 ERA, 68 strikeouts and 24 walks in 100 innings); LHP Evan Chaffee (6-4, 4.60 ERA, 74 strikeouts, 28 walks in 76.1 innings); RHP Ian Mowad (2-5, 5.36 ERA, 34 strikeouts, 21 walks in 50.1 innings).
Top reliever: RHP Evan Hoeckele (2-0, 3.38 ERA, 7 saves, 38 strikeouts and nine walks in 32 innings).
Noteworthy: St. John’s is making its 39th appearance in the NCAA postseason. … This is St. John’s second NCAA appearance in three seasons, with nine players making a return trip. … St. John’s defeated Stetson on the road, lost three games at Arizona State and lost three games at Kentucky. … The Red Storm’s RPI is 102. … Agresti, LeGrand and O’Leary were first-team All-Big East selections.
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