Florida State University Athletics
Tuesday, March 17
Tallahassee, Fla.
6:00 PM
Florida State
vs
Bethune-Cookman
No. 11 Florida State Hosts Bethune-Cookman Tuesday
3/16/2026 12:01:00 PM | Baseball
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The No. 11 Florida State baseball team returns home to host Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday, March 17, at 6 p.m. ET, at Dick Howser Stadium.
Tickets are available at Seminoles.com/Tickets or by calling the FSU ticket office at 850-644-1830. Admission is free for all FSU students with their FSUID, with the student entrance at the right field gate at Haggard Plaza. All gates at Dick Howser Stadium will open 60 minutes prior to first pitch for every game in 2026.
Tuesday is the second Turn It Back Tuesday of the season. The game will feature vintage elements in and around Dick Howser Stadium, including uniforms, the scoreboard, souvenir cups at the concession stats and merchandise.
The game will be streamed on ACC Network Extra, accessible through your television provider or a subscription to ESPN+. Fans can listen to each game in 2026 via the Seminole Sports Network on WFLA 100.7 FM. Every game also is available around the world on the Seminoles Unconquered App and Seminoles.com. Live stats are at FSU.Statbroadcast.com. Direct links to watch, listen and follow along can be found on the schedule page at Seminoles.com/Baseball. News, notes and behind-the-scenes updates all weekend are available by following and connecting with the team on social media on Twitter/X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) and Instagram (@NoleBaseball).
Starting pitchers for the matchup have not been announced.
FSU is 16-3 on the season, 3-0 in the ACC, 11-0 at home, 4-1 on the road, 1-2 at a neutral site and 3-2 against ranked opponents. The Seminoles are coming off a series sweep at No. 12 Wake Forest to begin conference play. The team will play seven of their next eight games at Howser, with nine consecutive in the state of Florida.
As a team, Florida State is hitting .298 with 186 hits, 28 home runs, 42 doubles, two triples, 109 walks, 163 runs scored and 143 RBI. The pitching staff has a 3.57 ERA with 63 earned runs allowed on 111 hits with 213 strikeouts and 71 walks in 159.0 innings.
Sophomore catcher Hunter Carns is hitting .357, while sophomore first baseman Myles Bailey has 20 hits, eight home runs and 21 runs scored. Sophomore infielder/outfielder Noah Sheffield has 22 RBI and seven doubles, while junior center fielder Chase Williams has five stolen bases in seven attempts. On the mound, junior lefty Wes Mendes is 5-0 with a 0.63 ERA, having struck out 41 and given up two earned runs on 11 hits in 28.2 innings. Junior right-hander John Abraham has made eight appearances, all but one out of the bullpen, and has 24 strikeouts and a 0.50 ERA in 18.0 innings.
NATIONALLY RANKED SEMINOLES
Florida State has moved up in each major poll this week, including to No. 11 in D1Baseball Top-25. FSU is No. 10 in Baseball America's rankings and No. 11 in the Coaches Poll and according to Perfect Game.
SERIES HISTORY VS. BETHUNE-COOKMAN
FSU is 10-0 all-time against Bethune-Cookman, with each game coming in Tallahassee. That includes six matchups in an NCAA Regional, including last season. The first five meetings, beginning in 2000, all came in the postseason. The first regular-season contest was in 2022, and the two in-state foes have played every year since, as this will be the fifth consecutive year of scheduled matchups.
On March 5, 2025, a four-run first inning helped lead FSU to a 9-7 victory over BC. Max Williams homered and had a career-best five RBI and a career-high-tying four hits with two runs scored in five at-bats. On the mound, Payton Manca made his second collegiate appearance and first start and earned the win, while Chris Knier got the final three outs and picked up his second save.
To begin the NCAA Regional on May 30, top-seeded Florida State bested fourth-seeded Bethune-Cookman 6-2. FSU broke a 2-2 tie with three runs in the third inning immediately after a 2:19 weather delay. Bailey had two hits and two RBI in his NCAA debut and was one of three players with a homer. Florida State turned three double plays, all on lineouts to double off a runner on the basepaths.
Recaps and box scores from the 2025 games are available here: March 5 | May 30
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Bethune-Cookman is 14-6 in 2026, including 3-0 in SWAC play. The Wildcats are 12-5 at home, 1-1 on the road and 1-0 at a neutral site. BC has won five in a row and is coming off a sweep of Prairie View A&M to commence conference action. In midweek contests, the team is 2-2 following a 7-4 win at North Florida last Tuesday. Bethune-Cookman's only other road game was a 5-2 defeat at Miami on March 4.
LAST TIME OUT: TOP-15 ACC ROAD SWEEP
Florida State began ACC play with a sweep at No. 12 Wake Forest from March 13-15 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Seminoles opened the conference slate with a three-game sweep for the third consecutive season, and the sweep in the team's first road ACC series is their first since beginning the 2012 conference season with a 3-0 mark at Duke. FSU posted back-to-back shutouts on Friday and Saturday for the first time since 2013 and consecutive shutouts in ACC action for the first time since 2000. 1991 was the last time the team posted two shutouts in a row away from home. Florida State earned its first series win against Wake Forest since 2022, its first sweep of the Demon Deacons since 2013 and its first sweep on the road in the series since 2010. FSU is now 101-40 all-time against Wake and 35-16 in Winston-Salem. The Garnet and Gold hit 10 home runs in the series, including five on Friday and four on Sunday, with three coming off the bat of senior second baseman Eli Putnam. The Seminoles opened conference play with a run-rule win for the first time, and the 10-0 conference-opening win is the team's largest since a 15-3 triumph in nine innings to open the league slate in 2014 vs. Maryland.
FSU run-ruled Wake Forest 10-0 in seven innings in the opener on March 13 as Mendes threw a complete-game two-hitter and the offense hit five home runs. Mendes turned in one of the best starts of his career and allowed just two hits with 11 strikeouts and two walks in the complete-game shutout performance. The 7.0 innings and 11 strikeouts are both tied for the second-longest of his career. For the first time, Mendes did not allow a run in more than 5.1 innings pitched, and he also threw a complete game for the first time. Mendes allowed four baserunners to reach all night with only one advancing to second base, retiring 10 in a row with a stretch that included six consecutive strikeouts. Meanwhile, the offense hit five home runs, with two-run shots in the first and third innings, a leadoff homer in the fourth and back-to-back jacks to begin the fifth. Seven of the 10 runs came via the longball with a strong wind blowing out. Putnam hit two homers and redshirt senior catcher Nathan Cmeyla, junior center fielder Brayden Dowd and Bailey also homered. The Demon Deacons suffered their first home defeat in 12 games this season and were held to fewer than four runs for the second time and first since Opening Day.
The Seminoles shut out the Demon Deacons 2-0 on Saturday afternoon to win the series. Junior left-handed starter Trey Beard struck out a career-high 14 batters in a season-long 6.2 one-hit innings as he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. His 14 strikeouts are a career best by two, and matches his total punch-outs on the season in 7.1 innings coming into the day. Beard allowed just one hit with a walk and did not allow a baserunner until two outs in the third. Cmeyla hit his second home run is as many days in the fifth inning, the first hit for either team. Following Beard, Abraham pitched the final 2.1 hitless innings and got his second save of 2026.
In the finale on March 15, FSU completed the sweep with a 12-6 win. Putnam homered in the first inning to give FSU a 2-0 lead, and Dowd hit a second-inning longball to make it 4-1 in the second, his second homer of the series. Bailey made it three-for-three with a third-inning blast to extend the lead to 5-1, also his second of the weekend. After a three-run fourth without a home run, and following two Wake runs in the seventh, freshman left fielder John Stuetzer hit a grand slam in the eighth to push the lead to 12-3. It was his second career home run and first grand slam, and his first hit of the series. On the mound, junior right-handed starter Bryson Moore earned the win and held Wake Forest to one run on four hits with a season-high-tying seven strikeouts in 5.2 innings.
A recap and box score from each game is available here: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
UP NEXT: TOP-11 ACC MATCHUP AT HOWSER
In a top-11 matchup at Dick Howser Stadium, the Seminoles host No. 10 NC State from March 20-22. The series begins on Friday at 6 p.m. ET, followed by game two on Saturday at 2 p.m. The finale is on Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets are available at Seminoles.com/Tickets.
For more information on Florida State baseball, check Seminoles.com for the latest news and scheduling information, and keep up with the team on social media through Twitter/X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) & Instagram (@NoleBaseball).
Tickets are available at Seminoles.com/Tickets or by calling the FSU ticket office at 850-644-1830. Admission is free for all FSU students with their FSUID, with the student entrance at the right field gate at Haggard Plaza. All gates at Dick Howser Stadium will open 60 minutes prior to first pitch for every game in 2026.
Tuesday is the second Turn It Back Tuesday of the season. The game will feature vintage elements in and around Dick Howser Stadium, including uniforms, the scoreboard, souvenir cups at the concession stats and merchandise.
The game will be streamed on ACC Network Extra, accessible through your television provider or a subscription to ESPN+. Fans can listen to each game in 2026 via the Seminole Sports Network on WFLA 100.7 FM. Every game also is available around the world on the Seminoles Unconquered App and Seminoles.com. Live stats are at FSU.Statbroadcast.com. Direct links to watch, listen and follow along can be found on the schedule page at Seminoles.com/Baseball. News, notes and behind-the-scenes updates all weekend are available by following and connecting with the team on social media on Twitter/X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) and Instagram (@NoleBaseball).
Starting pitchers for the matchup have not been announced.
FSU is 16-3 on the season, 3-0 in the ACC, 11-0 at home, 4-1 on the road, 1-2 at a neutral site and 3-2 against ranked opponents. The Seminoles are coming off a series sweep at No. 12 Wake Forest to begin conference play. The team will play seven of their next eight games at Howser, with nine consecutive in the state of Florida.
As a team, Florida State is hitting .298 with 186 hits, 28 home runs, 42 doubles, two triples, 109 walks, 163 runs scored and 143 RBI. The pitching staff has a 3.57 ERA with 63 earned runs allowed on 111 hits with 213 strikeouts and 71 walks in 159.0 innings.
Sophomore catcher Hunter Carns is hitting .357, while sophomore first baseman Myles Bailey has 20 hits, eight home runs and 21 runs scored. Sophomore infielder/outfielder Noah Sheffield has 22 RBI and seven doubles, while junior center fielder Chase Williams has five stolen bases in seven attempts. On the mound, junior lefty Wes Mendes is 5-0 with a 0.63 ERA, having struck out 41 and given up two earned runs on 11 hits in 28.2 innings. Junior right-hander John Abraham has made eight appearances, all but one out of the bullpen, and has 24 strikeouts and a 0.50 ERA in 18.0 innings.
NATIONALLY RANKED SEMINOLES
Florida State has moved up in each major poll this week, including to No. 11 in D1Baseball Top-25. FSU is No. 10 in Baseball America's rankings and No. 11 in the Coaches Poll and according to Perfect Game.
SERIES HISTORY VS. BETHUNE-COOKMAN
FSU is 10-0 all-time against Bethune-Cookman, with each game coming in Tallahassee. That includes six matchups in an NCAA Regional, including last season. The first five meetings, beginning in 2000, all came in the postseason. The first regular-season contest was in 2022, and the two in-state foes have played every year since, as this will be the fifth consecutive year of scheduled matchups.
On March 5, 2025, a four-run first inning helped lead FSU to a 9-7 victory over BC. Max Williams homered and had a career-best five RBI and a career-high-tying four hits with two runs scored in five at-bats. On the mound, Payton Manca made his second collegiate appearance and first start and earned the win, while Chris Knier got the final three outs and picked up his second save.
To begin the NCAA Regional on May 30, top-seeded Florida State bested fourth-seeded Bethune-Cookman 6-2. FSU broke a 2-2 tie with three runs in the third inning immediately after a 2:19 weather delay. Bailey had two hits and two RBI in his NCAA debut and was one of three players with a homer. Florida State turned three double plays, all on lineouts to double off a runner on the basepaths.
Recaps and box scores from the 2025 games are available here: March 5 | May 30
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Bethune-Cookman is 14-6 in 2026, including 3-0 in SWAC play. The Wildcats are 12-5 at home, 1-1 on the road and 1-0 at a neutral site. BC has won five in a row and is coming off a sweep of Prairie View A&M to commence conference action. In midweek contests, the team is 2-2 following a 7-4 win at North Florida last Tuesday. Bethune-Cookman's only other road game was a 5-2 defeat at Miami on March 4.
LAST TIME OUT: TOP-15 ACC ROAD SWEEP
Florida State began ACC play with a sweep at No. 12 Wake Forest from March 13-15 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Seminoles opened the conference slate with a three-game sweep for the third consecutive season, and the sweep in the team's first road ACC series is their first since beginning the 2012 conference season with a 3-0 mark at Duke. FSU posted back-to-back shutouts on Friday and Saturday for the first time since 2013 and consecutive shutouts in ACC action for the first time since 2000. 1991 was the last time the team posted two shutouts in a row away from home. Florida State earned its first series win against Wake Forest since 2022, its first sweep of the Demon Deacons since 2013 and its first sweep on the road in the series since 2010. FSU is now 101-40 all-time against Wake and 35-16 in Winston-Salem. The Garnet and Gold hit 10 home runs in the series, including five on Friday and four on Sunday, with three coming off the bat of senior second baseman Eli Putnam. The Seminoles opened conference play with a run-rule win for the first time, and the 10-0 conference-opening win is the team's largest since a 15-3 triumph in nine innings to open the league slate in 2014 vs. Maryland.
FSU run-ruled Wake Forest 10-0 in seven innings in the opener on March 13 as Mendes threw a complete-game two-hitter and the offense hit five home runs. Mendes turned in one of the best starts of his career and allowed just two hits with 11 strikeouts and two walks in the complete-game shutout performance. The 7.0 innings and 11 strikeouts are both tied for the second-longest of his career. For the first time, Mendes did not allow a run in more than 5.1 innings pitched, and he also threw a complete game for the first time. Mendes allowed four baserunners to reach all night with only one advancing to second base, retiring 10 in a row with a stretch that included six consecutive strikeouts. Meanwhile, the offense hit five home runs, with two-run shots in the first and third innings, a leadoff homer in the fourth and back-to-back jacks to begin the fifth. Seven of the 10 runs came via the longball with a strong wind blowing out. Putnam hit two homers and redshirt senior catcher Nathan Cmeyla, junior center fielder Brayden Dowd and Bailey also homered. The Demon Deacons suffered their first home defeat in 12 games this season and were held to fewer than four runs for the second time and first since Opening Day.
The Seminoles shut out the Demon Deacons 2-0 on Saturday afternoon to win the series. Junior left-handed starter Trey Beard struck out a career-high 14 batters in a season-long 6.2 one-hit innings as he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. His 14 strikeouts are a career best by two, and matches his total punch-outs on the season in 7.1 innings coming into the day. Beard allowed just one hit with a walk and did not allow a baserunner until two outs in the third. Cmeyla hit his second home run is as many days in the fifth inning, the first hit for either team. Following Beard, Abraham pitched the final 2.1 hitless innings and got his second save of 2026.
In the finale on March 15, FSU completed the sweep with a 12-6 win. Putnam homered in the first inning to give FSU a 2-0 lead, and Dowd hit a second-inning longball to make it 4-1 in the second, his second homer of the series. Bailey made it three-for-three with a third-inning blast to extend the lead to 5-1, also his second of the weekend. After a three-run fourth without a home run, and following two Wake runs in the seventh, freshman left fielder John Stuetzer hit a grand slam in the eighth to push the lead to 12-3. It was his second career home run and first grand slam, and his first hit of the series. On the mound, junior right-handed starter Bryson Moore earned the win and held Wake Forest to one run on four hits with a season-high-tying seven strikeouts in 5.2 innings.
A recap and box score from each game is available here: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
UP NEXT: TOP-11 ACC MATCHUP AT HOWSER
In a top-11 matchup at Dick Howser Stadium, the Seminoles host No. 10 NC State from March 20-22. The series begins on Friday at 6 p.m. ET, followed by game two on Saturday at 2 p.m. The finale is on Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets are available at Seminoles.com/Tickets.
For more information on Florida State baseball, check Seminoles.com for the latest news and scheduling information, and keep up with the team on social media through Twitter/X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) & Instagram (@NoleBaseball).
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