Postseason baseball will be played at Dick Howser Stadium for a third straight year as Florida State is hosting in the NCAA Baseball Tournament once again under Link Jarrett.
The Seminoles (38-17) are the No. 10 seed in the Tallahassee Regional and are the top overall seed in the regional, which features No. 2 Coastal Carolina, No. 3 Northern Illinois and No. 4 St. John’s.
FSU opens up Tallahassee Regional play against St. John’s on Friday, May 29, at 3 p.m. The first pitch for that game is subject to change with severe weather potentially impacting the area throughout the weekend.
Here is a breakdown of the three teams coming to Tallahassee for regional play.
What does Coastal Carolina bring to the Tallahassee Regional?
Resume: Record: 37-21 – RPI: 27th
Coastal Carolina didn’t have the season the program may have expected, but under head coach Kevin Schnall, the Chanticleers are one of the nation’s most consistent programs. Winners of the 2016 national championship and runner-ups in 2025, Coastal Carolina brings dangerous base running and a solid pitching staff to Tallahassee.
One of the biggest questions about Coastal Carolina is on the mound with ace Cameron Flukey. He is a top 20 prospect for the upcoming MLB Draft, who has dealt with injury this season and recently returned to the mound at the end of April.
He’s made six appearances and holds a 4.35 ERA in 20.2 innings pitched, 28 strikeouts, 20 hits, and seven walks issued. His usage in the regional and how sharp he is on the mound could be a big factor between an upset or early return to Myrtle Beach.
Offensively, the Chanticleers rank 36th in the nation with 112 steals, which pairs well with a contact-heavy approach for the program. A lot of the program’s offense comes off the bat of outfielder Rex Watson, who holds a .295 average with a team-high 12 home runs and 64 RBI.
Alongside Watson, Coastal Carolina has strong bats in Walker Mitchell (.314 average, 66 hits, 1 HR, 54 RBI), Dean Mihos (.305 average, 72 hits, 6 HR, 39 RBI), and Blake Barthol (.311 average, 69 hits, 6 HR, 38 RBI).
What does Northern Illinois bring to the Tallahassee Regional?
Resume: Record: 35-17 – RPI: 78th – MAC Tournament Champs
Fresh off the program’s first MAC tournament title, the Huskies are returning to the NCAA Baseball Tournament for the first time in 54 years. It’s a historic season for Northern Illinois, and the program brings a patient offense that has some pop to Howser.
As a team, Northern Illinois is hitting .279 with an .843 OPS, 504 hits, 57 home runs, 354 RBI, and 277 walks. Two power sparks in the lineup are Gavin Baldwell, who leads the team with 15 home runs and holds a .268 average, and Caden Robertson, with 14 home runs and a .282 average.
The 277 walks are tied for 63rd in the nation, and it’s helped the Huskies score an average of 7.3 runs per game. On the mound, Northern Illinois holds a collective 5.65 ERA and 1.47 WHIP to pair with 436 strikeouts to 196 walks allowed.
Max Vaisvila holds a team-best 3.05 ERA and 1.02 WHIP and a perfect 8-0 record in 14 starts. He’s struck out 85 and walked 19 batters. It’s likely he pitches the first game of the weekend against Coastal Carolina, and FSU could avoid him, but he will be a tough matchup for anyone in the regional.
What does St. John’s bring to the Tallahassee Regional?
Resume: Record: 33-24 – RPI: 102nd – Big East Tournament Champs
The Red Storm are the first opponent for FSU, and are both the Big East regular season and Big East Tournament champions. St. John’s started the season 1-10, but had a remarkable turnaround to finish the year 33-24 and head to a 39th regional appearance.
The team is led by pitcher Liam O’Leary, who has a 2.97 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 68 strikeouts and 24 walks issued in 100 innings pitched this season. He is fresh off a 137-pitch appearance in the Big East Tournament final, where he struck out six hitters in eight innings.
O’Leary can help lift the Red Storm to a potential win, but the program is going to need the bats to step up. As a team, St. John’s is hitting .279 as a team with a .789 OPS, 50 home runs, 323 RBI, 543 hits and 244 walks.
Jayder Raifstanger leads the team with a .328 average and has 76 hits, three home runs, and 47 RBI. The power comes off the bat of Adam Agresti, who has 17 home runs and 14 doubles with 48 RBI and a .291 average. They’ll need to get going quickly if St. John’s is going to surprise some teams in Tallahassee.
Tallahassee Regional prediction
FSU beats Coastal Carolina in a winner-take-all game 7.
Under Jarrett, the Seminoles have not lost a regional, winning in back-to-back seasons and eyeing a third. FSU should be considered the favorite to win this iteration of the Tallahassee Regional, but baseball is unpredictable, especially in the postseason.
It’s a competitive field, with Coastal Carolina a real threat to win the regional as a No. 2 seed in Tallahassee. However, FSU has a favorable draw with its opening game agaisnt St. John’s, and Coastal Carolina faces a stiff challenge against Northern Illinois.
If FSU is able to play to its full potential, it should advance to Sunday’s regional championship game without a loss, where it’s likely to face Coastal Carolina.
While that will be a challenge, especially with the Chanticleers’ base running ability, expect the Seminoles to book a spot in the super regional rounds.
NCAA Baseball Tallahassee Regional seeding
When is the NCAA Baseball Tallahassee Regional
NCAA Baseball Tallahassee Regional schedule
How to purchase tickets to the NCAA Baseball Tallahassee Regional
All-session tickets will go on sale on Monday, May 25, on Seminoles.com/Tickets. Tickets will be available to Seminole Booster members at 2 p.m. ET, and to the general public at 5 p.m. Phone and walk-up orders will begin on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. by calling 888-378-6653 or visiting the main ticket office located at Doak Campbell Stadium, University Center C.
How to watch FSU vs. St. John’s NCAA Baseball Tallahassee Regional
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida State baseball NCAA Tournament regional prediction, pick
Reporting by Liam Rooney, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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