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Stetson players wear 'FSU Strong' decals on jerseys in Florida State's return to action following deadly school shooting

FaceProfileby:Thomas Goldkamp•04/22/25
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Jaxson West prepares to swing Friday night for Florida State Baseball. (Courtesy of FSU Sports Information)

Five days removed from a school shooting that killed two and injured six others, Florida State is attempting to move on. The baseball team took back to the diamond for the first time in a week on Tuesday night.

The team hit Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium on Tuesday night to take on Stetson. As they did so, players were sure to notice a small decal on the jersey of each of the Hatters players.

FSU Strong. You can check it out below.

It’s certainly a nice tribute to the fallen at Florida State, as well as a nod to life continuing on in the wake of the tragedy. The world came to a standstill around Tallahassee on Thursday around noon.

The university issued an active shooter alert for the Tallahassee main campus just after noon ET. A man had opened fire on individuals near the student union.

Police were able to apprehend the individual believed to be responsible after a quick response. The shooting lasted only a few minutes, according to reports.

After responding to the scene, police would find three weapons connected to the suspected shooter: a handgun on the suspected shooter, a shotgun inside the Student Union and another gun found in what was believed to be the shooter’s vehicle, per CNN.

The shooter apparently obtained one of the weapons from his parent, who was a Leon County Sheriff’s deputy. The shooter was later identified as FSU student Phoenix Ikner.

Florida State canceled all classes for the rest of the day in the wake of the tragedy, and the university has continued to deal with the fallout in recent days as final exams approach. In addition, the university canceled all home sporting events through the weekend.

So when Florida State took the field on Tuesday night against Stetson, it was a symbolic return of sorts. The gesture from the Hatters was sure to be appreciated.