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Coming off CWS run, FSU Baseball racking up preseason accolades

On3 imageby:Corey Clark•about 24 hours•

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On3 image
Florida State ace Jamie Arnold is the national preseason Pitcher of the Year, according to Perfect Game. (Ben Spicer/Warchant)

The weather might not feel like it, but Florida State baseball season is right around the corner.

And judging by the early season prognostications, Link Jarrett’s Seminoles are going to be one of the best teams in the nation yet again.

Coming off a College World Series berth and a Final Four finish, Jarrett’s program has been ranked in the Top 10 in two different national preseason polls this preseason. And All-America ace pitcher Jamie Arnold is leading the way in individual accolades for the Seminoles.

Perfect Game has Florida State Baseball ranked No. 6 in its initial poll for 2025, and DI Baseball has the Seminoles checking in at No. 9.

Arnold, who was 11-3 with a 2.98 ERA in 2024 with 159 strikeouts in 102.2 innings pitched, is also the Perfect Game Preseason Pitcher of the Year. He is ranked the No. 2 junior in the country.

Other Seminoles who received preseason accolades from Perfect Game were Hunter Carnes, who was ranked the No. 2 overall freshman in the country, and Myles Bailey, who was ranked No. 27.

Ole Miss transfer Wes Mendes was ranked the No. 32 sophomore in the country. He posted a 6.82 ERA for the Rebels, but the promising lefty did strike out 43 hitters in 31.2 innings of work.

Returning outfielder Max Williams is ranked as the No. 36 overall junior in the country after hitting .311 with 14 homers, 29 extra-base hits and 46 RBIs.

Three other juniors — pitcher Cam Leiter (No. 44), pitcher Evan Chrest (No. 76) and Texas Tech transfer outfielder Gage Harrelson (No. 100) — were also listed in the Top 100 juniors in the country by Perfect Game.

Leiter pitched in seven games for Florida State last season before missing the rest of the year with an arm injury. He totaled 56 strikeouts in 35 innings pitched and could be available for the FSU staff at some point this season.

Chrest was the Atlantic Sun Conference Freshman of the Year in 2023 after an 8-2 season with Jacksonville. He was also a weekend starter in 2024 but had an ERA of 6.82 in 15 starts.

Harrelson batted .324 as a freshman at Texas Tech in 2023 with a slugging percentage of .441. He scored 53 runs in 58 games. Harrelson hit just .245 as a sophomore but bounced back in the summer with a strong showing in the Coastal Plain League, batting .328 in 17 games.

The new-look Seminoles begin practice later this month. Their first game is on Feb. 14 with the start of a three-game home series with James Madison.

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