Florida State pitching rotation, defensive lineup take shape for Friday opener

Nearly eight months after he was hired as head baseball coach at his alma mater, Link Jarrett will fill out his first official lineup card at Florida State this Friday when James Madison comes to town for a three-game series.

While the official batting order likely won’t be known until then, Jarrett did break down his pitching rotation, main reliever roles, and his defensive depth chart during an extensive interview with The Jeff Cameron Show on Wednesday.

While acknowledging that this could change during the season, Jarrett said the opening weekend will feature junior right-hander Carson Montgomery on Friday, sophomore right-hander Jackson Baumeister on Saturday, and freshman left-hander Jamie Arnold on Sunday.

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While some will be surprised to not see junior lefty Wyatt Crowell in the weekend rotation — he led the team with a 6-1 record and 2.12 ERA out of the bullpen in 2022 — Jarrett said that decision speaks to the trust Florida State’s coaches have in using Crowell in high-leverage situations (i.e., if one of the starters gets into trouble in the early or middle stages of a game.)

“That leaves us Crowell, who is very, very dynamic, and could easily start in May,” Jarrett said. “But it gives an experienced leverage arm … a chance to escape and evade, and also extend. Because we build him just like we built the guys we essentially decided would start these three games.”

When Jarrett says “build,” he means those pitchers were given opportunities to work up to about 75 pitches per outing early in the year. Jarrett and pitching coach Chuck Ristano did that with six pitchers this preseason, and Crowell and sophomore righty Conner Whittaker were in that group.

But instead of starting, the Seminoles’ head coach explained, those two veterans will be asked to put out fires when games are in the balance, and be ready to carry them into the later innings.

“Sometimes those leverage situations allow you to escape so that you do have a game to win and compete in in the ninth,” Jarrett said, adding that he loves the fact Crowell and Whittaker are also very good athletes who can play the position defensively at a high level.

“So when you put them in with traffic [on the bases], like if they have to handle the ball, you know you have super athletic guys that are in the game,” he said.

Montgomery, who was one of the top pitching prospects in the country coming out of high school three years ago, has started 20 games the past two seasons. Baumeister appeared in 19 games with two starts last season, and Arnold comes to FSU after a decorated career at Tampa’s Jesuit High.

Jarrett clarified more than once that none of those roles are set in stone for the long-term, however.

“In weekend one, we’re looking at what gets the team out of the gate best,” he said.

Freshman right-hander Ben Barrett is another bullpen arm that Jarrett believes could be used for several innings, and junior righty Doug Kirkland and junior lefty Andrew Armstrong will provide options as well.

On the back end of the bullpen, the Seminoles will look to junior righty David Barrett and Wake Forest grad transfer Brennen Oxford, a lefty. Jarrett said Florida State won’t go with a traditional “closer” who only works the ninth inning, and he added that those two relievers could extend out to 45 or 50 pitches.

After fierce competition at most defensive positions, Jarrett said he has a good idea of what the Seminoles will do in the field this weekend.

Returning starter Jordan Carrion will play shortstop, and he will be flanked by freshman Cam Smith at third base and senior Nander De Sedas at second. De Sedas played three years at Florida State before transferring to Missouri last season, and he is back for his final year. The Seminoles also will give freshman Titan Kamaka a chance to continue competing at second throughout the year.

Sophomore James Tibbs, who started in the outfield last season and could return there, is starting this season at first base. And another familiar face will be behind the plate as starting catcher Colton Vincent returns. Vincent will be challenged by West Virginia transfer McGwire Holbrook when Holbrook returns from injury, which should be “soon,” according to Jarrett.

In the outfield, sophomore Jaime Ferrer will start in right field, while sophomore Jordan Williams could get the nod in left field and freshman DeAmez Ross could get the first shot at center field. Jarrett said sophomore Treyton Rank also is a candidate for the left-field job, and freshman Jordan Taylor is a capable option in center.

Sophomore Cade Bush and freshman Gunnett Carlson are the front-runners for the designated hitter position, although Jarrett said Rank or Williams could claim it as well when they are not starting in left field.

Florida State and James Madison will open at 5 p.m. on Friday, followed by a 2 p.m. game Saturday and an 11:30 a.m. contest on Sunday.

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