Tag: Florida State Seminoles

Duke rises to No. 6 in D1Baseball poll after first road series win against Virginia Tech in years

Duke keeps rising in latest D1Baseball poll, moving up to No. 6 after they took a ranked road series against Virginia Tech.

Duke’s weekend in Blacksburg was full of excitement as Duke won a road series against Virginia Tech for the first time in six years. Both Duke wins came with late-inning dramatics, as the Blue Devils fought back and won the game late.

For their efforts against a top-25 team, the Blue Devils saw themselves rise one spot to No. 6 in the latest D1Baseball poll.

Duke’s win puts them two games behind UNC for the Coastal Division lead as the Blue Devils enter the home stretch of the regular season.

At the top of the newest D1Baseball poll, the Texas A&M Aggies remain the nation’s number one team. Arkansas is second while the Tennessee Volunteers are third. Kentucky and ACC foe Clemson are ranked ahead of Duke at fourth and fifth, respectively.

East Carolina, Wake Forest, and Oklahoma State follow in order before Duke’s next ACC opponent, Florida State, slots in at 10th.

The rest of the ACC continues to be well represented in the poll, with Virginia and North Carolina ranked 14th and 15th, respectively, while NC State ranked 21st.

Duke will remain on the road for a midweek game against a tough Campbell Camels team before returning home for a top-10 weekend series against the Florida State Seminoles.

What teams have contacted Sean Stewart in the transfer portal?

Sean Stewart, the former four-star prospect who announced his intent to transfer from Duke, has heard from a litany of SEC, Big Ten, and ACC schools in the portal thus far.

Former Duke forward Sean Stewart, a former four-star prospect from the Class of 2023, announced his intention to transfer from Duke on Friday. It hasn’t taken him long to collect a laundry list of suitors.

According to a Saturday report from League Ready’s Sam Kayser, Stewart heard from 23 teams in his first day on the market.

The two most notable conferences in play for Stewart are the SEC and the Big Ten. The Tennessee Volunteers, Texas A&M Aggies, South Carolina Gamecocks, and Vanderbilt Commodores all appeared on the list.

Former Kentucky coach John Calipari, now the coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks, also appeared interested in the 6-foot-9 forward, as did the Wildcats, now coached by former BYU leader Mark Pope.

On the Big Ten side, the two biggest names in the conference both appear to be in play. Michigan and Ohio State have both reached out to Stewart, according to Kayser, as have the Indiana Hoosiers.

Some in-conference rivals have extended an olive branch as well. Florida State and Miami both reached out, as did future conference members California and Stanford.

Check out the full list of potential suitors below.

Stewart averaged 2.6 points and 3.2 rebounds as a freshman despite playing just 8.4 minutes per game.

Florida State’s Luke Clanton becomes first Seminole to win three straight events

Not a bad time to be in Tallahassee.

No one in college golf has been better this spring than Luke Clanton.

The sophomore captured his third straight tournament victory Tuesday, winning the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial at Birdwood Golf Course in Charlottesville, Virginia. Clanton shot 15-under 198, beating Tennessee’s Bryce Lewis by five shots to win.

Clanton is the first Seminole in school history to win three straight events. Over his last nine rounds played, Clanton has seven rounds in the 60s.

In addition to his three victories this spring, Clanton tied for eighth at the Amer Ari in Hawaii and finished T-7 at the Watersound Invitational. After a slower start to the year, Clanton now has put himself squarely in the conversation for the Haskins Award, given to the best player in men’s college golf.

It has been a banner week for the Seminoles.

On Saturday, sophomore Lottie Woad birdied three of her final four holes to claim the fifth Augusta National Women’s Amateur title. She threw out the first pitch Tuesday night at the Florida State home baseball game.

Earlier in the day, Clanton claimed win No. 3 on the year.

Not a bad time to be in Tallahassee.

Florida embarrassed in Tally as FSU completes sweep

Florida baseball got embarrassed Tuesday night by in-state rival FSU in a run-rule victory to give the ‘Noles the season sweep.

Florida’s low point in 2024 just got a bit lower and there’s no sign of the freefall subsiding after a 19-4 run-rule loss to No. 10 Florida State on Tuesday night in Tallahassee.

Things looked good early on. The Gators wasted no time getting on the board. Cade Kurland and Jac Caglianone hit back-to-back homers off Florida State starter John Abraham to start the game, but it was all FSU from there.

That 2-0 lead evaporated immediately, and Florida State went up 5-2 on a fielding error that knocked starter Ryan Slater out of the game. Fisher Jameson was first out of the bullpen, followed by Alex Philpott in the second, Robert Satin and Grayson Smith in the fourth and Reilly Witmer in the sixth.

Philpott had the worst night, giving up five runs (all earned) on seven hits and a hit batter over 2 2/3 innings. Both Philpott and Smith gave up two a pair of homers. Florida State went deep five times in total. Witmer was the only Florida arm to end the night without giving up a run.

Florida State put up a crooked number in four of the first five innings, jumping out to a 19-3 lead. Florida tacked on a run in the second, but the bats went cold after that.

While it’s usually polite to call a game like this a “run-rule win,” this was truly a “mercy-rule” kind of game. Things aren’t looking good for the Gators, who fall to 17-15 overall.

A weekend series at home against South Carolina is the last chance for Kevin O’Sullivan to get the team right ahead of the toughest portion of the schedule.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Augusta National Women’s Amateur champ Lottie Woad chooses LPGA major over ACCs

Woad, ranked No. 4 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, hasn’t finished outside the top 8 in college golf this season.

Lottie Woad faced a tough decision in the aftermath of her Augusta National Women’s Amateur. The victory comes with special invitations to four major championships, including next week’s Chevron Championship, which overlaps the ACC Championship.

Woad, a 20-year-old sophomore at Florida State, has opted to make her major championship debut at the Chevron April 18-21 at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas, in what will be her first LPGA start.

“I wasn’t really going to turn down a major,” said Woad, who had full support form her Seminole coaches.

The Englishwoman delivered a finish for the ages on Saturday in the final round at Augusta National, making birdie on three of the last four holes to beat USC’s Bailey Shoemaker by one stroke.

“If I’d been told before this week that I’d be two back with four to play, I would have been like, yeah, perfect, that sounds great,” said Woad. “To be in the mix on the back nine at Augusta is something that everyone dreams about.”

Woad, ranked No. 4 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, hasn’t finished outside the top 8 in college golf this season, with co-medalist honors at the Annika Intercollegiate.

With her parents and English national coach/caddie back home in England, Woad will be on her own in Texas, though former FSU player Frida Kinhult did have an extra room in her Airbnb. Woad is in the process of trying to find a local caddie for next week.

On Sunday at Augusta, Woad met Nancy Lopez and Tom Watson as she handed out awards at the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals. She also met 2016 Masters champ Danny Willett for the first time in the clubhouse.

It’s back to class for Woad this week in Tallahassee. On Tuesday night, she’ll throw out the first pitch in the sold-out FSU vs. Florida game on ESPN2. While Woad hasn’t played baseball, she did play cricket back home in England.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda headlines the field at Chevron after winning her fourth consecutive start on Sunday at the T-Mobile Match Play. Korda is the first American to win four consecutive starts on the LPGA since Nancy Lopez won five consecutive starts in 1978.

Woad received a warm welcome-home reception when she returned to Tallahassee. Kinhult made cupcakes. Check out the photos from the surprise gathering:

 

Duke moves up to No. 7 in latest D1 Baseball poll after five straight wins and a weekend sweep of Miami

Duke baseball back on the rise in latest D1Baseball poll.

The Duke Blue Devils have found their groove.

After a 4-0 week, the Duke baseball team has won its previous five games. If you look further past that, the Blue Devils won eight of their last nine baseball games.

Duke dominated Liberty midweek on the road 9-4 before returning to Durham and sweeping the Miami Hurricanes for the first time in Duke baseball history. They took care of Miami with some heroics, too, walking off the Hurricanes on both Friday and Sunday and overcoming a six-run deficit in the final game.

Duke enters week eight of the season after moving up two spots to No. 7 in the latest D1 Baseball poll for their efforts. They moved up two spots from ninth and are now knocking on the door to cracking the top five.

 

The rest of the ACC remains well-represented in the Top 25, as Clemson remains steady as the second-ranked team in the poll. Florida State is now the 10th-ranked team, while Virginia and UNC are 11th and 13th, respectively. Wake Forest, the preseason No. 1, has started to play much better and is back up to 14th. Virginia Tech rounds out the ACC’s involvement as they place 16th.

Duke closes out this four-game homestand with William & Mary on Tuesday and is scheduled for a 6 p.m. first pitch. They return to ACC action next weekend with a three-game road series against the Pitt Panthers.

Duke softball makes program history rising to No. 1 in latest Softball America poll

Duke Softball is the new No. 1 team in the country.

After a crazy weekend in softball that saw the sport’s premier team, Oklahoma, lose a tough series to its fiercest rival, Softball America has a new number-one squad, and it resides in Durham, North Carolina.

That’s correct; the Duke Blue Devils are the No. 1 softball team in the country, according to Softball America’s latest poll.

Duke’s ascension to number one marks the first time this season that a team other than Oklahoma has topped SA’s poll. It also marks the first time in Duke softball’s short history that it has been ranked as a number one team.

Duke entered last week as the No. 2 team, and after beating UNC-Charlotte 6-1 in a midweek matchup and sweeping their Tobacco Road rivals, UNC, Duke is now the nation’s top team.

Oklahoma has an early season win over Duke, but things have changed for both programs since that game.

Duke is joined by Virginia Tech (16), Florida State (20), Virginia (24), and Clemson (25) as the ACC accounts for 20% of the poll.

Duke returns to action this week when it travels to Greenville, N.C., for a non-conference matchup with East Carolina. The first pitch is slated for 5 p.m. at Max R. Joyner Family Stadium.

After securing second ACC series over UVA, Duke moves up to No. 9 in latest D1Baseball poll

Duke pushes back into top 10 in latest D1Baseball Poll.

Duke baseball is back in the top 10.

After a little bit of a bump in the road, Chris Pollard’s team desperately needed a big week on the diamond to shift the momentum. They got just that with a 3-1 week that saw them take down ACC foe UVA for the Blue Devils’ second ACC series win of the season.

The week started with the Blue Devils hammering in-state opponent Campbell 11-1 on Tuesday. The Blue Devils got back after it on Thursday when they hosted a top-25 Virginia team. Ace pitcher Jonathan Santucci dazzled, working five innings of two-hit baseball to improve his record to 5-0, and Duke won 9-4.

On Friday, UVA bounced back with a 7-3 win to even the series at one game apiece. Another Duke comeback spearheaded Saturday’s rubber match. After the Blue Devils were down 2-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, they exploded for five runs in the seventh and pulled out a 7-4 win to take the series.

Joined by UNC and Clemson, Duke now gives the ACC three teams ranked in the top 10. Arkansas remains number one for another week, Clemson is number two, and Texas A&M rose from fourth to third.

The fourth spot belongs to Tennessee with the fifth going to Oregon State. Virginia Tech (11), Florida State (14), Virginia (15), NC State (19), and Wake Forest (21) make up the rest of the ACC teams on this week’s poll.

Duke was named the No. 9 team in the country by Baseball America and the No. 7 team by Perfect Game.

The Blue Devils will be back in action on Tuesday to take on Liberty in Lynchburg, Va., for a midweek game before returning home to host Miami for ACC play at Jack Coombs Field next weekend.

Florida State sophomore Baba Miller to enter transfer portal, test NBA draft

Florida State sophomore Baba Miller will reportedly enter the transfer portal, while opting to test the 2024 NBA draft.

Florida State sophomore Baba Miller will reportedly enter the transfer portal, while opting to test the 2024 NBA draft, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Miller averaged 7.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 blocked shots on 44.9% shooting from the field in 33 games this season. He scored in double figures eight times, including a season-high 14 points, three rebounds and three blocks on Jan. 9.

He finished 10th in the ACC in total blocks (37).

Miller projects to be one of the top players in the transfer portal and will likely have several programs interested in landing him. He will test the pre-draft process and have the opportunity to meet and work out with prospective teams.

Miller opted to return to Florida State after an up-and-down freshman campaign. He was limited to 15 games with the Seminoles due to an offseason injury and a suspension stemming from a rules infraction committed in 2020.

He was previously highly recruited as a four-star prospect and ultimately chose the Seminoles over Gonzaga. Miller, standing at 6 feet, 11 inches, is highly touted for his versatility, athleticism and ability to defend with his 7-foot-2 wingspan.

Miller previously represented Spain in the 2023 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup. He averaged 9.4 points, six rebounds and 1.3 assists in seven games, helping Spain win the gold medal.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=650262612]

ACC legal battles could open door for more Big Ten expansion

If the ACC crumbles, the Big Ten could be ready to pounce on a few potential members.

If you thought the Big Ten was going to settle in an 18-team membership following this year’s additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington, you are probably fooling yourself. Expansion could be looming on the horizon once again if things in the ACC continue on the path they seem to be heading.

Florida State previously opened a significant legal battle challenging the ACC on its grant of rights. If Florida State is successful, it would open the doors for a potential mass exodus from the ACC to the Big Ten or SEC in a similar fashion to what happened in the Pac-12, although perhaps not quite as devastating in the grand scheme.

Florida State is not alone in its legal challenge of the ACC, however. Clemson officially joined the battle this week with its own lawsuit filed in South Carolina, potentially opening the door for Clemson and Florida State to carve a path to leave the ACC in search of greener pastures in the Big Ten or SEC. And if Clemson and Florida State do force their way out, then it stands to reason others in the ACC would explore their options as well, including North Carolina.

And, of course, this somehow all gets back to the future of Notre Dame as well.

SEC Network analyst and radio host Paul Finebaum created a stir suggesting Notre Dame is inching closer and closer to having to make a big decision on its future with football independence or conference membership. As Finebaum suggests, and something I’ve been saying for years, at some point Notre Dame’s leaders will have to realize that it is far more profitable and beneficial for the school to be a member of a conference than it is to be an independent. Considering the revenue shares that Big Ten and SEC schools receive compare to the revenue Notre Dame football generates, it has to fiscal sense to at least strongly consider ditching football independence in the evolving world of college sports.

This would especially be true if the ACC cracks with its membership. Notre Dame is a member of the ACC in most of its other sports (although it is a Big Ten school in ice hockey), but if members start leaving the ACC, it would make sense for Notre Dame to look for a more stable future.

The Big Ten would be the natural landing spot for Notre Dame, one might think. This is especially true if a crumbling ACC loses Stanford and Cal to the Big Ten amid potential realignment changes. The Big Ten adding Stanford, Cal, North Carolina, and Notre Dame would be a decent haul overall.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.