Sunday Seminoles Summary: Basketball adds assistant coach, Baseball’s outstanding season ends, Golfers excelling, Noles’ vying for Olympics

Welcome back to Tomahawk Nation’s Triple-S, where we attempt to give you the latest results and news from all the Florida State Seminoles sports that don’t begin with “foot.”

If you missed last week’s Triple S recap of all the Seminole sports, you can find it here.

This week in Florida State sports:

• After staging the greatest single-season turnaround in program history, the 2024 Florida State baseball team should not be remembered for its College World Series-ending 7-2 loss. Jordan Silversmith shares his final thoughts in his season-ending 3 Up, 3 Down.
• The Men’s Basketball program has hired a new assistant coach with ACC ties both as a University of Miami player and assistant coach.
• Golfer Bella Bugg won the championship of the 92nd Tennessee Women’s Amateur at the Belle Meade Country Club.
• Golfer Cristobal Del Solar has become the first-ever FSU Olympian after qualifying to represent his home country of Chile
• Several members of the swimming and diving, and the track and field programs, are presently competing for spots on the Olympic team.
• Some of the other athletic programs made some news or saw action this week, and their stories are posted in our recaps below.

Tomahawk Nation is committed to keeping you up to date on all of the Florida State sports information that we are able to source, AND NEVER BEHIND A PAYWALL.

Feel free to include any other FSU-related news of any kind that we may have missed in the comment section.

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Baseball

• 3 Up, 3 Down: FSU proved it belongs with the best, but still left plays on the table-The Seminoles pulled off an impressive season that fell just short

If asked, like any coach, Link Jarrett would say there are no moral victories.

When the plane took off from TLH, he aimed to bring a brown trophy home but left empty-handed. That sting will always be deeper than the comfort of knowing that Florida State was playing with house money by the time it hit Omaha, but even then, it feels hard not to be amazed at what Florida State accomplished.

Florida State proved they could win against the best in the sport and validated their shared success during the regular season. This team will be remembered as the group that brought life back into a dying program as Link Jarrett proved himself to be the man capable of leading the program back to its status as a standard bearer — and potentially, eventually, even greater heights....{continued}

• FSU’s magical season ends on unlucky, sloppy day against Tennessee-The Seminoles ran out of gas, finish the CWS 2-2

After staging the greatest single-season turnaround in program history, the 2024 Florida State baseball team should not — and will not — be remembered for its College World Series-ending 7-2 loss on Wednesday.

Missed plays, poor at-bats, and downright bad luck contributed to Florida State’s season’s end, as the Seminoles fell once more to the No. 1 overall seed in the Tennessee Volunteers.

Early on, the sloppy play gave Tennessee a small lead before the bad luck put the nail in the coffin.

Florida State’s offense broke the record for most runs scored in the first three games in the College World Series by an ACC team, but today, the bats crashed down to Earth.....{continued}

• FSU’s bats push Seminoles past UNC, setting up College World Series rematch with Tennessee-Seminoles eliminate second straight ACC opponent to keep Omaha dreams alive

For the second game in a row, Florida State matched up with an ACC foe for the right to stay alive in the 2024 College World Series.

And for the second game in a row, the Seminoles sent a fellow conference member packing their bags as FSU took down UNC 9-5 in a do-or-die matchup.....{continued}

• Carson Dorsey, Jamie Ferrer overpower Virginia as Seminoles stave off elimination-Florida State responds after their devastating loss Friday with a complete performance Sunday

According to Link Jarrett, the big inning, home runs, dominant starting pitching, and an ability to respond are trademarks of this Florida State Seminoles baseball team.

With his team’s back against the wall during their first elimination game of the NCAA postseason tournament, FSU went back to what got them here.....{continued}

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Softball

• FSU softball produced multiple Academic All-Americans in the same season for the first time ever, as seniors Devyn Flaherty and Kaley Mudge each picked up Third Team Academic All-America honors:

Both Mudge and Flaherty ended their decorated careers on a high note in their senior seasons. Mudge finished the season with a .333 average with two home runs and 30 RBI. Mudge turned it on during ACC play to help herself earn First Team All-ACC honors for the second time in her career. She was also named to the NFCA All-Southeast Region Third Team and the ACC All-Tournament Team. Mudge earned a certificate in athletic coaching this year and earned a perfect 4.00 GPA. Mudge will be staying in Tallahassee and will be enrolling in Florida State’s nursing program.

Flaherty finished her career as one of the most consistent and durable players to wear the Garnet and Gold. Flaherty ended her career playing in 275 games which is tied for the fourth-most games played in school history. Flaherty finished the season with a .329 average but was one of FSU’s top hitters that sparked a turnaround in the second half of the season. Flaherty hit .386 in ACC play while starting every game at second base. Flaherty picked up her fourth consecutive All-ACC honor as she was named to the All-ACC Second Team. Flaherty earned her Masters in Sport Management this spring and finished the school year with a 3.89 GPA.

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Women’s Basketball

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Beach Volleyball

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Men’s Basketball

• Hamilton Names Jake Morton Assistant Basketball Coach

Florida State Head Coach Leonard Hamilton has named Jake Morton to his staff as an assistant coach as he brings the experienced coach back to the ACC where he both played (1989-93) and coached (2008-11) at the University of Miami. Morton helped lead the Hurricanes to three consecutive 20-win seasons and to three postseason appearances – including the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

Morton comes to Florida State from East Carolina where he was an assistant coach for the Pirates in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He helped the Pirates to 31 wins in the last two seasons at the American Athletic conference school.

“Jake Morton brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team,” said Hamilton. “He has a full understanding of our offensive and defensive schemes, and he will immediately have a major impact on our basketball team. Our players are going to love his work ethic, how well he relates to them, and his ability to teach the game of basketball.”

Prior to his two-year tenure at East Carolina, Morton was an assistant coach at Jacksonville State for four of the Gamecocks’ best seasons in program history. He helped the 2021-22 Jacksonville State squad to a 21-11 record, the Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title, and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks averaged 20 wins per year with Morton on its staff, and twice established the single-season record for the program’s Division I single-season wins mark.

Morton played for Hamilton during the four years of his playing career and graduated from Miami in 1993. As a player for the Hurricanes, he scored 909 points, totaled 245 rebounds and 194 assists. When he completed his career at Miami, he ranked ninth in Miami history in 3-point shots made (136), 10th in 3-point shots attempted (390), and 14th in career 3-point field goal percentage (.349).

As a sophomore during the 1989-90 season, Morton recorded a team-high 45 steals while averaging 11.0 points per game. That same season, he garnered the team’s “Hustle Award” at the end of the season – an honor he would earn again following the 1991-92 season – and was named the team’s defensive player of the year three separate times.

Following his playing career at Miami, Morton played professionally in Israel for six years.

Morton has been a successful assistant coach at Bowie State (2000), St. Francis (Pa.) (2001-04), James Madison (2005-07), Miami (2008-11), Western Kentucky (2012-13), Coppin State (2015-16), Jacksonville State (2017-21) and East Carolina (2022-24).

“I am elated and honored to have the opportunity to work alongside a Hall of Fame coach in Coach Hamilton,” said Morton. “Having the opportunity to play for him and to have him as a role model in my life for the last 36 years has been an absolute a-plus advantage for me in navigating my way through the world of college basketball. I am honored to have this opportunity to work with Coach Hamilton and his staff.”

Michel Schwartz, the Head Coach at East Carolina was sorry to see Morton leave his staff.

“Jake is one of the very best basketball minds and relationship builders that I have ever been around,” said Schwartz. “As dynamic as Jake is as a coach, he is an even better person. Jake has been instrumental in establishing and building our culture here the last two years. His experience, his ability to connect with players, and his unwavering, positive approach to everything he does made a huge impact on our program.”

• Seminole Great Sam Cassell Wins Fourth NBA Championship

When the Boston Celtics won their record 18th NBA Championship on June 17, Seminole Hall of Famer Sam Cassell earned his fourth NBA Championship ring. He has won two NBA championship titles as a player with the Houston Rockets (1994 and 1995), one as a player with the Celtics (2008), and now one as an assistant coach with the NBA’s all-time winningest franchise.

Cassell was a two-year star guard at Florida State (1992-93), and averaged 18.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists during his career in Tallahassee. He was a two-time All-ACC selection and a first-round pick by the Rockets in the 1993 NBA Draft.

Cassell led the Seminoles to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in 1992 and to the Elite Eight in 1993. As a senior, he set the school record for steals with 97. Cassell earned All-ACC Second-Team honors in 1992 and 1993 and helped usher the Seminoles into the ACC during the 1991-92 season. He famously called the University of North Carolina’s crowd a “wine and cheese crowd” following the Seminoles’ 86-74 win over the Tar Heels at the Dean E. Smith Center in the Florida State’s first ever ACC game.

Cassell is one of only three former Seminoles to earn NBA All-Star honors (Cassell, Dave Cowens, Scottie Barnes).

Boston defeated Dallas 106-88 in Game 5 to secure its 4-1 series victory, marking the first NBA title of Cassell’s coaching career.

Cassell was hired by the Celtics as an assistant coach under Joe Mazzulla during the summer of 2023. He has worked for several NBA teams since retiring as a player following the 2009 season. He joined the Washington Wizards after his retirement in 2009 and was a member of Doc Rivers’ staffs with the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers from 2014-2023. During his nine seasons as an assistant coach with the Clippers and 76ers, those two teams missed the playoffs just once in nine seasons.

Cassell coached former Seminoles great Terance Mann with the Clippers during the 2019-20 season – Mann’s rookie season in the NBA and a playoff season for the franchise.

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Volleyball

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Tennis

• Six Seminoles Earn All-ACC Academic Honors

The Florida State women’s tennis team had six student-athletes earn All-ACC Academic honors as Vic Allen, Anna Arkadianou, Millie Bissett, Laura Putz, Ellie Schoppe, and Kristyna Lavickova made the All-ACC Academic Team.

The Seminoles earned a 3.51 grade-point average in the 2023-2024 academic year and a 3.44 spring semester GPA. The team had nine individuals earn a 3.3 GPA or higher, which included three 4.0 GPAs.

Academic requirements for the selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0 grade-point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s academic career. In addition, student-athletes must compete in at least 50 percent of their team’s contests.

Florida State looks to continue to succeed in the classroom and the courts as many student-athletes are expected to return in the 2024-2025 season.

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Soccer

• Jody Brown Signs with Portuguese Club S.L. Benfica

Two-time national champion Jody Brown has signed a professional contract with four-time Portuguese league champions S.L. Benfica on Thursday. This marks the eighth Seminole from the 2023 national championship team to be signed by a professional team.

Brown scored seven goals and five assists in her 20 starts in the 2023 season. She earned All-ACC honors in all four years of playing and was named a United Soccer Coaches All-American in 2022 and 2023.

Throughout her Seminole career, she racked up over 4,500 minutes of playing time with 78 appearances and 60 starts for the Garnet and Gold, scoring 24 goals and adding 25 assists for 73 points. She scored seven goals with five assists in NCAA Tournament play.

She authored several magical moments for the Seminoles between scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 victory over Florida in 2023, scoring the game-winning goal in the 2022 ACC Championship over North Carolina, and scoring two goals in the 5-1 victory in the latest National Championship Game over Stanford.

Brown finishes her career littered across the program record books. She finished tied for fifth in game-winning goals (11), tied for seventh in total assists (25), eighth in multi-goal games (5), and ninth in total points (73).

The Jamaican international has made 23 caps for the Reggae Girlz and has seven appearances in the previous two FIFA Women’s World Cups, including starting in all four matches of the 2023 edition. She currently sits eighth on the all-time Jamaican cap list and tied for fourth on the all-time Jamaican scoring list at 11 goals.

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Swimming & Diving

• Vear Advances to Finals at U.S. Olympic Trials

Florida State diver Samantha Vear advanced to the final of women’s 3-meter at the U.S. Olympic Trials at the University of Tennessee.

In prelims, Vear finished 15th, scoring 223.25 after five dives, advancing to the semifinals.

Needing to finish within the top 12 to move on to the final, Vear scored above 50 points on four of her five dive, securing her spot. She placed 11th with a score of 262.95.

The Conroe, Texas native will dive in the final on Saturday, at 7 p.m. Coverage will air on NBC and Peacock.

Mason Herbet will compete in the 100 fly to close out U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials while Katrina Young (platform) will compete at U.S. Olympic Diving Trials on Friday.

• Rising Florida State swimming senior Maddy Huggins advanced to the semifinal of the women’s 200 breast at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium on Wednesday:

In prelims, Huggins led from start to finish in heat two, touching first with a time of 2:29.17, which was her personal best after being seeded at 2:30.85. Carrying the lead into the circle seeded heats, Huggins ended up with the ninth-fastest time overall, advancing to the semifinals.

Working in the second heat, Huggins touched eighth, just shy of the final (2:29.03).

She also swam the 100 breast on Sunday, touching 27th with a time of 1:09.81, which was just off her best (1:09.58).

Incoming freshman Logan Robinson also saw a big time drop, earning a spot in the semifinals of the men’s 200 fly.

Seeded 37th with a time of 2:00.04, Robinson clocked 1:58.37 in prelims, tying for the last spot in semifinals. Working out of lane eight, Robinson swam faster and moved up to place 13th with a time of 1:58.08.

Lleyton Arnold also competed in the men’s 200 breast, touching 41st at 2:15.18, which was just off his best (2:14.47).

Mason Herbet will compete in the 100 fly to close out U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials while Samantha Vear (3-meter) and Katrina Young (platform) are set to compete at U.S. Olympic Diving Trials.

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Golf

• Bugg Wins Championship At Tennessee Amateur

Florida State sophomore Bella Bugg shot three consecutive rounds of 71, finished with a three-round total of 3 under par 213, and won the championship of the 92nd Tennessee Women’s Amateur at the Belle Meade Country Club on June 20. Bugg defeated Vanderbilt University junior Lynn Lim by one stroke to win the first Tennessee Amateur championship of her career.

Bugg earned entry into the U.S. Women’s Amateur at the Southern Hill Country Club in Tulsa (August 5-11) with her victory.

“It feels amazing to be a winner again at such a prestigious event in my home state,” said Bugg. “It makes it even more special to be in my hometown because my family, friends, and coaches got to come watch all three days.”

Bugg recently completed her freshman season as a Seminole, as she played in three matches – including the Florida State Match Up – during her first season in Tallahassee. She finished in a career-best tie for 40th place at the 2024 Match Up on the Seminoles’ home course. Bugg also performed well in the classroom as she earned Dean’s List academic honors in both the fall 2023 and spring 2024 semesters.

At the 2024 Tennessee Amateur, Bugg was among the tournament leaders throughout the three-day event. She was in a tie for first place following a first round 71. A second consecutive score of 71 and a two-round total of 142 had her in sole possession of first place after 36 holes. Her second round play gave her a three-stroke lead heading into the third and final round. Her third consecutive score of 71 and a three-round total of 213 gave her the championship.

Bugg finished as the only golfer in the field to finish with under par scores in each of the three rounds of play.

“My putter was on all week,” said Bugg. “My short game was great, so I didn’t have to worry too much about missing a green because I knew I would have a great chance to get up and down. I was also -7 on the par 5s for the week, so my length and precision definitely helped that. It was fun to play in the last group the last two days.”

Bugg made her tournament-winning move late in the third round.......

• Cristobal Del Solar has become Florida State men’s golf’s first-ever Olympian after qualifying to represent his home country of Chile:

Of the 60 qualifying golfers based on the two-year calculation of the Olympic Golf Ranking, Del Solar finished 46th.

The top-15 world-ranked players are eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from a given country. Beyond the top 15, players are eligible based on the world rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top-15.

Del Solar has produced solid numbers during his stay on the Korn Ferry Tour, owning five Top 10 finishes in the 2023-24 season. Of the 14 events played this year, he has made 11 cuts. Recently, he finished third at the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by TD SYNNEX, shooting 19-under.

Del Solar has one lone PGA TOUR appearance this season, making the cut and tying for 48th at the Mexico Open at Vidanta on Feb. 25.

The Seminole Alum will compete as one of 60 players at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, which is just outside of Paris, from Aug. 1-4. The Olympic tournament will consist of four 18-hole stroke-play rounds, just like on the PGA TOUR, and the Top-3 finishers in the 60-player field will be awarded gold, silver and bronze medals.

While at FSU, Del Solar put together an outstanding career. He was a 2017 third-team All-American and won the Irish Creek Collegiate in that same season, capping his career with his lowest stroke average at 71.06. He was also a two-time All-ACC selection.

Among players who competed all four years at FSU, Del Solar ranks seventh all-time in lowest career stroke average at 72.10. He also has 11 career Top 10 finishes in college.

Perhaps his biggest splash was made on Feb. 8, when he became known as Mr. 57 after shooting the lowest professional golf round in history in the first round of the Korn Ferry Tour’s Astara Golf Championship.

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Track and Field / Cross Country

• Davis, Grimes Advance to Finals at U.S. Olympic Trials

Florida State jumper Jeremiah Davis and FSU alum Issac Grimes advanced to the final of the men’s long jump at the U.S. Olympic Trials with their performances Saturday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

In round one, Grimes finished fifth at 7.96m (26-1 ½). Davis followed in ninth with a mark of 7.88m (25-10 ¼), advancing to the final.

Dajaz DeFrand concluded her sophomore season in the 100-meter dash semifinal round, placing 16th with a time of 11.26.

Davis and Grimes will compete in the long jump final Monday at 8:25 p.m. ET. Tyson Williams will compete alongside former FSU standout Trey Cunningham in the first round of the 110-meter hurdles which is set to begin at 8:50 p.m. ET.

• DeFrand Advances to Semifinals at U.S. Olympic Trials

Florida State sprinter Dajaz DeFrand advanced to the semifinal of the women’s 100-meter dash at the U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Seeded sixth with a time of 10.94, DeFrand won her heat clocking a time of 11.05 seconds in round one with the eighth-overall fastest time, advancing to the semifinal round.

Jeremiah Davis begins competition in the long jump on Saturday starting at 7:45 p.m. ET, while DeFrand will compete in the semifinals at 8:58 p.m. with finals starting at 10:50 p.m.

• Noles Set for U.S. Olympic Trials

Ten athletes with ties to the Florida State track and field will compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials from June 21-30 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Current Seminoles, Dajaz DeFrand, Tyra Wilson, and Alexandra Webster will compete in women’s events, while Jeremiah Davis, Tyson Williams, and Kyvon Tatham will represent the men’s team.

Professional athletes Trey Cunnigham, Issac Grimes, Ahmed Muhammed and Kasey nevelbaard will also look to represent Team USA at the Paris Olympics.

DeFrand will compete in the 100-meter from June 21 –22. She will also be in contention for the 4x100 relay in Paris. Wilson is entered in the 400 hurdles set to begin June 27. Webester begins competition in the 100 hurdles on June 28.

Davis will compete on June 22 and 24 in the long jump, while Tatham and Davis are set for the triple jump on June 28 and 30.

Williams and Cunnigham are entered in the 110 hurdles running from June 24-28.

Muhammed (2022) and Knevelbaard (2019-2021) will compete in the 5,000 on June 27.

The top three finishers in each event will make Team USA, provided they have met the Olympic qualifying standard. Any additional athletes, based on their results from trials can also be added to relay pools.

U.S. Olympic Trials Schedule & Broadcast Information........

• Florida State track and field athlete Adriaan Wildschutt was selected to represent South Africa for the 2024 Olympic Games:

Wildschutt qualified for Paris, after lowering his own South African national record in the 10,000-meter at The Ten in San Juan Capistrano, California with a time of 26:55.54 in March of 2024.

In May, he competed in his first ever Diamond League meet in the 5,000, clocking a time of 12:56.67 to become the only South African to hold two national records.

Wildschutt represented his country at the World Championships in the summer of 2022 and 2023, placing 18th in the 5,000 in 2022 and 14th in the 10,000 in 2023. He also placed fifth in the 10,000 at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

During his time at Florida State (2021-22), Wildschutt accumulated seven All-American honors in his career after joining the team in January of 2021.

Wildschutt was the ACC Performer of the Year in 2021 in cross country where he won the ACC and NCAA South Region titles before finishing sixth at the NCAA Championships. Wildschutt was a two-time USTFCCCA Men’s South Region XC Athlete of the Year, being the only Seminole in school history to earn the honor multiple times.

After COVID-19 pushed most of the cross country season to 2021, Wildschutt finished second at the NCAA Championships in March, days after placing fourth in the 5,000 at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

In the fall, he won five races throughout the season, tying the school record set by Herb Willis in 1981.

Wildschutt holds the outdoor program record in the 10,000 (27:38.54) and indoor 5,000 school record (13:09.30), which is the second-fastest time in NCAA history.

Wildschutt is the 56th Seminole with ties to FSU track and field to compete in the Olympics. He is the first to represent South Africa. FSU has had a representative in every Games since 1972.

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Other Cool Seminole Stuff

• FSU vs. ACC

In a major win for Florida State in its legal battle against the ACC, Leon County Judge John Cooper denied the conference’s motion to dismiss the university’s lawsuit against it on three different counts. A major part of the ACC’s argument was that the case shouldn’t be held in Florida, as it had no business ties there, which Judge Cooper disagreed with — from the Tallahassee Democrat:

Judge Cooper said he felt FSU’s argument that the ACC is carrying out a business in the state of Florida is the strongest argument it made.

Judge Cooper says he believes that the ACC’s affidavit admits that the conference is doing business in Florida by “conducting and producing sports events originating from FSU and Miami home games.” He said it authorizes ESPN and other networks to broadcast, and the ACC makes revenue from the broadcasts which qualifies it as a business.

He continued by saying he hasn’t seen the percentages of what revenue is paid to member schools in the revenue-sharing plan. Judge Cooper said you don’t have to have an office or agency in the state of Florida to be a business, citing the ACC’s broadcasting of FSU and Miami home games as ‘business.’

Judge Cooper once again urged the two sides to enter into mediation to begin working towards a settlement — from the Tampa Bay Times:

In April, he referred the case to mediation with a 120-day deadline.

“I know there is a possibility you might not settle,” Cooper said. “But sometimes mediations start a process that can ultimately lead to a settlement.”

Most civil lawsuits and similar cases end in settlements. With so much at stake for both sides — it’s not hyperbolic to say the future of FSU athletics and the ACC are on the line — a settlement is a likely final outcome. Eventually.

• This isn’t the only case in the saga of course: Florida State and the ACC are still dealing with the lawsuit filed by the conference against FSU in North Carolina, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is suing over the ACC’s business dealings with ESPN and Clemson is waging its own similar battles in court — again from the Tampa Bay Times:

FSU and Clemson are making separate but similar arguments as they consider leaving the league. Both want clarity on how much an exit will cost. The ACC has a withdrawal fee of about $140 million, but the bigger component is TV rights. If the ACC owns them until the league’s ESPN deal expires — as late as 2036 — FSU and Clemson risk losing or forfeiting more than $400 million.