Florida State University Athletics
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The No. 5 Florida State baseball team wraps up a 12-game homestand when it hosts Mercer on Tuesday, March 18, at 6 p.m. ET, at Dick Howser Stadium.
General admission tickets are $2 and available at Seminoles.com/Tickets or by calling the FSU ticket office at 850-644-1830. Admission is free for all FSU students with their I.D., and the student entrance is at the right field gate at Haggard Plaza.
In addition to the GA ticket deal, select concession items are available for just $3.
The game will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra, accessible through your television provider or a subscription to ESPN+. Fans can listen to every game via the Seminole Sports Network on WFLA 100.7 FM and around the world on the FSU Gameday App and Seminoles.com. Fans inside Dick Howser Stadium can listen delay free on the FSU Gameday App presented by MetroNet. Live stats can be found at FSU.Statbroadcast.com. Direct links to watch, listen and follow along can be found on the schedule page at Seminoles.com/Baseball. News, notes and behind-the-scenes updates also are available by following and connecting with the team on social media on Twitter/X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) and Instagram (@NoleBaseball).
Tuesday, March 18 – 6 p.m. ET
Tickets
Watch: ACC Network Extra
Listen: WFLA 100.7 FM | FSU Gameday App | Seminoles.com
Live Stats
FSU r-Fr. LHP Payton Manca (1-0, 2.45 ERA) vs. MU Sr. RHP Jeb Johnson (2-0, 3.77 ERA)
Florida State redshirt freshman left-hander Payton Manca (1-0, 2.45 ERA) will get his second start and make his fourth appearance on Tuesday night. He will face Mercer senior righty Jeb Johnson (2-0, 3.77), who will make his first start and 11th appearance in 2025.
Tuesday’s contest marks the end of a 12-game homestand for the Seminoles, and a string of 17 of the first 19 games at Dick Howser Stadium. FSU is 18-1 to begin the year, and 16-1 at home, with five weekend sweeps and a 3-0 mark to commence ACC play. Florida State went 10-1 in its first 11 games of this homestand.
NOLES BY THE NUMBERS
FSU has scored 170 runs on 231 hits with a .344 batting average, 32 home runs, 94 walks and 29 stolen bases. The pitching staff owns a 2.39 ERA with 44 earned runs allowed in 166.0 innings with 114 hits, 227 strikeouts and 62 walks.
Junior infielder Alex Lodise leads the team with a .456 batting average, 36 hits and eight doubles. Junior infielder Drew Faurot and junior outfielder Max Williams pace the team with seven home runs, and Faurot also has 23 RBI. Junior outfielder Gage Harrelson has seven stolen bases and is second with a .420 average, 34 hits and 21 RBI. On the mound, sophomore left-hander Wes Mendes is 4-0 with a 0.66 ERA in four starts with 43 strikeouts. Redshirt junior lefty Joey Volini also has 43 strikeouts and is 5-0 with a .92 ERA in 29.1 innings. Junior left-hander Jamie Arnold also has a 0.87 ERA with 32 strikeouts and a 3-0 record. Among relievers, sophomore righty Chris Knier has a 0.96 ERA in 9.1 innings and seven appearances with two saves and junior right-hander Maison Martinez has 23 strikeouts and joins Knier with two saves in 15.2 innings.
NATIONALY-RANKED SEMINOLES
The Seminoles are in the top five in every major poll for a second consecutive week, including at No. 5 in the D1Baseball top-25. They are No. 4 in the Baseball America, NCBWA, Coaches and The Athletic rankings and No. 5 according to Perfect Game. College Baseball Central has FSU at No. 3.
SERIES HISTORY VS. MERCER
Florida State is 68-10 all-time against Mercer, with a 57-5 mark in Tallahassee and an 11-5 record in Macon, Georgia. The series began with a 14-12 road win in 1948 before an 8-3 loss in Tallahassee the following season. FSU won 27 in a row from 1992-2021, and the Seminoles are 3-2 since 2022, including a three-game sweep late in the 2023 campaign. The two teams have met at least once every year since 2019.
Last season, Florida State suffered a 13-6 loss at Dick Howser Stadium on April 16. A seven-run fourth inning proved to be the difference. Williams had four hits and an RBI while Connor Hults pitched 1.2 shutout innings with five strikeouts in relief. John Abraham added 1.1 no-hit innings with three punchouts.
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Mercer is 14-7 in 2025, 12-7 at home and 2-0 on the road. The Bears are coming off a series win over Tennessee Tech last weekend, with a 9-1 win on March 14 before a 9-7 loss the following day and a 6-3 victory on Sunday. While MU has won two of its last three, the team entered the weekend having lost three of its last four, including midweek defeats to Alabama State and Kennesaw State on March 11 and 12.
Bradley Frye leads the team with a .409 batting average, 38 hits, 24 RBI, five stolen bases and a team-high-tying six home runs. Ty Dalley also has six homers and shares the team lead with nine doubles. In 11.2 innings pitched in eight relief appearances, Terry Busse has a 0.77 ERA with 15 strikeouts and a .053 opponent batting average.
UP NEXT: ON TO MIAMI
The Seminoles are on the road for their next seven games, beginning with a weekend series at in-state rival Miami from March 20-22 in Coral Gables, Florida. The series begins on Thursday, March 20, at 7 p.m. ET, followed by game two on Friday, March 21, at 8 p.m. Both contests will air nationally on the ACC Network. The series finale from South Florida is on Saturday, March 22, at 7 p.m., on ACCNX.
LAST TIME OUT: ACC-OPENING SWEEP
FSU began ACC play with a sweep of Boston College from March 14-15. Faurot homered twice and Volini had another strong start as the Seminoles won the opener 8-2 on Friday. Lodise and Bailey also hit home runs. In 6.0 innings, Volini gave up one unearned run on four hits with eight strikeouts and two walks.
The teams played a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning with a 14-0 Florida State win. Arnold had a strong return to the mound as the offense scored multiple runs in five of its six innings. Bailey homered again, as did Harrelson, who had four hits and four RBI. Arnold didn’t allow a run in 4.2 innings with eight strikeouts and just one hit allowed.
The Seminoles completed the sweep with a 6-2 win in Saturday’s nightcap. FSU scored three in the first and never looked back, with the help of insurance runs in each of the last three innings. Mendes pitched a career-long 7.0+ innings and did not allow an earned run with eight strikeouts and no walks. Williams homered twice and had three hits and three RBI. Faurot also hit another home run in the win.
In three games, Florida State outscored Boston College 28-4 and out-hit the visitors 40-13. The Seminoles hit nine home runs with another nine doubles with 12 walks. FSU’s seven pitchers posted a 0.72 ERA with just two earned runs allowed and 35 strikeouts in 25.0 innings.
A recap can be found here: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
For more information on Florida State baseball, check Seminoles.com for the latest news and scheduling information, and keep up with the team on social media through Twitter/X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) & Instagram (@NoleBaseball).
General admission tickets are $2 and available at Seminoles.com/Tickets or by calling the FSU ticket office at 850-644-1830. Admission is free for all FSU students with their I.D., and the student entrance is at the right field gate at Haggard Plaza.
In addition to the GA ticket deal, select concession items are available for just $3.
The game will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra, accessible through your television provider or a subscription to ESPN+. Fans can listen to every game via the Seminole Sports Network on WFLA 100.7 FM and around the world on the FSU Gameday App and Seminoles.com. Fans inside Dick Howser Stadium can listen delay free on the FSU Gameday App presented by MetroNet. Live stats can be found at FSU.Statbroadcast.com. Direct links to watch, listen and follow along can be found on the schedule page at Seminoles.com/Baseball. News, notes and behind-the-scenes updates also are available by following and connecting with the team on social media on Twitter/X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) and Instagram (@NoleBaseball).
Tuesday, March 18 – 6 p.m. ET
Tickets
Watch: ACC Network Extra
Listen: WFLA 100.7 FM | FSU Gameday App | Seminoles.com
Live Stats
FSU r-Fr. LHP Payton Manca (1-0, 2.45 ERA) vs. MU Sr. RHP Jeb Johnson (2-0, 3.77 ERA)
Florida State redshirt freshman left-hander Payton Manca (1-0, 2.45 ERA) will get his second start and make his fourth appearance on Tuesday night. He will face Mercer senior righty Jeb Johnson (2-0, 3.77), who will make his first start and 11th appearance in 2025.
Tuesday’s contest marks the end of a 12-game homestand for the Seminoles, and a string of 17 of the first 19 games at Dick Howser Stadium. FSU is 18-1 to begin the year, and 16-1 at home, with five weekend sweeps and a 3-0 mark to commence ACC play. Florida State went 10-1 in its first 11 games of this homestand.
NOLES BY THE NUMBERS
FSU has scored 170 runs on 231 hits with a .344 batting average, 32 home runs, 94 walks and 29 stolen bases. The pitching staff owns a 2.39 ERA with 44 earned runs allowed in 166.0 innings with 114 hits, 227 strikeouts and 62 walks.
Junior infielder Alex Lodise leads the team with a .456 batting average, 36 hits and eight doubles. Junior infielder Drew Faurot and junior outfielder Max Williams pace the team with seven home runs, and Faurot also has 23 RBI. Junior outfielder Gage Harrelson has seven stolen bases and is second with a .420 average, 34 hits and 21 RBI. On the mound, sophomore left-hander Wes Mendes is 4-0 with a 0.66 ERA in four starts with 43 strikeouts. Redshirt junior lefty Joey Volini also has 43 strikeouts and is 5-0 with a .92 ERA in 29.1 innings. Junior left-hander Jamie Arnold also has a 0.87 ERA with 32 strikeouts and a 3-0 record. Among relievers, sophomore righty Chris Knier has a 0.96 ERA in 9.1 innings and seven appearances with two saves and junior right-hander Maison Martinez has 23 strikeouts and joins Knier with two saves in 15.2 innings.
NATIONALY-RANKED SEMINOLES
The Seminoles are in the top five in every major poll for a second consecutive week, including at No. 5 in the D1Baseball top-25. They are No. 4 in the Baseball America, NCBWA, Coaches and The Athletic rankings and No. 5 according to Perfect Game. College Baseball Central has FSU at No. 3.
SERIES HISTORY VS. MERCER
Florida State is 68-10 all-time against Mercer, with a 57-5 mark in Tallahassee and an 11-5 record in Macon, Georgia. The series began with a 14-12 road win in 1948 before an 8-3 loss in Tallahassee the following season. FSU won 27 in a row from 1992-2021, and the Seminoles are 3-2 since 2022, including a three-game sweep late in the 2023 campaign. The two teams have met at least once every year since 2019.
Last season, Florida State suffered a 13-6 loss at Dick Howser Stadium on April 16. A seven-run fourth inning proved to be the difference. Williams had four hits and an RBI while Connor Hults pitched 1.2 shutout innings with five strikeouts in relief. John Abraham added 1.1 no-hit innings with three punchouts.
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Mercer is 14-7 in 2025, 12-7 at home and 2-0 on the road. The Bears are coming off a series win over Tennessee Tech last weekend, with a 9-1 win on March 14 before a 9-7 loss the following day and a 6-3 victory on Sunday. While MU has won two of its last three, the team entered the weekend having lost three of its last four, including midweek defeats to Alabama State and Kennesaw State on March 11 and 12.
Bradley Frye leads the team with a .409 batting average, 38 hits, 24 RBI, five stolen bases and a team-high-tying six home runs. Ty Dalley also has six homers and shares the team lead with nine doubles. In 11.2 innings pitched in eight relief appearances, Terry Busse has a 0.77 ERA with 15 strikeouts and a .053 opponent batting average.
UP NEXT: ON TO MIAMI
The Seminoles are on the road for their next seven games, beginning with a weekend series at in-state rival Miami from March 20-22 in Coral Gables, Florida. The series begins on Thursday, March 20, at 7 p.m. ET, followed by game two on Friday, March 21, at 8 p.m. Both contests will air nationally on the ACC Network. The series finale from South Florida is on Saturday, March 22, at 7 p.m., on ACCNX.
LAST TIME OUT: ACC-OPENING SWEEP
FSU began ACC play with a sweep of Boston College from March 14-15. Faurot homered twice and Volini had another strong start as the Seminoles won the opener 8-2 on Friday. Lodise and Bailey also hit home runs. In 6.0 innings, Volini gave up one unearned run on four hits with eight strikeouts and two walks.
The teams played a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning with a 14-0 Florida State win. Arnold had a strong return to the mound as the offense scored multiple runs in five of its six innings. Bailey homered again, as did Harrelson, who had four hits and four RBI. Arnold didn’t allow a run in 4.2 innings with eight strikeouts and just one hit allowed.
The Seminoles completed the sweep with a 6-2 win in Saturday’s nightcap. FSU scored three in the first and never looked back, with the help of insurance runs in each of the last three innings. Mendes pitched a career-long 7.0+ innings and did not allow an earned run with eight strikeouts and no walks. Williams homered twice and had three hits and three RBI. Faurot also hit another home run in the win.
In three games, Florida State outscored Boston College 28-4 and out-hit the visitors 40-13. The Seminoles hit nine home runs with another nine doubles with 12 walks. FSU’s seven pitchers posted a 0.72 ERA with just two earned runs allowed and 35 strikeouts in 25.0 innings.
A recap can be found here: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
For more information on Florida State baseball, check Seminoles.com for the latest news and scheduling information, and keep up with the team on social media through Twitter/X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) & Instagram (@NoleBaseball).
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