The Florida State Seminoles baseball team, ranked No. 16 nationally, will play its first road game of the 2026 season against Jacksonville University on Tuesday, February 17. The matchup at John Sessions Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.
Both teams enter the game unbeaten after their opening weekend series. The contest will be streamed live on ESPN+. Fans can also listen via the Seminole Sports Network on 96.5 FM The Spear or follow along through the Seminoles Unconquered App and official websites.
Redshirt sophomore Payton Manca will start for Florida State, while graduate student Ben Baker-Livingston will take the mound for Jacksonville. Both pitchers are making their season debuts.
The series between Florida State and Jacksonville is one of the most frequently played in program history, dating back to 1964. The teams have faced off every year since 1993 except for the shortened 2020 season. Florida State holds a significant advantage with a record of 138-42 against Jacksonville and has won seven straight games and ten of the last eleven meetings.
FSU opened its season with two home wins over James Madison, improving head coach Link Jarrett’s record to 10-0 in opening series since joining the Seminoles. Jacksonville began its year with a four-game sweep of Rhode Island.
Statistically, Florida State is batting .379 as a team, with four home runs and a pitching staff ERA of 3.38 over 16 innings. Sophomore infielder Noah Sheffield has started strong with four hits in as many at-bats and four runs scored; Cal Fisher leads with five RBI, while Brody DeLamielleure has hit two home runs.
Florida State appears in every major preseason poll, ranking No. 16 by D1Baseball, No. 9 by Perfect Game, and No. 12 by Baseball America.
Last season’s three meetings saw FSU win all games: a 9-6 victory in Jacksonville highlighted by DeLamielleure’s first career home run; an 11-10 comeback win at home; and a final game mercy rule win at Howser Stadium where Jacob Marlowe earned his first FSU start and win.
Jacksonville enters Tuesday’s game after scoring heavily in its opening series against Rhode Island, posting wins of 16-3, 11-6, 4-3, and 15-1 across four games. Roger Vergara currently leads JU with a .667 batting average while Derek Bermudez has tallied thirteen RBI so far this season.
Florida State next travels to Arlington, Texas for the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field from February 20–22 before returning home to face North Florida on February 25.
“Every game in 2026 also is available around the world on the Seminoles Unconquered App and Seminoles.com,” according to information provided by Florida State Athletics.
