Link Jarrett revealed the simple message for his Seminoles after their ACC Championship collapse

Florida State held onto a top 10 seed and is set to host an NCAA Regional in Tallahassee for the third-straight year staring on Friday afternoon with a matchup against St. John’s at Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium. However, a ninth-inning quarterfinal collapse against 14th-seeded Pitt in the ACC Championship robbed the Seminoles of a guaranteed opportunity to host a Super Regional as a top-eight seed, should they advance that far. 

The three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning that gave the Panthers an 8-6 win also made them the lowest-seeded team in the ACC Championship to reach the semifinal. It was a brutal way for an FSU team that has battled injuries and a gauntlet of a schedule all season to bow out of the conference championship in Charlotte, and a sour note heading into the NCAA Tournament. 

So, the question is, how do you flush that and prepare to host St. John’s on Friday? Head coach Link Jarrett shed some light on his philosophy in an appearance with the ACC Network on Wednesday night. 

“You have to shake that off,” Jarrett said, “we’ve been through games like that before. Each game has impact. Clearly, the lesson learned is to sit there from Monday afternoon to Friday, and you get whipped, on Friday, you turn around  and come home, that’s an in-your-face lesson.” 

Jarrett continued, “They’ll be fine. We’ve dealt with ups and downs with a very difficult schedule. I think the strength of our schedule provided that confrontation day-in, day-out, on Tuesdays and every weekend to galvanize the team. And understand that if you don’t walk out of that locker room and into the dugout and onto the field without your A game, you’re going to get beat.” 

FSU leaning on experience from difficult schedule to handle postseason pressure

By RPI, Florida State’s 2026 schedule ranked fifth-toughest in the country. Though the Seminoles went 7-11 in their 18 Quad 1 opportunities, their 12 Quad 2 victories were the fourth-most in the country. By RPI, FSU is eighth in the country; however, the Noles, as the No. 10 seed, will head to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, if the seeds hold and the seventh-seeded Crimson Tide advance out of their regional. 

FSU has faced adversity all season, as Jarrett was quick to point out on ACCPM, dating back to Myles Bailey’s season-ending injury back in March, which robbed their Noles of one of their best hitters. A tough schedule is just another element of that adversity, and Jarrett sounds like a coach who believes his team isn’t going to allow a moment like the ninth inning in Charlotte last Friday to define their season. 

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