FSU Baseball Survives Bethune-Cookman in Regional Opener

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Mike McGee registered the game-winning hit in the eighth inning and the first-seeded Florida State baseball team defeated fourth-seeded Bethune-Cookman Friday night in the second game of the 2011 NCAA Tallahassee Regional.

FSU (43-17) has now won 11 consecutive NCAA Regional games and moves to the winner's bracket where it will face third-seeded Alabama (34-26) Saturday at 6 p.m. The Wildcats (36-24) take on UCF (38-22) Saturday noon in an elimination contest. McGee's RBI single to right field unlocked a 5-5 tie as his timely hit scored Taiwan Easterling for the go-ahead run.

Brian Busch (6-2) earned the win for the Seminoles while Daniel Bennett moved into a tie for second place in FSU history for saves in a season with 15. Busch wound up pitching 2 1/3 innings in relief and gave up no hits or runs and struck out four.

Starter Scott Garner took the loss for B-CU, going five innings and allowing 10 hits five earned runs before being replaced by Roman Lancara in the bottom of the sixth. Seminoles starter Hunter Scantling lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and three earned runs while striking out a career-high-tying seven batters.

B-CU smashes 4 homers, but FSU sneaks past

TALLAHASSSEE, FL -- Four home runs weren't enough to lift Bethune-Cookman over host Florida State in the Wildcats' opening game of the NCAA tournament, as they fell 6-5. The four homers were the most FSU has given up all year. But for the Wildcats, the effort was just another close call against a national seed in a first-round regional game.

"I don't like being the first one here," B-CU head coach Mervyl Melendez said during his postgame press conference (the winning team goes second at NCAA events). "I would have much rather followed Florida State, but I thought our guys fought hard."

First baseman Ryan Durrence led the way for B-CU going 3-for-4 with two home runs, including a solo shot to tie the game at 5-all in top of the sixth inning. Center fielder Mike McGee delivered the game-winning hit for FSU in the top of the eighth on an RBI-single to center field to put the Seminoles ahead 6-5. Closer Daniel Bennett pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close it out for his 15th save of the year.

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14th Seed North Carolina A&T to face Florida State

Excerpts:

N.C. A&T celebrated its first bid to the tournament since 1994 and the highest seed ever for a MEAC team after winning the conference tournament Saturday. The Aggies (26-6) are seeded 14th in the Trenton Regional and will face third-seeded Florida State (25-7) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Duluth, Ga. The game will be televised on ESPN2 at 2 p.m.

"A fourteenth seed just shows the kind of respect these young ladies have earned over the last two seasons," A&T coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs said after watching the selection show with her team and fans Monday night at the student union. "We are excited, but we are not just happy to be there. We're going to come ready to play."

For the Seminoles (25-7, 12-2 ACC), it was exactly what they wanted: A neutral setting close to home. The No. 3 seed was just an added touch of sweetness. "We started getting a little restless," FSU forward Jacinta Monroe said. "I guess we thought they forgot to put our names up there. The seed and the region we're in, there are going to be tough teams, but it's definitely a region we can take."

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Former FAMU Willie Johnson named assistant coach at Radford University

Excerpt:

Johnson joins the Radford University staff after two years as a graduate assistant/jumps coach for the Marshall University women's team, where he guided two All-Conference USA performers and three school record holders. In May, Johnson earned his Master's Degree in athletic administration from Marshall.

The Orlando, Florida native excelled as a collegiate triple jumper at both Florida A&M University and Florida State University. As a Seminole, Johnson was a two-time NCAA All-American (2003-04), and earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference accolades three times in the outdoor triple jump (2003-05) and once in the indoor triple jump (2004).

At FAMU, he was an All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference honoree in the indoor and outdoor triple jump (2002). Johnson earned a B.S. in physical education at FSU in 2005.

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This football fan wants to see FSU play FAMU

It was just a rumor. Just some sportswriter's idea of an interesting possibility.

But it's time for Florida A&M to play football against Florida State for the first time. That idea was floated in a downstate newspaper last week, as FSU finalized a 2008 home schedule that includes Division I-AA teams Western Carolina and Tennessee-Chattanooga. FSU quickly vetoed the idea, as it has for generations.

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A FAMU vs. FSU football game is long overdue.

This is about athletic business, not social justice or politics. Save that debate for those that care about such things as ancient history, race relations in Florida from Slavery to 1991 or for studies on how to carry useless baggage for two decades.

This topic is about athletic business at the Florida A&M University.

This game will only happen if the financial field is leveled--financially for Florida A&M University's athletic department.

It will take more than bring your money, bring your people, bring your famous Marching 100 Band, buy our concessions, pay us parking for your vehicle, and here is a check for one-fourth of your current market value--$250,000.

This game is an economic engine for Leon County, Tallahassee and surrounding communities. Florida State University stands to gain $3.5 million or more from such a historic game.

The Jacksonville Business Journal reported that the economic impact of a Florida State football game alone on Northeast Florida was more than $17.6 million. That evolves out of $7.4 million in "direct spending" for 17,000 room nights in hotels in that four-county area for thousands of the 85,000 people who attended the game at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

The Walt Disney World Florida Classic brings to the City of Orlando an estimated $9.7 million dollars in direct sales and $15.9 million dollars in economic impact, via jobs impacted and jobs created.

The Florida Classic is played annually between Football Championship Subdivision (1-AA) MEAC foes Florida A&M University and Bethune-Cookman University. EACH program earns $1.3 Million for the game played in Orlando, Florida's Citrus Bowl Stadium.

In the past five years, Florida Classic attendance has ranged from 65,000 to a maximum of 73,358 (stadium-record) for this rivalry.

Doak S. Campbell Stadium on the campus of Florida State University has a maximum seating capacity of 84,336 (2003 record with Miami). Florida A&M University Bragg Memorial Stadium has a maximum capacity of 30,000.

The current going rate for Football Bowl Championship vs. Football Championship Subdivision games are in the CY 2008 range of $275,000 to $400,000, based on the appeal of the opponent.

The FAMU brand is at the top of the classic charts in football attendance and Kentucky, Rutgers, South Carolina, Clemson, Air Force, Central Florida, Florida, Miami, South Florida have paid the MEAC teams greater than $250,000 for a home contest.

So, why should FAMU accept a pay day with FSU that is less than what it can earn hosting a Division II, like Virginia Union University in Bragg Memorial Stadium or playing at other FBS schools?

Florida A&M University is not Western Carolina or UT-Chattanooga that are just happy to be playing before a crowd greater than their home stadium capacity of 12,000 and 20,668, respectively. These programs averaged less than 6,765 fans per home contest in 2007 and neither school have a Band that could increase game attendance like the FAMU Marching 100.

Remember, the only reason this game should be played is for the economic impact to FAMU, FSU and the Tallahassee region and North Florida.

Unless the Seminoles are talking about a payday in the range of $750,000 to $1 million, the chatter you are hearing on this subject is only noise.

This game will continue to be long overdue until a reasonable financial package is placed on the Florida A&M University negotiations table.

Nothing else should matter in the business of Florida A&M University athletics other than show us the guarantee and contract.

-beepbeep

FSU, FAMU football teams might play this season

The university campuses have grown to the point where Florida State and Florida A&M are nearly connected. But it's always seemed like a continental divide on the idea the two schools pair for a football game in Tallahassee.

That may change.

Immediately.

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We can agree with T.K. Wetherell on one point--a FAMU vs. FSU football game is long overdue!

FAMU has played Miami, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, South Florida and Florida in the past decade. Central Florida and FSU should be next in the Joe Taylor era at FAMU.

South Carolina State University will open the 2008 season at Central Florida. FSU will host a horrible Western Carolina program with a new head coach and staff on September 6, 2008. So, why should FAMU turn down a good $500,000 PLUS payday for what amounts to a road game in Tallahassee with a weaken FSU team?

If FAMU expects to become a national force under Joe Taylor, the Rattlers need to play two games with FBS teams each season to grow the program, expand the athletic budget and improve FAMU and the MEAC strength of schedule. Let us not forget Florida A&M is a Division I program with high aspirations for winning another FCS national championship.

You cannot get better by playing a schedule that is full of MEAC weaklings that will not prepare the Rattlers to compete with Delaware, Appalachian State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Richmond or Eastern Washington in the football championship subdivision playoffs.

Some folks have quickly forgotten the Rattlers 2004 season where FAMU played Illinois, Virginia Tech, Tulane, Temple, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Nicholls State, Tennessee State, Virginia Union, Bethune Cookman, and Savannah State. This schedule was deemed the toughest in 1-AA history.

By comparison, FSU is no more difficult to play than Illinois or Tulane.

So go play the game, collect the fat pay check, invest it wisely in the Rattler program and use the game as a recruitment tool to get better student-athletes that want to play for FAMU against the Florida BCS schools.

FSU President T.K. Wetherell has the right ideal. It's just a football game that has a tremendous upside for earning more than $3 million for a sellout home game. For some, just seeing the FAMU Marching 100 blow away the FSU Marching Chiefs is worth the price of admission.

This game is long overdue--let's make it happen in 2008 or 2009.

It would be devastating for FAMU's Florida recruiting if South Carolina State, Norfolk State or Delaware State came to Tallahassee to play the Seminoles in a money game. SCSU has already made inroads in Florida with their game at UCF this season and it will be interesting to see how this translates in Florida recruiting.

SCSU once recruited a future Pro Football Hall of Famer from FAMU in David "Deacon" Jones, "the Secretary of Defense" from Hungerford High School, Eatonville, Florida back in the 1960's. Jones is considered to be one of the greatest defensive ends of all time. The Bulldogs appears to be returning to Florida to re-establish themselves for more bluechips like Jones?

Rattler Nation need to wake up before its too late.

-beepbeep