Even though the season is still ongoing, the Florida State baseball team has already landed its first transfer portal addition of the offseason.
Jacksonville transfer pitcher Evan Chrest announced on his Instagram account Wednesday morning that he has committed to the Seminoles.
The sophomore righty from Tampa Wharton High just finished his sophomore season with the Dolphins. Over two seasons at JU, he made 30 appearances (all starts) and posted a 4.46 ERA over 159.1 innings with 172 strikeouts to 61 walks.
"I kind of just felt like it was time. That was mainly what it was," Chrest told the Osceola of his decision to transfer. "The coaching staff over there was great and I've got nothing bad to say about them. But I felt like it was time for me to move on."
Chrest had a 5.06 ERA this season over 68.2 innings, but showed good command with 74 strikeouts and just 25 walks.
However, he's just a year removed from being a freshman All-American in 2023, posting a 2.68 ERA in 90.2 innings. He set a JU freshman program record with 98 strikeouts, went 8-2 and was also named the Atlantic Sun's freshman of the year.
Chrest says FSU's staff was the first to contact him after he entered the transfer portal on June 3.
"They were the first people to reach out and they were like, 'Evan, we want you. We want you to pitch a lot for us and we're really dedicated to getting you here,'" Chrest said. "They were very proactive."
While he didn't have a prior relationship with FSU pitching coach Micah Posey or anyone on the staff, seeing how the Seminoles improved this season made it so he didn't need that much convincing.
"Having played FSU three times each season for the past two seasons, I could see how greatly some guys that we played against my freshman year just elevated their game for their sophomore year," Chrest said. "Jamie (Arnold), for example, he completely changed and got way better. I've played against him in high school and he completely elevated his game. That's kind of what I foresee in myself. I've heard nothing but good things about Coach Posey and that's what drove my decision."
As for what Posey sold to him to help convince him to head two hours east and join the Seminoles?
"I throw a fastball, slider, changeup, mix in a little cutter and sinker. He believes in all of them," Chrest said. "I'm a big slider guy, changeup is really effective. He's talked to me and said, 'These pitches are great and I want you to come here and we're going to make them even better. We're going to make everything even better.'"
As a weekend starter in each of his two seasons with the Dolphins, Chrest never got the opportunity to pitch against the Seminoles. But he's already looking forward to his first time pitching in front of a Dick Howser Stadium crowd as a Seminole.
"I'm ecstatic. I've heard that 'K Time' chant so many times and it's gonna be a relief to finally have it for me," Chrest said.
Coming out of high school, Chrest was a 17th round draft pick by the Miami Marlins in 2022. D1Baseball ranked him as the No. 15 prospect for the 2025 MLB Draft entering the 2024 season, just a few spots behind FSU starting pitcher Cam Leiter at No. 8 and ahead of Jamie Arnold at No. 64.
With Leiter, Arnold and Chrest all projected to be juniors next season, FSU will have a case for the best rotation in college baseball if that's how things shake out. However, there may even be a few more arms in the starting conversation that will only further deepen the depth of the 2025 FSU pitching staff.
Chrest is heading north on Thursday to go pitch in the Cape Cod League this summer for the Chatham Anglers. That means he won't be able to experience this weekend's Super Regional in person as a fan. But he'll be cheering from afar as FSU takes on UConn and tries to make the College World Series for the first time since 2019 before he joins the team in the fall.
"I'm a fan through and through," Chrest said. "I've watched every game that they have played this entire postseason and I'm just excited to hop on and get ready for next season."
FSU sees a few reserves enter the portal
A number of FSU baseball reserves have entered the transfer portal, including Justin Best, Riley Jackson, Titan Kamaka, Spencer Butt, Matty Davis, James Hankerson Jr. and Jaden Stockton.
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