Saturday Seminole Summary: Noles Finish Seventh in Director’s Cup, Six to be Inducted Into FSU HOF

The athletic year ended for Florida State more than a week ago, but what a year it was.

Florida State finishes seventh in the Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup, which recognizes college athletics across the board. It is the second year in a row that the Seminoles will finish in the top 10.

They were tops among ACC programs. Stanford took home the Directors Cup for the 25th year in a row.

In addition to reaching the College World Series in baseball and the Sweet 16 in men’s basketball, FSU claimed conference championships in men’s indoor track and field, women’s outdoor track and field, beach volleyball, soccer and softball. For FSU men’s golf, sophomore John Pak claimed the individual ACC championship.

After defeating the top three seeds in the ACC Tournament, FSU soccer would go on to win the program’s second national championship in five years. The year also saw FSU set new school records for ACC wins in men’s basketball and women’s tennis.

Recently-retired FSU head baseball coach Mike Martin headlines Florida State’s 2019 Hall of Fame class. (Haylee Blitch/FSU athletics)

For all the success of the past year, Florida State also recognized individuals who excelled in years past as the athletic department announced six new Hall of Fame inductees that are part of this year’s class. The six are Mike Martin, Mickey Dillard, Susan Kuijken, Dick Nichols, Rick Stockstill and Caroline Westrup. They’ll be inducted on Sept. 6.

Martin, a former player, FSU baseball assistant and head coach, headlines the class. In 40 years as head baseball coach, Martin won more games than any head coach in any sport with 2,029 career victories while never winning fewer than 40 games in any season. Martin led FSU to the College World Series 17 times and won 19 conference titles.

Dillard played basketball at Florida State from 1976-81 and averaged better than 15 points per game for his career while shooting 52 percent from the field. Dillard’s best season came as a junior during the 1979-80 season when he averaged 20.5 points per contest.

Kuijken was a long distance runner from 2006-09 who was a 4-time cross country All-American and a 5-time All-American in track and field. Kuijken was a national champion in the outdoor 3,000 meters in 2008 and in the indoor 1,500 meters in 2009.

Nichols was an infielder for the Seminoles on the baseball diamond from 1968-70 and finished his career as a .338 hitter. At just 5-foot-6 and 170 pounds, Nichols relied on his speed and as a senior in 1970, stole 38 bases and scored 64 runs en route to being named a first-team All-American by The Sporting News.

Stockstill, now the head coach at Middle Tennessee State, played quarterback for FSU football from 1977-81. Stockstill passed for 2,834 career yards and led the Seminoles to 10 wins in 1980, which included a monumental upset at No. 3 Nebraska.

Westrup, a women’s golfer, is the only 4-time All-American in program history and was All-ACC each season. She won five individual tournaments during her time as a Seminole.

Football

Weekly Commitments: Carter Boatwright, 3-star TE (No. 1,244 overall)*; Alex Atcavage, 3-star T (No. 2,310)*
2020 Recruiting Class Ranking: No. 14 nationally, third in ACC* (14 total commitments)*

Men’s Basketball

Weekly Commitments: None
2020 Recruiting Class Ranking: No. 19 nationally, fifth in ACC (1 total commitment)*

Baseball

Record: 42-23
Ranking: No. 7 Baseball America; No. 8 D1Baseball; No. 6 Collegiate Baseball; No. 6 NCBWA

Other News

FSU baseball third baseman Drew Mendoza will sign with the Washington Nationals.

FSU women’s hoops guard Izabela Nicoletti will miss the 2019-20 season with a knee injury.

FSU softball utility player Makinzy Herzog will transfer to Texas A&M.

FSU women’s golf All-American Frida Kinhult began play as a member of Team Europe in the Vagliano Trophy Championship on Friday.

The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America named the Florida State men’s and women’s swimming and diving squads to its Scholar All-America team for the Spring 2019 semester.

Golfweek named FSU women’s golfer Frida Kinhult a first-team All-American and fellow freshman Beatrice Wallin an honorable mention All-American.

FSU’s Mike Martin was named National Coach of the Year by Baseball America in his final season.

*247Sports Composite rankings

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson. Like The Daily Nole on Facebook. To pitch an idea, author a post or to learn more about The Daily Nole, email Mike Ferguson at Mike@TheDailyNole.com.