Last year, the Florida State baseball team took bets on high-upside pitchers who were relatively unproven as starters. That wound up paying off when both USF transfer Joey Volini and Ole Miss transfer Wes Mendes became weekend starters for the Seminoles and held down those roles for the entire 2025 season.
This year, however, FSU started its portal pitcher haul with someone who appears to be more of a proven thing as a starter in FAU transfer left-handed pitcher Trey Beard.
A native of Dunedin, Fla. who ranked as the No. 28 LHP in the 2023 recruiting class, Beard announced on Friday that after two productive seasons with the Owls in which he made 30 weekend starts, he'll be transferring to FSU for his junior season in 2026.
He was a coveted transfer portal prospect after a sensational 2025 season in which he earned a first-team All-AAC honor with a 7-1 record and a 3.14 ERA over 86 innings. He had 118 strikeouts to 32 walks this past season and allowed just five home runs.
Shortly after Beard announced his decision, the Osceola caught up with him to discuss why he chose the Seminoles, what FSU pitching coach Micah Posey sold him on areas he could help him improve and much more.
Q: How did the process of entering the transfer portal start and how did FSU end up in that picture once you made that announcement?
Beard: "I loved FAU. They gave me a chance to throw right away out of high school. I loved the coaches, I loved the players, and I grew a really good relationship with our pitching coach (Jordan) Tabakman. After this year, I got word of him leaving and I guess it just felt like it was time for me to move on as well. I grew up a Florida State fan. My sister, my cousin, a lot of family friends went there. It just felt like home. Especially my talks with (FSU pitching coach Micah) Posey and (head coach Link) Jarrett, it just felt very natural for me to go there. I'm really excited about my decision and I'm really excited to go up there in the fall and get after it.
Q: How familiar were you with FSU pitching coach Micah Posey and the FSU baseball program as a whole before entering the portal?
Beard: I would say pretty familiar. I did my research. I know coach Posey was a left-handed pitcher as well which is pretty cool. The starting rotation this past year with Jamie (Arnold), Wes (Mendes) and Joey (Volini), they were all from my area in high school. They're all from Jesuit High School and I grew up pretty close to them. We played them in high school and I think it's cool seeing what they've done. I've known of them since high school. It's cool seeing what they've done now.
Q: Wes Mendes is the one starter who will definitely be back in the rotation last season. Were you all friends in high school or was he more someone you knew of?
Beard: I just knew of him. He did text me recently, just seeing what's up. That's pretty much all the conversation I've had with him, but I'm excited to get to know him better, have a solid rotation on the weekend. We'll be awesome.
Q: What was it about FSU that led you to choosing the Seminoles over what I have to imagine was heavy interest given your production?
Beard: The environment really brought me in. Seeing all those people come to the games. I know it's really similar with other programs, the big SEC schools, but the left-handed pitching coach, the left-handed starters on the weekend, the success that they've had, I think everything pointed me in that direction.
Q: It seemed like you found something down the stretch of your freshman season in 2024 and you carried that over into a really strong 2025 campaign. How much did being a weekend starter right away at FAU help you and what helped you improve so significantly from year one in college to year two?
Beard: I think (starting right away) helped a lot. It definitely grew me as a player. My maturity level went up I would say really high after my freshman year, pitching in those tough situations and getting out of it, stuff like that. I definitely had a shorter leash my freshman year and this past year, I think it really helped me getting through those tough spots more. I think the best way to get better at what you do is to to do it more, so I think that really helped me my first two years, throwing a lot."
Q: How would you describe yourself as a pitcher in terms of skill-set, pitch mix and what you do well?
Beard: I would say I'm a more silent competitor. I don't really show too much emotion on the mound, but I'm definitely a very competitive person. I would say (my pitch mix) is stereotypical for the crafty lefty. I have a good fastball and I would say my offspeed is pretty good as well. I'm very competitive, I want to get outs.
Q: What did Posey talk about during your recruitment about what he likes about you as a pitcher and areas where he believes he can help you develop?
Beard: He obviously likes my fastball, my changeup. He likes my breaking balls as well. He just said we can definitely clean some of the breaking pitches up and get into my body more. Learning how to use my body better, getting into better spots, he said he can really help me out with that and I'm really excited to get to work with him.
Q: Before arriving at FSU, you're in the Cape Cod League right now and participating in Team USA camp later this summer with your future teammate Myles Bailey. How excited are you for that opportunity?
Beard: It's really exciting. To see the hard work pay off, it's really cool. I think it's going to be an awesome experience to get to play around those types of players. I'm ready to go compete.
This year, however, FSU started its portal pitcher haul with someone who appears to be more of a proven thing as a starter in FAU transfer left-handed pitcher Trey Beard.
A native of Dunedin, Fla. who ranked as the No. 28 LHP in the 2023 recruiting class, Beard announced on Friday that after two productive seasons with the Owls in which he made 30 weekend starts, he'll be transferring to FSU for his junior season in 2026.
He was a coveted transfer portal prospect after a sensational 2025 season in which he earned a first-team All-AAC honor with a 7-1 record and a 3.14 ERA over 86 innings. He had 118 strikeouts to 32 walks this past season and allowed just five home runs.
Shortly after Beard announced his decision, the Osceola caught up with him to discuss why he chose the Seminoles, what FSU pitching coach Micah Posey sold him on areas he could help him improve and much more.
Q: How did the process of entering the transfer portal start and how did FSU end up in that picture once you made that announcement?
Beard: "I loved FAU. They gave me a chance to throw right away out of high school. I loved the coaches, I loved the players, and I grew a really good relationship with our pitching coach (Jordan) Tabakman. After this year, I got word of him leaving and I guess it just felt like it was time for me to move on as well. I grew up a Florida State fan. My sister, my cousin, a lot of family friends went there. It just felt like home. Especially my talks with (FSU pitching coach Micah) Posey and (head coach Link) Jarrett, it just felt very natural for me to go there. I'm really excited about my decision and I'm really excited to go up there in the fall and get after it.
Q: How familiar were you with FSU pitching coach Micah Posey and the FSU baseball program as a whole before entering the portal?
Beard: I would say pretty familiar. I did my research. I know coach Posey was a left-handed pitcher as well which is pretty cool. The starting rotation this past year with Jamie (Arnold), Wes (Mendes) and Joey (Volini), they were all from my area in high school. They're all from Jesuit High School and I grew up pretty close to them. We played them in high school and I think it's cool seeing what they've done. I've known of them since high school. It's cool seeing what they've done now.
Q: Wes Mendes is the one starter who will definitely be back in the rotation last season. Were you all friends in high school or was he more someone you knew of?
Beard: I just knew of him. He did text me recently, just seeing what's up. That's pretty much all the conversation I've had with him, but I'm excited to get to know him better, have a solid rotation on the weekend. We'll be awesome.
Q: What was it about FSU that led you to choosing the Seminoles over what I have to imagine was heavy interest given your production?
Beard: The environment really brought me in. Seeing all those people come to the games. I know it's really similar with other programs, the big SEC schools, but the left-handed pitching coach, the left-handed starters on the weekend, the success that they've had, I think everything pointed me in that direction.
Q: It seemed like you found something down the stretch of your freshman season in 2024 and you carried that over into a really strong 2025 campaign. How much did being a weekend starter right away at FAU help you and what helped you improve so significantly from year one in college to year two?
Beard: I think (starting right away) helped a lot. It definitely grew me as a player. My maturity level went up I would say really high after my freshman year, pitching in those tough situations and getting out of it, stuff like that. I definitely had a shorter leash my freshman year and this past year, I think it really helped me getting through those tough spots more. I think the best way to get better at what you do is to to do it more, so I think that really helped me my first two years, throwing a lot."
Q: How would you describe yourself as a pitcher in terms of skill-set, pitch mix and what you do well?
Beard: I would say I'm a more silent competitor. I don't really show too much emotion on the mound, but I'm definitely a very competitive person. I would say (my pitch mix) is stereotypical for the crafty lefty. I have a good fastball and I would say my offspeed is pretty good as well. I'm very competitive, I want to get outs.
Q: What did Posey talk about during your recruitment about what he likes about you as a pitcher and areas where he believes he can help you develop?
Beard: He obviously likes my fastball, my changeup. He likes my breaking balls as well. He just said we can definitely clean some of the breaking pitches up and get into my body more. Learning how to use my body better, getting into better spots, he said he can really help me out with that and I'm really excited to get to work with him.
Q: Before arriving at FSU, you're in the Cape Cod League right now and participating in Team USA camp later this summer with your future teammate Myles Bailey. How excited are you for that opportunity?
Beard: It's really exciting. To see the hard work pay off, it's really cool. I think it's going to be an awesome experience to get to play around those types of players. I'm ready to go compete.
