Report: Florida State opening day starter enters the transfer portal
Florida State baseball lost its 12th player to the NCAA Transfer portal Wednesday in pitcher Carson Montgomery, according to D1Baseball.
Montgomery flashed potential at FSU but finished his career with a 5.20 ERA across 127 innings with 143 strikeouts and 83 walks.
TRANSFER NEWS: @FSUBaseball RHP Carson Montgomery has entered the Transfer Portal, @d1baseball has learned. Montgomery was an ultra-talented arm out of HS, but has scuffled during his #Seminoles career thus far. He's draft eligible. https://t.co/eTepH8FGTd
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) July 5, 2023
Montgomery, out of Windermere High, was the highest-graded MLB prospect not to sign to play professional baseball in the 2020 MLB draft, according to MLB.com. The right-hander was also the highest highest-ranked pitcher to make it to campus for FSU.
In his third year with the team in 2022 under first-year coach Link Jarrett, Montgomery opened the season as the Friday starter and got the nod on opening day. He was demoted to the bullpen following a rough start to the season. He posted a 7.00 ERA over 45 innings with 42 strikeouts and 39 walks.
Montgomery posted a 4-1 record with a 5.00 ERA while striking out 62 and walking 23 in 54 innings last season.
Montgomery, 20, is draft-eligible heading into next week's MLB Draft. He could sign with a team if he is drafted and choose to forgo his final year of eligibility.
More: Kassim: Why early end to Florida State baseball season could be a blessing in disguise
What it means
Though Montgomery's transfer is coming later in the summer, it is not a surprising one. A change of scenery could be a key for him to reach his full potential.
He is the fourth right-handed pitcher to enter the portal for FSU and the fifth overall. But he's the first one that played a major role for the Seminoles last season. Brandon Walker, who signed with FSU out of North Florida Christian in the fall of 2018 and was used sparingly out of the bullpen, also recently entered the transfer portal.
Jarrett has been active in the portal with nine transfer additions so far.
UCF's Cameron Leiter and Jacob Marlowe, as well as Florida's Yoel Tejada, UNCW's Ethan Chenault and West Virginia's Noah Short, could be key figures in the pitching staff next season.
Jackson Baumeister and Wyatt Crowell could both return next season, as well, depending on if they are picked in the upcoming draft.
Either way, an improved pitching staff will be a key component of if the Seminoles can bounce back from the worst season in program history. They went 23-31 this season in Jarrett's first year at the helm, missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1977.
Former Alabama catcher and Chiles High star Jaxson West announced his decision to transfer to FSU on social media last Thursday. Older brother Gage West, also a catcher, signed and played at FSU out of Lincoln High School.
FSU 2023 baseball transfer tracker
Transfers in:
Noah Short, RHP (West Virginia)
Jaxson West, C (Alabama)
Transfers out:
David Hickson, RHP
Drake Flowers, RHP
Carson Montgomery, RHP
Brandon Walker, RHP
Brett Barfield, LHP
Santiago Ordonez, C
Cade Bush, INF
Connor Moore, INF
Gunnett Carlson, OF
Jordan Taylor, OF
Treyton Rank, OF
Jason Avila, OF
Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU baseball: RHP Carson Montgomery enters the NCAA Transfer Portal
