Blue Wahoos Stadium Provides 'Really Cool Day' In Historic FSU-Auburn Fall Ball Clash 

The weather was spectacular. The ballpark was jam-packed. The crowd vibe was unique.

Pensacola’s Chris Rembert helped make it even grander for the Auburn Tigers.

Only five months past his high school graduation, the former Pensacola Catholic star had a memorable collegiate debut by collecting three hits, driving home four runs and scoring three runs, as Auburn had a pair of 7-inning wins, 4-1 and 9-5 Saturday, against Florida State in a historic “Fall Ball” event at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

“It’s an awesome feeling. Nothing else I could think of, that would top this day,” said Rembert, who played left field in the first game, second base in the second game and ignited rallies each time.

Another Catholic grad, Carter McCulley, started at third base for FSU in the second game, going 2-for-4 with an RBI in his debut after transferring from Pensacola State College.

“It’s pretty special and I know Florida State had a kid (from Catholic High).. and when you grow to college and the first game you get to play, you’re back in your hometown, that’s special,” said Auburn coach Butch Thompson, in his 10^th year at Auburn.

“Pensacola Catholic… those of in the SEC and ACC, we know how good of a school that is. There is pretty good baseball around here and to have both of these kids come home and play here is special for them and their families.”

Saturday’s twin 7-inning games do not count on either team’s 2025 record. It is a non-consequential addition to a team’s schedule, permitted by the NCAA, allowing schools to stage two dates in the fall against any kind of opponent.

This event, finalized in July, sold out within 12 hours of tickets going on sale August 1. But beyond the seating bowl, people watched en masse from the concourse, the outfield party decks, the right field berm and the third level Hancock Whitney Club.

It was the first time the Seminoles ever played in Blue Wahoos Stadium. It was the first game between two major-colleges since 2020, right before the first onslaught of the coronavirus hit to shut down sports that spring and summer.

This event also marked an important milestone.

It was 20 years ago in October, following the destructive wrath of Hurricane Ivan, when community leaders in Pensacola that included Blue Wahoos owner Quint Studer, gathered to formulate a rebirth of Pensacola to include a bayfront stadium.

The thinking was a stadium would bring thousands of people downtown to enjoy waterfront events and shop and dine at downtown restaurants. That vision was brought into full focus Saturday.

“To open up and provide this hospitality to both teams and for the fans to come out here and spend the time and the money to watch these teams play… it was a full day and it was really something we conjured up and never did I envision it would turn into an event like this,” said FSU coach Link Jarrett, who took the Seminoles on a dramatic turnaround season in 2024, his second year at his alma mater, leading FSU to the final four remaining teams in Omaha at the College World Series.

“It was really neat,” Jarrett said. “And (Blue Wahoos) staff, the grounds crew, the front office staff, the music and everything else that goes into putting on an event like this was first class and I absolutely loved it.”

Prior to the first pitch of the first game, there was a three-hour pregame party on the grass area fronting Blue Wahoos Stadium. It featured music, an LED video board showing ESPN’s College GameDay football show, various food vendors, and games played by families.

Pensacola mayor D.C. Reeves, an FSU graduate, threw out a ceremonial first pitch. Reeves was instrumental in getting the event to happen. He had been in communication with FSU about having the Seminoles play at the Blue Wahoos Stadium.

"This was something that started organically, as to 'What do we have to do to get Florida State here?' It’s been a long time coming, " Reeves said. "I’m always confident when someone comes into Pensacola, whether they meet the mayor or come play a game here that there’s a lot to sell, so my hope is that it’s not just about this one game. I'm as excited for the future as I am (about the Oct. 12 experience)."

As the National Anthem was performed, two fighter jets from Naval Air Station Pensacola, each piloted by an Auburn and FSU graduate, buzzed over the stadium. The pilots then were honored on the field later in the first game.

“I just think there are a lot of winners (Saturday). When I say that, I’m talking about the City of Pensacola is a winner in this deal,” Thompson said. “This is amazing for college baseball here. This is a military town, so having a flyover and having those guys who flew over the stadium then come and stand on this field, that’s a win.

“Seeing how many people (in crowd) stand up who had military service… this is a military town so that’s a winner two.

“Both teams are winners because we both know more about our ballclubs. And the fans, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky here and I think each person who came here was a winner because they got to see pretty good college baseball.”

Both teams went through their entire rosters. FSU used 14 pitchers in the two games; Auburn used 13, beginning with its top pitcher, Cade Fisher, one of four players on the teams (two apiece) projected as potential first-round draft picks in the 2025 Major League Baseball draft.

FSU’s star pitcher junior lefty Jamie Arnold, projected as top five pick, pitched earlier the week in an FSU intrasquad game and did not pitch. Jarrett is careful to monitor his innings and workload knowing his pro future.

A second FSU star pitcher, Cam Leiter, is still recovering from injury.

“Obviously, I wish we would have played better,” said Jarrett said. “But it’s hard to evaluate. Everybody who was available to play in our program today, they played (Saturday).
“So we treated the offensive and defensive lineups just like we would when we scrimmage and everyone was a participant of that. I need to see what this looks like when they are out there against another team and we learned a lot.”

The massive crowd who saw the event watched two teams with as many as 10 players viewed as pro prospects. This attracted 30 scouts from 17 different MLB teams. All five MLB teams from California, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had three scouts, attended the event.

“We both know more about our ballclubs,” said Thompson, whose Auburn program is getting a $60 million renovation of its campus stadium. “Link Jarrett knows more about his ballclub and we do as well.

“And the fans.. there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and I think each person who came here was a winner because they got to see pretty good college baseball.

“I can’t create a practice like this. Link can’t either. This created an atmosphere of what it’s going to be like playing on the weekend in the SEC and ACC. So I just tip my hat to everyone.”

Auburn wasted no time establishing its team Saturday by scoring two runs in the first, then two more in the third inning to open a 4-0 lead. Pensacola’s Rembert scored in the first inning, then drove a run with his double in the third inning. FSU got its only run in the fourth inning.

In the second game, Rembert came to the plate with the bases loaded in the second inning. He sent a pitch deep into the right centerfield gap, clearing the bases as part of a seven-run rally.

“The first at-bat in the game, I was a little nervous, but the second one I calmed down a lot and from there I just calmed down and just relaxed and just played the game,” said Rembert, who played in Blue Wahoos Stadium with Catholic in 2023. “My mindset was to just try and get the runners in and not try and do too much. Just get on top of the ball.”

Said Thompson: “We are fortunate to have him and a few others. We had a lot of freshmen on the mound and in the field. Three we started (in the field) were freshmen and they held up so well. They swung the bat well and I think all three had multiple hits.

“But there is no doubt that Chris was our offensive player of the game. First game he plays left field. Second game he plays second base and he just attacked it.”

One of FSU’s freshman is outfielder Noah Sheffield, son of former MLB great Gary Sheffield. With his father watching from Section 102, the younger Sheffield drove in two runs in the second game and just missed a 3-run homer that could have changed the second game.

“I think (FSU team) will be just fine,” Jarrett said. “I think what stood out to me the most today was how the Blue Wahoos handled this event and the invasion of fans. It was just a beautiful day for everyone.

“Take the execution and field play out of it, this was just a really cool day.”