Raiders Set to Host No. 25 State College of Florida in FCSAA First-Round Series
Posted: Apr 29, 2025

Raiders Set to Host No. 25 State College of Florida in FCSAA First-Round Series

FCSAA Championship Site | Printable Bracket

 

NICEVILLE, Fla. — For the third straight season, Northwest Florida Baseball is postseason bound—and once again, Raider fans won't have to travel far to catch the action.
The Raiders have earned the right to host a First-Round best-of-three series in the FCSAA Baseball Championship, welcoming No. 25 State College of Florida-Manatee Sarasota to the Northwest Florida State Baseball Complex.

Northwest Florida closed out the regular season with a 32-15 overall record and a 14-10 mark in Panhandle Conference play—securing second place in the league and locking up a top-four seed in the FCSAA State Tournament. The Raiders have now recorded 30 or more wins in six consecutive seasons, excluding the shortened 2020 campaign.

Currently ranked No. 18 in the NJCAA national poll, the Raiders will look to advance to the Championship Round in Port Charlotte for the third consecutive year, and aim to repeat as FCSAA/NJCAA Region VIII Champions. Northwest Florida has won its playoff regional in each of the past two seasons—both times defeating Polk State College.

In 2024, the Raiders captured their second-ever FCSAA State Championship—snapping a near-decade-long drought—by defeating Chipola in the title game and advancing to the JUCO World Series. The historic postseason run culminated in a trip to the NJCAA National Championship Game, where the Raiders finished as national runners-up following a 12-5 loss to Blinn College.

This year, the road back to Grand Junction begins against the 25th-ranked Manatees, the No. 5 seed in the tournament. The teams are no strangers—Northwest Florida and SCF-Manatee squared off twice to open the 2025 season during the SCF Legends Classic in Sarasota. The Raiders won both early matchups by razor-thin margins, 4-3 and 9-8.

If those games were any indication, fans can expect a thrilling series this weekend in Niceville.

Schedule – FCSAA First-Round Regional (Best-of-Three Series)
Northwest Florida State Baseball Complex

  • Game 1: Friday, May 2 | 4:00 p.m.
  • Game 2: Saturday, May 3 | 1:00 p.m.
  • Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, May 4 | 1:00 p.m.
  • Monday, May 5 will serve as a makeup day in case of weather disruptions.

Raider Club members who attend Game One will receive free pizza at the concession stand, while those attending Game Two can enjoy complimentary popcorn. Members will need to provide their Raider Club Pass to receive free admission and free pizza/popcorn.

 

In addition to the Niceville Regional, three other first-round sites will host action across the state:

  • Fort Myers Regional: Citrus Conference Champion Florida SouthWestern will take on the winner of a play-in matchup between Pensacola State and Eastern Florida.
  • Panama City Regional: Panhandle Champion Gulf Coast State hosts No. 7 seed Miami Dade.
  • Fort Pierce Regional: No. 11 Indian River welcomes College of Central Florida.

The winners of each regional will advance to the Championship Round of the FCSAA State Tournament in Port Charlotte, Florida. There, they'll compete in a double-elimination format for the Region VIII title—and a coveted berth in the NJCAA JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.