Dylan Busby, Taylor Walls Lead Talented Seminoles

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Inside the Mike Loynd Tradition Room in Dick Howser Stadium, Florida State celebrates its rich history. There are trophy cases and walls covered with important moments from the program’s past.

A garnet leather couch, situated beneath one particularly intimidating spot in the room, is where junior infielders Dylan Busby and Taylor Walls choose to sit on an early January day. Over their shoulders is a mural listing all of the Seminoles’ College World Series appearances—all 21 of them. The looming shadow of the CWS is inescapable.

As the 2017 season approaches, the CWS is again a focus for the Seminoles. FSU has not been to Omaha since 2012, the third-longest drought of coach Mike Martin’s storied career. Booking a return trip has presented challenges, and Florida State has been denied by rival Florida in super regionals the last two years.

Busby and Walls say this year will be different. FSU returns seven of its nine everyday players along with all three of its starting pitchers from last season. Still, any talk about reaching Omaha begins with Busby and Walls, who were both voted Preseason All-Americans by major league scouting directors.

“Of course everybody in the clubhouse knows there’s expectations for the team,” Walls said. “We know how good we could be. Really, to be honest, I don’t think it has any effect on this team. Just being around the clubhouse, being around the guys, we know the expectations people have for us.

“But I think everyone in the clubhouse has higher expectations for themselves.”

FSU finished 41-22 last season with Busby and Walls playing major roles with breakout sophomore seasons. The Seminoles overcame a late-season slump to finish as runners-up in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament and hosted a regional.

Busby led the Seminoles in slugging and hit .323/.374/.597 with 14 home runs. Listed at 6-foot-3 and a 190 pounds, Busby still cuts a lean figure and said he gained 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason.

Busby spent the summer playing for Hyannis in the Cape Cod League where he hit .322/.425/.567 and was the fourth-ranked prospect. His strong offseason was interrupted, however, by hernia surgery. Busby said he had some discomfort prior to the Cape’s annual workout day at Fenway Park. He ran the 60-yard dash and felt a bulge, but he kept going because of the adrenaline.

Busby said he woke up the next day in pain and from there, played the rest of the Cape season before getting surgery in the fall. He missed FSU’s fall workouts and was not able to hit or throw for three months.

“I’m still working back from it,” Busby said. “But, I took the game for granted a little bit the past three or four years . . . You’ll never take it for granted again after something like that.”

Walls spent the summer playing with USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team, which he called an amazing experience. Team USA travelled to Cuba, Japan and Taiwan for friendship series.

At first glance, it appears Walls made some noticeable changes to his physique. He said he only gained five pounds of muscle but he looks more defined than he did last season when he hit .355/.479/.516 with six home runs was named a first-team All-American.

Leading Men

Martin said Busby and Walls have both grown in several areas. Martin listed leadership as the biggest area of improvement but mentioned others. He said Walls made the Dean’s List in the first semester of 2016 and followed with a 3.47 grade-point average in the second semester.

“It’s exciting for me as a coach to see these representatives of this great university for what they truly are,” Martin said, “and that’s leaders who will influence the young guys on our club.”

Busby and Walls, who are housemates, said they understand how important this year can be for the program. They also understand what’s at stake in terms of the draft.

Neither player was drafted out of high school. For Busby—whose father Wayne played six seasons in the minor leagues, getting up to Double-A—it is a motivator. Walls, who played high school ball in a small town in southern Georgia, said it’s surreal to think about how much his life has changed over the last three years.

As two of the better college hitters in a draft light on elite college position players, Busby and Walls both now project to be selected in the top three rounds. Scouts still have questions about both, particularly where they fit best defensively. Walls mostly played second base with Team USA, and many scouts believe he profiles better there.
Busby was FSU’s everyday third baseman as a freshman before moving across the diamond to first last spring. He returned to the hot corner over the summer and will likely share time with freshman Drew Mendoza at the infield corners this spring. Scouts are mixed about Busby’s future position, and some believe he fits best in the outfield thanks to his above-average speed.

With scouts closely watching and evaluating them as potential top picks, Busby and Walls will have more pressure to deal with this spring. Martin is curious to see how they will handle it.

“The thing I look for in players that are getting the attention that those two particular young men are getting is: Are they going to handle it as well as James Ramsey? Or Buster Posey? Or D.J. Stewart?” Martin said. “Those guys did not fall in love with themselves. Those guys kept Florida State at No. 1 and the team above them. That’s what I want to see out of those two young men and certainly in every one of our young men who are draft eligible.”

Martin may not have to worry. Ask Busby and Walls about last season’s super regional loss to Florida and it’s easy to tell they understand what is at stake. FSU opened the best-of-three series in Gainesville with a 3-0 upset, only to be shut out for the next two games, leaving the Seminoles to watch as the Gators celebrated another trip to the CWS.

“I’m not saying people thought that way, but it was easy after the first game to start thinking ‘We’re one game away,’ instead of thinking, ‘We need to focus on Game Two or focus on Game Three,’” Walls said. “I feel like that happening was better for us and is going to help this team come to realize, it’s not over until it’s over and to take one game at a time.”

— Ryan S. Clark writes for Warchant.com.