Softball FSU ends regular season at Syracuse with ACC Championship on the line

[Bob Ferrante]

FSU sports information:

The No. 14 Florida State softball team (40-11, 18-3) will close out its regular season this weekend as they head to Syracuse, N.Y., to take on the Syracuse Orange (26-21, 7-14) on Friday and Saturday at Skytop Softball Stadium. Due to expected inclement weather on Sunday, the two teams will play a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 3 p.m. The series finale will take place on Saturday at 1 p.m. All three games can be seen live on ACCNX.

What's on the Line?

• Winners in 22 out of its last 24 games, FSU has made its way to the top of the ACC standings are in position to win its 15 ACC Regular Season Championship this weekend.
• FSU is one game ahead of Duke in the loss column and will need to sweep the Orange to claim the outright ACC Championship. FSU can also clinch a share of the ACC Regular Season Championship with two wins against the Orange. FSU would lose the tiebreaker to Duke and would be the No. 2 seed in next week's ACC Tournament if they share the regular season championship.
• FSU has dominated the series against the Orange, holding a 29-2 record against Syracuse. FSU has not lost to Syracuse since 2005. FSU has won 23 consecutive games against Syracuse.

Built To Finish

• A Lonni Alameda coached team is always going to finish the season strong and this year seems to be no different.
• FSU will finish 16-1 in April and has outscored its opponents 135-34.
• In the past four seasons. Florida State is 90-12-1 during the months of April and May.

Oh, How the Tables Have Turned

• After losing four out of five games to the likes of Alabama, Duke and Texas, the Seminoles have won 22 out of their last 24 games and are in sole possession of first place in the ACC.
• 12 out of FSU's 22 wins have come via run rule.
• FSU has jumped up to No. 10 in the RPI and have put themselves in great condition to host a regional for the 10th consecutive season.
• FSU has outscored their opponent 213-70 and are averaging 8.87 runs per game in its past 24 games.
• During their eight-game winning streak from Mar. 23-Apr. 3, FSU scored at least eight runs in all eight of those games during the winning streak. That tied the school record for the longest streak of scoring eight or more runs. The last time FSU accomplished the feat was from Mar. 19-31, 2019.
• FSU's pitching has made significant strides over the past 24 games as they hold a 3.11 ERA and have allowed more than five runs just three times in the last 24 games after allowing five or more runs 11 times in the first 27 games.

Limiting the Big Inning

• One key to FSU's recent pitching success has been limiting the big inning.
• In the first 27 games, FSU allowed three or more runs in 17 innings. In the last 24 games, FSU has allowed three more runs in just seven innings.
• FSU has also been limiting their free bases in the last 24 games. FSU is allowing just 2.91 free bases per game which is down from 3.5 free bases per game in their first 27 games.
• FSU has also seen a significant improvement in its team ERA as they have posted a 3.11 ERA in the last 24 games compared to a 4.21 ERA in the first 27 games.

Wait, They're Only Freshmen?!?!?!

• Yes, some of Florida State's best production has come from a freshmen class that was ranked the No. 3 overall class by softball America.
• Jaysoni Beachum (.452) and Isa Torres (.376) hold two out of the top four batting averages on the team.
• Both Beachum and Torres were named Top 25 finalists for the TUCCI/NFCA National Freshman of the Year award last week.
• In the circle, Ashtyn Danley has recorded a team-high 17 starts and 109 innings.
• Mimi Gooden has also been a force for the Noles in the circle as she has pitched 40 innings and made eight starts.
• All five freshman hitters have recorded a hit and a RBI this season with Torres, Beachum and Kennedy Harp all recording 10+ hits.
• The six freshmen have made a combined 135 starts this season.
• 148 out of the team's 481 (31%) hits have come from freshmen.
• 128 out of the team's 372 RBI (35%) have come from freshmen.
• Iowa is the only power five team in the country to have more offensive production come from freshmen.
• 43% of the team's innings pitched have come from freshmen.

Youth in the Circle

• A program that has continuously put together one of the best pitching staffs in the country has faced a new challenge this year....youth.
• 74% of innings thrown this year have been from either freshman or sophomores.
• 43% of the innings pitched have been from true freshmen.
• Freshmen and sophomores have combined to start 34 out of the Seminoles' 51 games this season.

Get Hot, Stay Hot

• The Florida State offense has been one of the best in the country through the first 47 games of the season.
• FSU is averaging 7.98 runs per game which is fourth in the country and leads the ACC. FSU is hitting .347 as a team which ranks sixth in the country.
• FSU has scored 408 runs through 51 games this season which is on pace to break the school record of 459 runs scored by the 2016 team. The 2016 team scored 392 runs through 50 games.
• In 50 games, FSU has scored 8 or more runs in 32 games. In 69 games last season, FSU scored eight or more runs just 22 times.
• FSU has scored 10 or more runs in 17 games so far this season after accomplishing that feat just eight times last season.

Dominance in the ACC

• Florida State has been on top of the ACC for the past decade.
• FSU has won eight out of the last nine ACC Tournament Championships and seven out of the last nine ACC Regular Season Championships.
• Since 2012, FSU has lost just three ACC road series and has not lost an ACC road series since 2019.
• FSU has lost just three ACC series in the last four seasons and have lost just five ACC series since 2012.

Call It What It Is. Jaysoni Beachum is the Best Freshman in the Country

• Jaysoni Beachum has continued to solidify herself as not only one of the best freshmen in the country but as one of the best players in the country.
• Beachum, a native of Tallahassee, leads the team with a .452 batting average, 71 hits, 15 home runs and 59 RBI.
• Her 61 RBI is the most ever by a Florida State freshman as she broke Sydney Sherrill's record of 58 RBI this past Saturday. It also the sixth-most RBI ever by a Florida State player
• Beachum has hit eight home runs in her last 11 games.
• In her last 11 games, Beachum has recorded 22 RBI
• Beachum is just the third true freshman in school history to have 10+ home runs and 50+ RBI joining Jessi Warren and Sydney Sherrill.
• Beachum has recorded a hit in 39 out of the Seminoles' 51 games this season.
• Out of the 51 games this season, Beachum has had two or more hits in 26 games.
• Beachum has the highest batting average in the country among freshmen and has the seventh highest batting average in the country.
• Beachum is on pace to break the freshmen school record for batting average, hits, slugging percentage and on base percentage in a season.
• Beachum has had two multi-home run games this season. Beachum is the first true freshman since Kalei Harding in 2021 to have a multi-home run game.
• Beachum has also locked down the hot corner for the Noles making 50 starts at the positions. Beachum has committed just five errors this season.
• Beachum was the only freshman to be on the USA Softball National Player of the Year Top 26 list. Beachum is the first freshman in program history to be named a finalist for the USA Softball Player of the Year award.
• Beachum was named the ACC Player of the Week on Apr. 23 and became the first FSU true freshman to win the award since Sydney Sherrill in 2018.
• Beachum was named Softball America's Freshman of the Month in February, March and April.

 

[Bob Ferrante]

FSU split the DH on Friday. Seminoles lost game 1 but took game 2 (3-2)

I'll post the story from FSU when it comes in