Some quotes from our interview with coach Alameda and notes from FSU sports information:
The No. 6 Florida State softball team (20-3) will face its first true road test of the season with a three-game series at No. 3 Oklahoma State (18-1) at Cowgirl Stadium in Stillwater, Okla. The two teams will play at 7 p.m. ET on Friday night and at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Fans can watch the games with a paid subscription to ESPN+.
The Seminoles are currently on an 11-game winning streak, outscoring their opponents 80-15. The Seminoles are coming off a 5-0 mark at the Dugout Club Classic last weekend, winning four out of the five games via run rule. On Sunday, Mack Leonard, Allison Royalty, Madi Balk and Kathryn Sandercock combined to throw the program's 115th no-hitter and the 32nd no-hitter under coach Lonni Alameda.
"We’ve definitely talked about last week being a regional and this week being a Super Regional," Alameda said. "Just to get that midseason feel of what that’s like and then of course rolling into ACCs with Syracuse coming here after spring break. I think it gives us a chance to really talk about how you manage a Super Regional and what it takes to win a Super Regional."
This will be just the fourth time that the two teams have met in Stillwater. The Seminoles traveled to Stillwater for two games in 1987 and returned to Stillwater in 1990. Last season, the two teams squared off twice in Tallahassee where the Seminoles prevailed in two victories (2-1, 2-1). The Seminoles have four out of the last five meetings against the Cowgirls including a win at the 2021 Women's College World Series that ended the Cowgirls' season.
The Cowgirls will be the Seminoles’ third top 5 opponent that they have faced this season. The Noles have already faced No. 4 Arkansas and No. 2 UCLA at the Clearwater Invitational. The Noles defeated Arkansas 9-6 but fell to UCLA 4-6. FSU leads the country in doubles with 53, five more than the team in second.
In the preseason, Alameda said the team was scrappy and gritty. I asked her what she thought now after 23 games.
"I would say scrappy still definitely a part of us," Alameda said. "The gritty we’re definitely still working on. Gritty is when you get 50, 60 games in, now you know your tools and the things that you can add to your toolbox on the field. To me the scrappy side goes into a lot of the base running and just the want for extra 60 feet and how you do that. And a little bit more of some dugout-intent moments. You see the energy with an eight-pitch at-bat that may not be a hit. Maybe a strikeout or pop up or move your runner. And there’s a little bit more energy and intent there that raises up the whole team and knowing that your at-bat may lead to something later in the ball game. That grittiness there and that scrappiness there on that side has really helped us to the record that we have right now. But will really help us where we want to go this weekend."
The No. 6 Florida State softball team (20-3) will face its first true road test of the season with a three-game series at No. 3 Oklahoma State (18-1) at Cowgirl Stadium in Stillwater, Okla. The two teams will play at 7 p.m. ET on Friday night and at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Fans can watch the games with a paid subscription to ESPN+.
The Seminoles are currently on an 11-game winning streak, outscoring their opponents 80-15. The Seminoles are coming off a 5-0 mark at the Dugout Club Classic last weekend, winning four out of the five games via run rule. On Sunday, Mack Leonard, Allison Royalty, Madi Balk and Kathryn Sandercock combined to throw the program's 115th no-hitter and the 32nd no-hitter under coach Lonni Alameda.
"We’ve definitely talked about last week being a regional and this week being a Super Regional," Alameda said. "Just to get that midseason feel of what that’s like and then of course rolling into ACCs with Syracuse coming here after spring break. I think it gives us a chance to really talk about how you manage a Super Regional and what it takes to win a Super Regional."
This will be just the fourth time that the two teams have met in Stillwater. The Seminoles traveled to Stillwater for two games in 1987 and returned to Stillwater in 1990. Last season, the two teams squared off twice in Tallahassee where the Seminoles prevailed in two victories (2-1, 2-1). The Seminoles have four out of the last five meetings against the Cowgirls including a win at the 2021 Women's College World Series that ended the Cowgirls' season.
The Cowgirls will be the Seminoles’ third top 5 opponent that they have faced this season. The Noles have already faced No. 4 Arkansas and No. 2 UCLA at the Clearwater Invitational. The Noles defeated Arkansas 9-6 but fell to UCLA 4-6. FSU leads the country in doubles with 53, five more than the team in second.
In the preseason, Alameda said the team was scrappy and gritty. I asked her what she thought now after 23 games.
"I would say scrappy still definitely a part of us," Alameda said. "The gritty we’re definitely still working on. Gritty is when you get 50, 60 games in, now you know your tools and the things that you can add to your toolbox on the field. To me the scrappy side goes into a lot of the base running and just the want for extra 60 feet and how you do that. And a little bit more of some dugout-intent moments. You see the energy with an eight-pitch at-bat that may not be a hit. Maybe a strikeout or pop up or move your runner. And there’s a little bit more energy and intent there that raises up the whole team and knowing that your at-bat may lead to something later in the ball game. That grittiness there and that scrappiness there on that side has really helped us to the record that we have right now. But will really help us where we want to go this weekend."
