Softball FSU hosts JoAnne Graf Classic, faces No. 6 Texas A&M on Saturday

[Bob Ferrante]

FSU sports information:

The No. 8 Florida State softball team will play at home for the first time this season when they host the JoAnne Graf Classic from Thursday through Sunday.

The Seminoles will play Florida A&M on Thursday at 3:30 p.m., then will play a doubleheader against Southeastern Louisiana on Friday beginning at 3 p.m. and a doubleheader against No. 6 Texas A&M on Saturday at 3 p.m. All games can be seen live on ACC Network Extra.

Noles Finally Come Home for JoAnne Graf Classic

• After two weeks on the road, the Seminoles will return home for the annual JoAnne Graf Classic.
• This is FSU’s latest home opener since 1997 when they started the season at home on Feb. 22.
• Saturday will be the first top-10 matchup at JoAnne Graf Field since Apr. 10, 2022, when No. 5 Virginia Tech came to town.
• Texas A&M will be the first top-10 opponent to play in the JoAnne Graf Classic since No. 1 Alabama in 2020.
• Southeastern Louisiana qualified for the Tuscaloosa Regional Final in 2024.
• Thursday’s game against Florida A&M will be a Unity game between the cross-town teams. Oak Ridge Elementary school will be on hand and will have postgame activities with the two teams.
• FSU has hosted the JoAnne Graf Classic every year since 2019. FSU holds a 26-3 record at the JoAnne Graf Classic.
• Coach Graf coached 30 seasons at Florida State. Graf won over 1,400 games, was a six-time ACC Coach of the Year, made 21 NCAA Tournament appearances and seven Women’s College World Series and won back-to-back AIAW National Championships in 1981 and 1982.

Noles’ History Against the Field

• FSU leads the all-time series against Florida A&M 119-7 and has not lost to the Rattlers since 2006. FSU has won the last 30 matchups between the two teams.
• FSU and Southeastern Louisiana have met just three times before: once in 2003, once in 2005 and most recently in 2021. FSU has won all three matchups and has outscored the Lions 13-1 in the three games.
• FSU and Texas A&M have not met since 2017 at the Mary Nutter Classic. The teams have not met in Tallahassee since 2004. Texas A&M leads the all-time series 6-4.

FSU National Champion Returns to Tallahassee with the Aggies

• 2018 National Champion Morgan Klaevmann returns to Tallahassee as Texas A&M’s Director of Player Development.
• Klaevmann was a three-time First Team All-ACC selection and was a NFCA Second Team All-American in 2017. Klaevemann helped the Noles its first WCWS National Championship in 2018.

Noles Off to Blazing Start in 2025

• After dropping the first game of the season to No. 4 Oklahoma State, FSU has won eight-consecutive games, five via run rule, and has outscored its opponents 71-13 during the eight game stretch.
• FSU’s run-rule win over No. 4 Oklahoma State was the second time FSU has run ruled a top-five opponent. The only other time FSU run ruled a top-five opponent was Feb. 8, 2020, against No. 1 Alabama.
• FSU also run ruled No. 16 Missouri in the first game of the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational. FSU’s run-rule wins over No. 4 Oklahoma State and No. 16 Missouri was the first time FSU has run ruled ranked opponents in back-to-back games.
• FSU run ruled five consecutive opponents from Feb. 8-15 which was the second longest streak in school history and the longest streak since 2019.
• The Noles finished the Clearwater Invitational undefeated with a 4-0 record. FSU finished undefeated at the Clearwater Invitational for the third time which is a tournament record.

Noles’ Offense Picking Up Right Where They Left Off in 2024

• After posting one of the top offenses in program history in 2024, FSU has picked up right where they left off and are off to a blistering start in 2025.
• The Noles are hitting. 395 as a team which ranks fifth in the entire country. FSU ranks third in the country in slugging percentage (.734), third in the country in home runs per game (2.11) and sixth in the country in total home runs (19). FSU ranks 11th in the country in with 8.56 runs per game.
• FSU has scored eight or more runs in the last six games.
• The Noles have seven players who have over a .300 batting average and three players with over a .400 batting average.
• FSU scored 456 runs last season which was the second-most in FSU history and was just four runs short of breaking the school record.
• FSU broke the 2019 team’s batting average record as the Noles hit .332 last season.
• FSU also hit the second-most home runs in school history with 89, trailing the 2019 team that hit 105 home runs.

Noles Getting Great Production in the Circle

• Under the guidance of Head Coach Lonni Alameda, the FSU pitching staff looks to be back to its regular self through the first nine games of the season.
• As a team, FSU has posted a 1.56 ERA which ranks 17th in the country and third in the ACC.
• FSU has been terrific at pounding the zone as they ranks sixth in the country and first in the ACC in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.13).
• FSU is one of six teams to rank in the top 20 in runs per game and earned run average.

Plenty of Reasons for Optimism for the Noles

• After a rare absence from the Women’s College World Series in 2024, FSU is looking to get back to its winning ways in 2025 and have the pieces to do so.
• Since 2014, FSU has never had back-to-back seasons where they did not make the Women’s College World Series (excluding 2020 when the WCWS was not held due to COVID-19).
• FSU returns two NFCA All-Americans in Jaysoni Beachum and Michaela Edenfield. The last time FSU returned two or more NFCA All-Americans was in 2018 when Jessi Warren and Morgan Klaevmann returned from All-America campaigns in 2017. FSU went on to win the National Championship in 2018.
• The Noles also added some key pieces and depth in the circle as they hope to continue the great pitching legacy under Head Coach Lonni Alameda.
• FSU returned 915.2 innings between all six of their pitchers which is the second-most returning innings in the country behind Texas A&M.
• FSU returns Second Team All-ACC pitcher Ashtyn Danley who led the Noles in innings pitched in the 2024 season. 2023 All-ACC performer Makenna Reid returns for the Noles and is healthy following a back injury late in the 2024 season. FSU also returns Mimi Gooden who pitched 54.1 innings for the Noles as a freshman in 2024 and came on late in the postseason.
• FSU adds three key pieces to the circle in transfers Julia Apsel (Hofstra) and Annabelle Widra (Auburn).and also freshman Jazzy Francik. Apsel and Widra have combined to throw 567.2 innings in their collegiate careers. Francik was ranked a top 10 pitcher coming out of high school by Softball America.
• FSU also brings in the No. 5 recruiting class in the country in Francik, Addie DeLong, Shelby McKenzie and Isabella Ruggiero.

Who’s Gonna Stop Her? Kennedy Harp Off to Unconscious Start for the Noles

• Kennedy Harp has been unconscious in the batter’s box for the Noles so far this season.
• Harp is hitting a remarkable .704 in 27 at bats with four home runs, 18 RBI, three doubles and three triples. 10 out of her 19 hits have been for extra bases.
• Harp has recorded a RBI in each of her first nine games. She is the only player in FSU history to have a RBI in nine-consecutive games to start the season.
• Harp’s .704 average is the second-best among players and first in the power four who have had at least 25 at bats.
• Harp leads the ACC in batting average (.704), hits (19), home runs (4), RBI (18), on base percentage (.742), slugging percentage (1.481), total bases and triples (3). All those numbers except total home runs rank in the top 10 in the country. Her four home runs ranks 18th in the country.
• Harp’s 18 RBI in nine games is the second-most ever in FSU history. Maddie O’Brien had 19 RBI through nine games and 21 RBI through 10 games.
• Harp is bound to surpass her 2024 season total for hits, RBI and home runs. Harp needs three hits, two home runs and three RBI to surpass her 2024 season totals.
• At the Clearwater Invitational, Harp was 9-for-12 (.750) with three home runs and eight RBI.
• Harp ended the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge with a .667 average (10-for-15), 10 RBI, three triples, two doubles, one home run and four runs.
• Harp was named the ACC Player of the Week following her performance at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge.

Torres Having Great Start at the Top of Seminoles’ Lineup

• Isa Torres has had a great start for the Seminoles this season and has shifted nicely into the leadoff position of the Seminoles’ lineup.
• Torres has been FSU’s leadoff hitter in seven of the nine games this season after being in the leadoff position just twice last season.
• So far this season, Torres is hitting .529 with three home runs and eight RBI.
• Torres has not struck out this season. Torres is the only player in the ACC to not strike out in 30 or more at bats.
• Torres finished 2024 with a .356 batting average alone with nine home runs and 57 RBI. Her 57 RBI are tied for the second-most ever by a FSU freshman behind Beachum. Her nine home runs were the fourth-most by a FSU freshman and her .356 batting average was the sixth-highest average by a FSU freshman.
• Torres was rock solid at shortstop for the Noles as she started 61 games at the position where she had just seven errors in 191 attempts.
• Torres earned Second Team All-ACC honors and was ranked the 19th overall player by Softball America and the 29th overall player by D1Softball.

Beachum Looks to Continue to be One of Top Hitters in the Country

• Jaysoni Beachum put up some of the best numbers in FSU history last season as a freshman.
• Beachum hit .417 last season which was the third-best mark in FSU history and was the highest batting average ever by a freshman in FSU history.
• Beachum drove in 66 runs which broke the FSU freshman record and was the most RBI in a season by a Seminole since Jessi Warren in 2018. Beachum also hit 16 home runs which was tied for the sixth-most ever in FSU history.
• Beachum was named the TUCCI/NFCA National Freshman of the Year and earned Second Team All-America honors. Beachum was the first Nole and ACC player to win the award and became the first FSU freshman since Sydney Sherrill to be named a NFCA All-American.
• Beachum was phenomenal at the hot corner for the Noles as she committed just five errors in 154 attempts at third base.
• Beachum is off to a great start as she’s hitting .346 with two home runs and five RBI.

Edenfield Has Huge Weekend In Clearwater

• After hitting just .213 and not recording a RBI in Puerto Vallarta, Michaela Edenfield got back to her regular self right away at the Clearwater Invitational.
• In four games, Edenfield went 8-for-12 (.667) with three home runs, nine RBi and three doubles.
• Edenfield recorded a hit in eight out of her first 10 at bats at the Clearwater Invitational.
• Edenfield hit a career-best .381 last season, which was second on the team, to go along with her 15 home runs and 46 RBI.
• Edenfield has hit 47 career home runs which ranks fourth in FSU history. Edenfield needs seven home runs to pass Maddie O’Brien for second. Jessi Warren holds the school record with 83 career home runs.
• Edenfield’s 47 career home runs is tied for fifth among active D1 players.
• Edenfield posted a slugging percentage of .806 last year which was the fourth-best mark in school history. In her career, Edenfield is slugging .668 which is currently second in FSU history.
• Edenfield also ranks in the top 10 in school history for career RBI and walks.
• Edenfield earned Third Team NFCA All-America honors for the first time in her career and was also named First Team All-ACC for the first time in her career.
• In her first two seasons, Edenfield has recorded two 50+ RBI seasons. Edenfield is one of just seven Seminoles who have ever recorded two 50+ RBI seasons as a Seminole.
• Edenfield joined Jessi Warren and Sydney Sherrill as the only Seminoles to have 50+ RBI in their first two seasons in the Garnet and Gold.

Widra Leading the Noles in the Circle in Her Final Season

• After pitching just 41.2 innings last season, Widra has been phenomenal in her 16.2 innings she’s pitched for FSU this season.
• In those 16.2 innings, Widra has allowed just one earned run .
• Widra has struck out nine batters compared to just just one walk and holds a 3-0 record for FSU.

Francik Looking Good in the Garnet and Gold

• A true freshman and one of the best high school pitcher in Florida, Jazzy Francik has been as good as advertised so far this season.
• Francik has made one start and pitched 14.0 innings and has allowed just one earned run for a 0.50 ERA.
• Francik has struck out 13 batters compared to three walks.
• Francik is 2-0 and has recorded a save. She joined Bailey Schinella (2012) as the only freshmen to record a win and a save in their first two college appearances.

Apsel Brings Valued Experience to Noles' Pitching Staff

• Apsel brings a lot of experience in the circle after three seasons at Hofstra.
• Apsel has pitched 414.0 innings in her collegiate career with a 2.52 career ERA and 304 strikeouts.
• Apsel had her best season last year as she posted a 1.39 ERA.
• Apsel pitched 20 complete games which ranked 15th in the country in 2024.
• Apsel performed phenomenally against Power Five opponents this season. Against the NCAA Tournament qualifying Penn State Nittany Lions, Apsel threw 6.1 innings and allowed just two earned runs on seven hits while striking out three. Against the National Runner-Up Texas Longhorns, Apsel pitched 6.0 innings and allowed just four runs to one of the nation’s top offenses. Apsel and the Pride were one of just two non-Power Five teams to hold Texas to five runs or less this season and was one of three unranked teams to hold the Longhorns to under five runs this season. Maybe Apsel’s most impressive performance of the 2024 season came against Missouri who entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 7 overall seed and was one win away from the Women’s College world Series. Apsel shut down the Tigers as she pitched all nine innings of the thriller and allowed just two runs on four hits to the Tigers while striking out six.
• Apsel is 1-0 this season with a 2.52 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 8.1 innings.

Dack Giving the Noles Great Production

• Katie Dack has had a great start to 2025 as she has been giving the Noles quality and consistent at bats to start the 2025 season.
• So far in 2025, Dack is hitting .350 with three home runs and 11 RBI.
• Dack has drawn a team-high six walks and recorded two sacrifice flies against UCF.
• Dack hit a first inning grand slam against Louisiana Tech to lead the Noles to a 6-3 victory over Louisiana Tech. Dack hit another home run against the Bulldogs on Saturday.
• Last season, Dack had just three home runs and 10 RBI.
• Dack was named to the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge All-Tournament Team.

 

[Bob Ferrante]

FSU picks up a run-rule 11-0 win over FAMU