Softball FSU opens play in Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational on Thursday

[Bob Ferrante]

FSU sports information:

The No. 9 Florida State softball team (4-1) will make its annual trip to the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational this week where it will face No. 16 Missouri (4-2) at 10 a.m. on ESPN2 on Thursday, Ohio State (4-0) at 2 p.m. on ACC Network on Friday, Wichita State (5-0) at 7 p.m. on ESPN+ on Saturday and UCF (6-1) at 8 p.m. on ESPN on Sunday.

A Home Away from Home: Seminoles Return to Clearwater

• FSU has played in the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational in every year of its existence and has had great success in Clearwater.
• The Noles hold a 16-9 record in Clearwater.
• FSU's 16 wins are the most of any team in the country - 12 out of FSU's 16 wins in Clearwater have come against ranked opponents.

Noles' History Against the Field

• Missouri leads the all-time series 8-2. The two teams have met just twice since 2005. The two teams last met in 2021 at the JoAnne Graf Classic in Tallahassee. The two teams split the two matchups in 2021.
• FSU and Ohio State have met just once in the past 20 seasons as the two teams met in Clearwater with the Noles winning 3-1. FSU leads the all-time series 11-3.
• FSU and Wichita State have met just once before in 1990 at the Southern Invitational in Birmingham, Ala. FSU won the matchup 1-0,
• FSU has dominated UCF in recent history as the Noles have won 15 consecutive games against the Knights. The Noles and Knights have met the last two seasons in the Tallahassee Regional where the Noles won 5-1 in both games. FSU leads the all-time series 25-5.

Noles Start Off 2025 Strong in Puerto Vallarta

• The Noles got off to a great start in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge where they finished 4-1.
• After dropping the first game to No. 4 Oklahoma State, FSU went on to win four straight by outscoring its opponents 30-5 including an 8-0 run-rule win against Oklahoma State.
• 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.
• The Noles got great production from the circle as the team posted a 1.40 ERA. Jazzy Francik, Annabelle Widra and Makenna Reid combined to throw 20.1 innings and did not allow an earned run.
• As a team, FSU hit .336 and scored 36 runs in five games along with eight home runs.

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.

Harp Starts Season Off Red Hot

• Kennedy Harp had the best weekend of her career last week in Puerto Vallarta.
• Harp ended the week with a .667 average (10-for-15), 10 RBI, three triples, two doubles, one home run and four runs.
• Six out of Harp's 10 hits were for extra bases.
• Harp had a triple in three consecutive games against Louisiana Tech and Oklahoma State. Harp's three triples were tied for the most in the country on opening weekend.
• Harp had nearly half of her hit and RBI total from all of last year in just five games. Harp had 21 hits all of last season and 19 RBI.
• Harp was named the ACC Player of the Week on Tuesday.

Noles Coming Off Historic Offensive Season in 2024

• Florida State put together one of the best offensive seasons that this storied program has ever seen in 2024.
• 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.