Softball No. 18 FSU vs. No. 4 Duke in weekend series in Tallahassee

[Bob Ferrante]

FSU sports information:

The No. 18 Florida State softball team (17-6, 0-0) will open up ACC play this weekend when they host No. 4 Duke (20-1, 3-0) to JoAnne Graf Field. The two teams will play at 6 p.m. on Friday, 1 p.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday. All games can be seen live on ACC Network Extra with Ariya Massouid (Play by Play) and former FSU softball player Alex Powers (Color) on the call.

Alumni Weekend

• This weekend, Florida State will welcome back 40 former players to JoAnne Graf Field for "Alumni Weekend."
• 2024 also marks the 10-year anniversary for the 2014 Women's College World Series team that will be honored on Saturday.
• The 2014 team was Coach Alameda's first WCWS team at Florida State. FSU lost the first game of the Tallahassee Super Regional 17-3 to Michigan and came back to win a doubleheader and clinched their spot in Oklahoma City thanks to a Courtney Senas walk-off home run.
• The 2014 team was also ACC Regular Season and Tournament Champions with a 55-9 record. Lacey Waldrop was also named the USA Softball National Player of the Year.

No-Hitter Luck on St. Patrick's Day

• Sunday marks St. Patrick's Day and the Seminoles have had some great luck on the diamond in recent years.
• The past two times FSU has played on St. Patrick's Day, a no-hitter has been thrown. Kathryn Sandercock did it in 2023 against Syracuse and Meghan King did it in 2019 against Notre Dame.
• FSU has won the last eight times they have played on St. Patrick's Day.

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.
• FSU has lost just one ACC series in the last four seasons and have lost just four ACC series since 2012. FSU has only lost one ACC series at JoAnne Graf Field since 2012.

In the Middle of a Gauntlet

• Over the course of a week, Florida State is slated to host 5 total games at the Seminole Softball Complex, all against teams in the top 15.
• This will be just the second time in school history that FSU has played five consecutive games at the Seminole Softball Complex against top 15 opponents and the third time that FSU has played five consecutive games at home against ranked opponents.
• FSU fell to No. 15 Alabama on Wednesday night at the Seminole Softball Complex

Success When it Matters Most

• When the moment is big, the Seminoles have had great success in recent history, especially at home.
• FSU is 17-5 in their last 22 games against ranked opponents.
• FSU is 8-3 against ranked opponents at JoAnne Graf Field since the start of the 2022 season.

A True Home Field Advantage

• The Seminole Softball Complex has become one of the toughest places to play in the country in recent history.
• Since the start of the 2019 season, FSU is 135-18 at the Seminole Softball Complex.
• In the past two seasons, FSU is 47-5 at the Seminole Softball Complex.

Fast Start for the Offense

• The Florida State offense has been one of the best in the country through the first 20 games of the season.
• FSU is averaging 7.87 runs per game which is the best in the ACC and is fifth in the country. FSU is hitting .342 as a team which ranks 13th in the country.
• FSU has scored 181 runs through 23 games this season which is the most runs through 23 games in the fast pitch era of FSU softball and is the most since 1978.
• In 23 games, FSU has scored 8 or more runs in 15 games. In 69 games last season, FSU scored eight or more runs just 22 times.
• FSU has scored 10 or more runs in six games so far this season after accomplishing that feat just eight times last season.
• 14 players have recorded a hit this season and four players (Beachum, Kerr, Ross and Edenfield) are all hitting above .370.

My Oh Amaya

• Fans have known the name Amaya Ross for awhile but mainly for her insane speed on the base paths. Now, Ross has found herself in the FSU lineup for more than just her speed.
• Ross has started all 23 games this season after making just 18 starts the past two seasons.
• Ross had one of the best weeks of her career at the Dugout Club Classic.
• In six games, Ross recorded 10 hits in 15 at-bats (.667) with six RBI and three triples.
• Ross was involved in 17 out of the Seminoles 47 runs scored in the Dugout Club Classic and was a perfect 5-for-5 on the base paths.
• Ross's four triples is tied for third in the country.
• Ross is eighth in the country with 16 stolen bases this season.
• Ross is the only player in the ACC to steal 15+ bases without being caught and is one of five players in the country and one of two players among power five conferences to steal 15+ bases without being caught.
• Ross is third on the team with a .400 batting average.
• Ross has stolen 43 bases in 46 attempts over the course of her career.

A Top 10 Shutout

• In the first game of the Clearwater Invitational, the Seminole pitching shut down No. 9 Stanford in a 4-0 win.
• Allison Royalty and Ashtyn Danley combined for a complete game shutout while allowing just five hits while striking out two.
• The shutout against Stanford was just the third time since 2018 that FSU had shut out a top 10 opponent.
• FSU was one of just two teams to shut out their opponent at the Clearwater Invitational joining Stanford who had a 1-0 win over Tennessee.

Tallahassee Native Jaysoni Beachum clicking on all cylinders

• Beachum, a native of Tallahassee, leads the team with a .467 batting average and 35 hits.
• Jaysoni Beachum has continued to be one of the biggest bright spots for the Noles to start the season.
• Beachum has hit six home runs and driven in a team high 25 runs.
• Beachum has recorded a hit in 20 out of the Seminoles' 23 games this season.
• In her last eight games, Beachum has hit five home runs and driven in 11 runs.
• Beachum has the third-highest batting average among freshmen in the country and the 25th highest batting average in the country.
• 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 22 starts at the positions. Beachum has committed just two errors this season.

Ocho's Hot Start

• Few had a hotter start to the season than Kalei Harding this season.
• Harding is currently hitting .329 with 22 RBI and four home runs.
• Against UCLA, Harding recorded four hits in five at-bats which was tied for a career high. Harding was the first FSU player since Kaley Mudge in 2021 at the Women's College World Series against Alabama to record four or more hits.
• Against Charlotte, Harding hit two home runs, one being a grand slam, on her way to a seven RBI game.
• Her seven RBI tied Anna Shelnutt (2017) for the school record for RBI in a single game.
• Harding is tied for fourth all-time in school history for career doubles (49), tied for sixth in school history for career home runs (36), sixth for career RBI (165) and eighth in school history for career slugging percentage (.572).

Torres Finds Groove in the Box and in the Field

• Replacing Josie Muffley is no easy task, but freshman Isa Torres has given her best shot and is off to a great start offensively and defensively for the Noles at the shortstop position.
• Torres is hitting .351 with 159 RBI and has made countless jaw dropping plays at shortstop including a Sportscenter Top 10 catch against Stanford at the Clearwater Invitational.
• Torres brought home seven runs this past weekend at the FGCU Spring Break Classic.
• Torres came through in the bottom of the seventh against Texas Tech as she hit a walk-off single to take down the Red Raiders on Feb. 10.

Reid Gaining Confidence in the Circle

• As one of the top freshman pitchers in 2023, Makenna Reid has begun to find her groove in the circle in 2024 after a tough start.
• Reid has yet to take a loss as Seminole and is a perfect 17-0 in the circle .
• In her last six appearances, Reid has pitched 20.2 innings while allowing just four earned runs and striking out 20 batters.
• In her first 9.1 innings at the FGCU Spring Break Classic, Reid allowed just two hits while striking out 10 and not allowing a run.
• In 2023, Reid was one of just three pitchers last season to not suffer a loss joining Alex Storako and Nicole May from Oklahoma.
• Reid was one of just five players to post a sub 1.00 ERA last season.
• Reid was the first Seminole since Sarah Hamilton in 2009 to finish with a sub 1.00 ERA.