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FSU Softball: 2018 Womens College World Series Preview

By Jason Parker

ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 30: A Florida State Seminoles cheerleader runs a flag on the field before a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on August 30, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 30: A Florida State Seminoles cheerleader runs a flag on the field before a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on August 30, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Here’s a preview of FSU softball and their next set of games during the 2018 Women’s College World Series.

After 63 games during the 2018 season, the FSU softball team knows that things are not over quite yet as the Seminoles are one of the last eight teams left standing and will be heading to Oklahoma City starting Thursday for the 10th time in program history and the third time in the last five seasons.

For head coach Lonni Alameda and her team, it took a comeback effort against the team that kept them home last season to make it back to the Midwest – and now, they will face an opponent they have seen plenty of in the WCWS and could face several other teams they have faced too much in the regular season.

Here’s our preview of this weekend’s game between the Seminoles and their group foes in the Women’s College World Series.

The Last Time The ‘Noles Took The Field

FSU softball, for the second straight season, hosted the LSU Tigers in the Super Regional round for the right to make it to Oklahoma City. Unlike last season, it was the women from Baton Rouge who struck early as they jumped out to an early lead in game one and held on for a 6-5 victory over the Seminoles.

On Saturday, the Noles waited on a rain delay of nearly 80 minutes before putting four runs on the board only to watch the Tigers do the same thing innings later. The game would go 11 innings, when FSU softball put three runs up and Meghan King went the distance in striking out 12 batters and throwing 186 pitches during the 8-5 victory.

The win forced a deciding game three immediately afterward – and late into the night and early morning in Tallahassee, the Seminoles put up three runs in the third inning and star pitcher Kylee Hanson was nearly unstoppable in giving up five hits while going the distance in the 3-1 victory.

Opponent Preview

The Seminoles will start action on Thursday night when they take on the UCLA Bruins, a team who the Noles have played a total of 14 times that includes seven postseason meetings, four of which have come in Oklahoma City. The Bruins come in as the No. 3 seed nationally with a record of 56-5 after sweeping Arizona in the Super Regional round last weekend.

Win or lose, the Noles are guaranteed a second game and will play either the Florida Gators or the Georgia Bulldogs. FSU softball has split their past four meetings with the Gators, who enter as the number two overall seed and a 55-9 record after winning the SEC and beating Texas A&M in the Super Regional round.

The Bulldogs and Seminoles have split their 16 all time meetings with eight of them coming in the postseason, including UGa being sent home in the regional round last season in Tallahassee. The ladies from Athens come in with a record of 48-11 and a national seed of seventh after sweeping Tennessee in the Super Regional round last weekend.

Interesting Fact

While the Seminoles have made it to the Women’s College World Series nine times before, they haven’t had much success after going 7-18 in those trips. The last time the Noles were in Oklahoma City, in 2016, FSU softball got a win over Georgia before being eliminated by UCLA.

All time, the Seminoles have made it to the final four of the tournament just twice – in the 2002 season, when they were eliminated by Arizona and during the 1990 season when it was the Bruins who sent the Noles back to Tallahassee.

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