FSU softball: Noles land at No. 4 in 2023 Preseason Poll

FSU softball had a disappointing end to the 2022 season that saw them eliminated by Mississippi State in the Tallahassee Regional as a No. 2 seed.

FSU was one of the favorites to make a return trip to the College World Series and finished the season with a 54-7 record and another ACC Championship for Lonnie Alameda.

Alameda got courted by Texas A&M who tried to lure her way, but FSU Athletic Director Michael Alford signed her to an extension to keep her in Tallahassee.

That was the first part of the puzzle of putting the Noles in position to make another run at a national title in 2023.

The other part was several veterans returning for the 2023 season, and adding some impact transfer players.

This news is why the Noles will enter the 2023 season as the No. 4 team in the nation:

FSU will return ace pitcher Kathryn Sandercock, who led the Noles in almost every conceivable category last year. She posted a 30-3 record with 159 strikeouts in 194.1 innings.

Pitcher/1st base Mack Leonard returns with a team-leading .375 batting average and tied for the most hits (66). She contributed eight home runs, 49 RBI, and had a .467 on-base percentage. Leonard also contributed on the mound.

Josie Muffley returns with a .267 batting average and solid glovework at shortstop. Michaela Edenfield returns behind the plate with her team-leading 16 home runs and a .293 batting average as a freshman.

Kalei Harding returns, who had 15 home runs and a .304 batting average. Devyn Flaherty returns with her .355 batting average and 66 hits. Kaley Mudge returns with her .358 batting average and stellar glovework in the outfield.

FSU added a quality transfer pitcher in Allison Royalty, who should help take some of the load off Sandercock. In other words, that’s a lot of firepower returning and why the Noles rank so high going into the 2023 season. They will open play on Thursday, February 9th, against Lipscomb.