FSU softball looks to rebound against North Florida in midweek action

FSU softball (9-3) will look to rebound after a tough loss against Alabama in their last outing when they host North Florida (6-2) Wednesday night.

The Noles lost 2-1 when Kathryn Sandercock allowed back-to-back solo home runs, and the FSU offense could only muster one run from a solo home run by Jahni Kerr. They went 3-2 against five consecutive ranked opponents, with the two losses coming by a combined three runs.

North Florida won 42 games last year and has won three consecutive games this season, but FSU softball will be by far the best team they’ve faced.

The Osprey’s hit .246 as a team but is led by former Nole Chloe Culp, who’s batting .500 with two home runs and 18 RBI.

Their pitchers have a 5.05 ERA, and only have 27 strikeouts in 48 innings. Opposing batters are hitting .300 and have drawn 17 walks. Defensively, North Florida brings a .963 fielding percentage into the game.

This is a game the Noles should win, but I’ll be keeping an eye on a few players to see how they perform. It’s still early in the season, but Michaela Edenfield and Devyn Flaherty are hitting well below .300. Edenfield, in particular, has struck out quite a few times over the past few games.

It’s not clear who’ll get the start on the mound, but it’s imperative FSU continue to build depth in that department. Mack Leonard and Allison Royalty took nice steps in their last outings to compliment Kathyrn Sandercock and freshman sensation Makenna Reid.

I believe FSU will have the pitching to play with anyone in the country down the stretch, but it’s the offense I need to see pick up the pace against better competition. Hopefully, we’ll see the players we need to see get hot, do so Wednesday night.