FSU softball: Noles win ACC Coach and Pitcher of the Year awards

FSU softball head coach Lonni Alameda and senior pitcher Kathyrn Sandercock won ACC Coach and Pitcher of the Year awards Wednesday. Alameda led the Noles to another ACC regular season title with a (47-8, 22-2 ACC record).

The Noles didn’t lose an ACC series all season and swept six of their eight ACC opponents. They finished the regular season with a 13-game winning streak. Senior pitcher Kathryn Sandercock was a big reason for many of those wins. She earned her 100th career victory, joining only three other FSU pitchers in history in the regular-season finale.

Sandercock finished the season with a 21-3 record and a 1.22 ERA. She had 80 strikeouts and only 12 walks in 138 innings pitched, with opposing batters only hitting .181 against her. She also led the team with seven saves.

Another interesting note was freshman pitcher Makenna Reid not winning the ACC Freshman of the Year award. Reid finished the season with a perfect 11-0 record.

She had a 1.04 ERA, with 79 strikeouts and 18 walks in 67 innings. Opposing batters only hit .130 against her, and she only allowed 30 hits. Louisville’s Sarah Gordon won that award and had an impressive season, but I think it’s arguable that Reid deserved the nod.

However, it could be a case where the ACC didn’t want to saturate everything, with FSU winning everything since they dominated the league again. The Noles will face the winner of the Virginia/Syracuse game Thursday at 11 a.m. FSU won two of three against Virginia and swept Syracuse in the regular season.

FSU softball will be looking to repeat as ACC Tournament champions. They’ve won seven of the last eight ACC Tournaments. The lone season they didn’t win it in that streak was 2021, when they fell to the eventual champion Duke in the semifinals. Congrats to Coach Alameda and Kat on two well deserved awards!