FSU softball: Way too early look at 2024 roster and needs
By Kelvin Hunt
FSU softball hit every team goal in 2023 except winning the national championship. It was a team that could beat you in a variety of ways, with power, and speed, and had several arms they could use throughout the season to spell their best pitchers for the postseason.
Defensively they took a small step back with the loss of the human vacuum at third base, Sydney Sherrill. They played a gauntlet of a schedule that prepared them for the postseason, but there are questions going into 2024.
The loss of Kathryn Sandercock on the mound will be irreplaceable, and Coach Lonni Alameda commented on how young they’ll be inside the circle next year. Mack Leonard was an amazing find in the transfer portal, and she gave FSU softball fans many things to cheer for over the past two years.
The transfer portal is where FSU will need to go if they plan to stay at an elite level and not take a few steps back. They need more pitching experience and offensive power.
They return a big part of their offensive nucleus, with Kaley Mudge, Kalei Harding, Devyn Flaherty, Hallie Wacaser Jahni Kerr, Katie Dack, and Michaela Edenfield eligible to return. Mudge, Flaherty, Wacaser, and Kerr feature the speed component, as all had 10 or more stolen bases.
However, the power component needs more firepower besides Edenfield, Harding, and Dack. They were the only three with 10+ home runs, and aside from Kerr(eight home runs), no one else had more than five.