Florida State softball fell to No. 3 Tennessee on Sunday afternoon by a final score of 9-1. The loss meant the Noles went 2-2 in the Clearwater Invitational. They lost to No. 1 Texas Tech by one run, beat FAU and No. 7 UCLA, before losing to Tennessee.
That’s a more than respectable outing, considering how many freshmen are playing significant roles. Nobody wants to lose, but Coach Lonni Alameda is coaching for the future and is not so much worried about the results in mid-February.
Major Takeaways From Clearwater
- The freshmen are legit.
- Some holes to fill on offense
- FSU pitchers have depth, but fine-tuning a few things is a must
The freshman played well on offense, considering they had fewer than 10 college games under their belt and the competition they were facing. Sure, there were strikeouts and missed opportunities, but seeing this level of competition will pay dividends later. The same goes for freshmen pitchers Bella Dimitrijevic and Marlee Gaskell. Dimitrijevic is fine as long as she doesn’t get behind in counts. That’s when she’s been hurt the most. Gaskell needs to find the strike zone more often, because six walks in 9.2 innings is way too much. They are already changing speeds and locations. There’s a lot to like there for the future.
Isa Torres, Marin Heller, and Jaysoni Beachum are a trio any team would like to have at the top of its lineup. FSU misses Kennedy Harp’s bat immensely, and hopefully, she’ll return soon. Freshman Anna Hinde looks legit, as does Makenna Sturgis, and Ashtyn Danley has been solid. However, Maddi Frey, Shelby McKenzie, and freshman Hayley Griggs have struggled quite a bit at the plate. Kennedy's eventual return will help, but FSU needs to find at least one more consistent bat.
Overall, FSU pitchers haven’t been dominant. They all have good stuff and can change speeds well, but I don’t know if they can dominate against top competition. There have been way too many walks overall, 29 walks in 63.1 innings. Coach Alameda probably has them working on some things early, before they enter ACC play. That could explain some of the inconsistencies from Jazzy Francik and Danley, who are veterans.
I like what I’ve seen overall from this team. They have responded to adversity well overall. They have shown they can hit for power, and they’re 14-14 in stolen base attempts. Defensively, they are solid. Now, it’s about fine-tuning the little things. Â
The Noles will return to action on Tuesday evening against the University of Louisiana at 6 p.m.