FSU softball: 3 major questions heading into 2024 season
By Kelvin Hunt
![2023 NCAA Division I Softball Championship 2023 NCAA Division I Softball Championship](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3469,h_1951,x_0,y_86/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/270/01hn9ey34mmc7f8g9yg8.jpg)
FSU softball hit every team goal in 2023 except winning the national championship. It was a team that could beat you in many ways, with power, and speed, and had several arms they could use throughout the season to spell their best pitchers for the postseason. The pitching approach drew criticism early, but paid off in spades down the stretch, and ace Kathryn Sandercock was fresh when they needed her the most. Defensively, they took a small step back with the loss of the human vacuum at third base, Sydney Sherrill. However, they had the human highlight reel, Josie Muffley, at shortstop. Devyn Flaherty at second, and Kaley Mudge held it down in left field.
They played a gauntlet of a schedule that prepared them for the postseason, going 22-2 in the ACC, winning the conference and the ACC Tournament. It was the redemption tour after getting upset in the Tallahassee Regionals in 2022. The Noles return a lot of firepower, and Coach Lonni Alameda and the staff constructed the No. 3 recruiting class nationally as they lost some major production from a few players. The 2024 season gets underway on Thursday, February 8, and here are three major questions with the start of the season on deck.