FSU softball: How Allison Royalty's injury impacts Noles against Oklahoma

FSU softball( 46-14) was already the underdog against No. 2 seed Oklahoma (52-6) in the Super Regionals. However, the odds got stacked even more with the news that starting pitcher Allison Royalty is out for the rest of the season. FSU has been battling with a limited pitching staff for much of the 2024 season. Royalty missed a portion of the season earlier, and the Noles have been without Makenna Reid for the past month. However, some gutsy pitching from freshmen Ashtyn Danley and Royalty upon her return helped the Noles reach the Super Regionals unscathed. FSU not having Royalty or Reid available(if Reid returns she will be limited) means FSU will have to likely rely on two freshmen to carry the load. Danley leads the team in innings pitched, and I wouldn't classify her as a freshman anymore, but she's never faced a team like Oklahoma or played on their home field. The same goes for freshman Mimi Gooden, and she's had a lesser role as a freshman than Danley.

The only other option with experience is senior Emma Wilson, who has thrown 36 innings this season. Royalty had the second-most starts on the team with 15 and was third in innings pitched at 69. Royalty had a 3.75 ERA, and opposing batters hit .274 against her. Her biggest issue had been consistency in the strike zone, with nearly as many walks (33) as strikeouts (38). The Oklahoma offense is among the nation's best, but the FSU offense has shown flashes of scoring runs in bunches. The FSU offense will need to have the mindset of the FSU football defense after Jordan Travis ended his career with an injury last fall. They have to go into this series knowing they have to score a ton of runs for any shot to pull off the upset. The first game of Super Regionals will be Thursday at 7 p.m., and the game will air on ESPN2. I send my best wishes to Allison Royalty and her recovery.