FSU softball looks to rebound, faces FIU in Dugout Club Classic doubleheader

FSU softball (5-3) looks to get back on the winning side of things Thursday when they face FIU (6-5) in a doubleheader to begin the Dugout Club Classic. The Noles will also play Charleston Southern University and Nicholls. FIU swept a two-game series from Rutgers in their last outing but have lost convincingly to ACC foes Louisville (2-11) and Duke (0-6) this season. FIU batters come into the game hitting .299, with an on-base percentage of .354. They have only hit two home runs and have double the amount of strikeouts compared to walks. They seem like the perfect lineup for FSU pitching to find some confidence against. FIU pitchers carry a 3.50 ERA, with 26 strikeouts and 18 walks in 74 innings. Opposing batters hit .276 against FIU and have hit six home runs. FIU has a .968 fielding percentage.

FSU hitters come into the game hitting .371 with a .458 on-base percentage. They walk more than they strikeout and have swiped 19 of 20 stolen bases. The weakness of the FSU softball team so far this season has been its pitching. They have immense talent, but the coaching staff hasn't harnessed it yet. However, they have gone up against some talented offenses. The FSU defense could be better, with a .976 field percentage.

Parting Thoughts

I'm excited to see how the pitching staff will respond after some time to work out some kinks. Coach Alameda spoke about how they chart each performance and how often they didn't execute their plans. I'm sure that's been most of the focus since the last time they saw live-action. All of these games in the Dugout Classic should be wins for the Noles and a solid opportunity to continue filling roles and gaining experience. Hopefully, the pitching will begin to find consistency with each game. The first game will begin at 5 p.m. and will air on ACCNX. The second game will begin at 7:30 p.m. or 30 minutes after the first game concludes.