Florida State softball (39-7, 15-3 ACC) swept the North Carolina Tarheels over the weekend, which was a much-needed performance after getting swept by Stanford the week before. The series loss hurt FSU’s RPI standings, and didn’t give them too much room for error the rest of the way, since the majority of the teams remaining on the schedule are not ranked.
There’s only one remaining on the schedule that’s ranked, and that’s the No. 8 rival Florida Gators (43-6, 16-5 SEC). It’s a massive opportunity for the Noles to make a statement late in the season because their track record against ranked teams, especially SEC teams, hasn’t been great this season.
Florida State has one win over a ranked opponent, and that was against UCLA in the early portion of the season. Florida State is asking fans to wear white:
Three jobs for you tomorrow night:
— Florida State Softball 🥎 (@FSU_Softball) April 21, 2026
1. Show up early
2. Be loud
3. Wear white #Team43 pic.twitter.com/mbHRpeGG9w
The game will air at 6 p.m. with a national audience on ESPN2. Florida State shutout the Gators in a 4-0 win last year on their home field.
The Gators have a potent offense similar to the North Carolina Tarheels the Noles just defeated over the weekend. The key for FSU pitchers will be to get ahead in counts, avoid walks, and let their defense work for them when Florida puts the ball in play.
Florida's pitching isn't anything special this year. They have team ERA of 2.49 and opposing batters hit .204 against them.
The Gators are coming off of a series win over the Auburn Tigers. Florida State needs this win to give themselves some breathing room down the stretch. A win would help their RPI standings since Florida is a top-10 team. It would help the perception of the team, since most folks believe they've played a relatively weak schedule (some truth to that narrative). If they get solid pitching, I think they'll have a good shot to win it.
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