Florida State Seminoles
ACC (45-13, 16-5)
Florida State has exceeded expectations in 2012. This is a team that can win close games and they have had plenty of experience in close games this season. The Seminoles often find themselves in one or two run games and more often than not, they end up on the winning side of the equation. Coach Lonni Alameda has a couple superb pitchers to work with and will play some small ball knowing that one run could very well make all of the difference.
Big Wins: 4/1 vs North Carolina (8-3), 4/2 vs North Carolina (3-1), 4/7 vs Virginia Tech (7-3)
Bad Losses: 3/3 vs Radford (2-3), 3/8 vs Rutgers (0-1), 4/12 vs South Alabama (1-3)
Coach: Lonni Alameda (4 seasons at Florida State)
Why They Can Surprise:
On the positive side, FSU will stay in just about every game due to their pitching. Junior Monica Perry is arguably the best pitcher in the conference. She has a very good strikeout ratio, although she can be a little wild at times. Freshman Lacey Waldrop is her closest competition when it comes to the best pitcher in the ACC. Waldrop will not accumulate too many strikeouts, but she has an ERA just over one and will let the defense do the work for her. With those two in the circle, this is a Florida State team that can make some serious noise in the NCAA Tournament. The question will be whether or not the offense can score enough points to keep the Seminoles advancing.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The offense does play small ball quite well. Tiffani Brown is a decent hitter, but more importantly she is a great base runner. Few players in the nation have as many steals as Brown. And moving Brown over from first base to scoring position any way possible is a big deal when FSU just needs one or two runs to win a game. Briana Hamilton and Maddie O’Brien are the power hitters on the team. Neither will make contact too often, but they are a threat to hit the ball out of the park when they do. Erika Leonard and Courtney Senas are the often overlooked players. Leonard, a freshman catcher, has an amazing eye at the plate and she is good for a walk nearly every game. Senas, a sophomore outfielder, is the best all-around hitter on the team. She does not have much power, but she will get the ball in play and that could be enough to move Brown or Leonard into scoring position.
Key Field Players:
Courtney Senas, Sophomore, OF, .308 BA, 26 RBI, 19 SB
Tiffani Brown, Junior, IF, .312 BA, 14 RBI, 42 SB
Shayla Jackson, Senior, OF, .303 BA, 20 RBI
Erika Leonard, Freshman, C, .276 BA, 4 HR, 24 RBI
Kirstin Austin, Junior, OF, .300 BA, 10 RBI
Briana Hamilton, Junior, IF, .232 BA, 11 HR, 38 RBI
Maddie O’Brien, Freshman, IF, .257 BA, 7 HR, 40 RBI
Key Pitchers:
Monica Perry, Junior, Pitcher, 1.69 ERA, 20-5 W/L, 12 CG, 169.2 IP, 185 SO
Lacey Waldrop, Freshman, Pitcher, 1.20 ERA, 19-4 W/L, 10 CG, 157.1 IP, 131 SO
By the Numbers:
Batting Average: .272 (118th in nation, 3rd in conference)
Earned Run Average: 1.48 (9, 1)
Fielding Percentage: .968 (45, 2)
Scoring Offense: 4.71 (67, 4)
Home Runs per Game: 0.52 (155, 7)
Doubles per Game: 1.03 (167, 5)
Triples per Game: 0.31 (7, 1)
Stolen Bases per Game: 1.38 (47, 4)
Slugging Percentage: .397 (117, 3)
Double Plays per Game: 0.24 (172, 6)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
| 2011 | Regional | lost to UAB, defeated Georgia State, defeated UAB, eliminated by Georgia |
| 2010 | Regional | defeated Radford, lost to Georgia, eliminated by Radford |
| 2009 | Regional | lost to Oklahoma State, defeated Mississippi State, eliminated by Oklahoma State |
| 2008 | Regional | lost to Jacksonville State, defeated Chattanooga, eliminated by Jacksonville State |
| 2007 | Regional | lost to California, eliminated by Alabama |
*all team stats through 5/6
See All Softball Postseason Capsules
