The Daily Nole

FSU Softball: How the Noles and Tallahassee Regional Foes Fared Against Common Opponents

Sara Davis/ACC Digitial Network

Fresh off a thrilling fifth straight ACC Tournament title, Florida State softball is set to return to the friendly confines of JoAnne Graf Field to begin the NCAA Tournament with the Tallahassee Regional.

The Seminoles, at 47-10 overall, earned the top seed in the regional and the No. 6 seed nationally. They’ll kick things off on Friday against Ohio Valley Conference champion Jacksonville State, the regional’s No. 4 seed. From there, FSU will play again on Saturday against either second-seeded Auburn or No. 3 seed Kennesaw State.

Florida State did not face any of those teams during the regular season, but for some perspective on how the teams might match up, we looked at how FSU and each of its three foes or potential foes in Tallahassee fared against common opponents:

FSU vs. Jacksonville State

FSU vs. Common Opponents: 3-0
Jacksonville State vs. Common Opponents: 1-0
The only common opponent for Florida State and Jacksonville State this season was Georgia Tech. The Seminoles swept the Yellow Jackets to end the month of March and begin the month of April in Atlanta and two of those contest were run rules. The Gamecocks needed nine innings to beat Georgia Tech on April 24 at home, but did so on a walk-off single by catcher Ryann Luna.

FSU vs. Auburn

FSU vs. Common Opponents: 7.2
Auburn vs. Common Opponents: 5-2
Auburn and Florida State fared quite similarly against common opponents this season. Both teams were 1-0 against Georgia State while FSU was 2-0 against Troy compared to 1-0 for Auburn. Florida State took three of four from Notre Dame this season, winning two of three in South Bend during the regular season before topping the Fighting Irish in the ACC Tournament semifinals, 6-1. Auburn beat Notre Dame in the Mary Nutter Classic in California on Feb. 22, 6-2. FSU split a pair of games with Auburn’s arch-rival, Alabama, at the Easton Bama Bash in late February. Auburn took two of three from the Crimson Tide at home during the regular season, but fell in last week’s SEC Tournament to its rivals, 6-4.

FSU vs. Kennesaw State

FSU vs. Common Opponents: 11-0
Kennesaw State vs. Common Opponents: 11-3
Perhaps surprisingly, Florida State and Kennesaw State saw more common opponents than any other school that will be joining the Seminoles for the Tallahassee Regional. Both teams went 1-0 against Florida A&M. Kennesaw State went 2-0 against Georgia State to FSU’s 1-0. The Owls also went 3-0 against North Florida to 2-0 for Florida State. Against ACC foes that FSU completed 3-game sweeps over — Georgia Tech and NC State — Kennesaw State went just 1-1 against each. Kennesaw State took three of four this season from Florida Gulf Coast. The Seminoles topped the Eagles 6-2 during the Unconquered Invitational in Tallahassee in early March.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson

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