During its trip to the Gulf Coast for the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational over the weekend, Florida State softball left a lot to be desired.
The Seminoles went just 1-4, blowing two leads in the seventh inning and getting shut out on another occasion. The lone win over the three days came on Sunday afternoon against Liberty.
Despite the tough showing in St. Petersburg and Clearwater, the last three days for FSU will be a net positive when all is said and done. Some FSU players have already taken to social media to suggest that they will get better as a result.
Over the three days, FSU proved that it could hang with national powers. FSU led both No. 14 Minnesota on Friday night and No. 2 UCLA on Sunday night in the seventh inning, but was unable to close out either contest. FSU also had a 2-1 lead over No. 21 Northwestern in the sixth inning on Saturday night before allowing five runs in the inning of a 6-2 loss.
The trip to the Gulf Coast should serve as a huge learning experience for FSU. The Seminoles were very close to going 3-1 against four ranked opponents. The blown leads could also help head coach Lonni Alameda and staff figure out the best way to manage the pitching staff as the season wears on.
Fresh off a national championship, Florida State went 6-0 in last season’s St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational. The impressive showing led many to believe that FSU was the odds-on favorite to repeat as national champions.
Throughout the remainder of the season however, FSU was never quite able to play at as high of a level. The Seminoles still had a great season, but they failed to claim the top seed in the ACC Tournament for the first time since 2012.
Prior to 2012, FSU had also not lost an ACC series. It lost two last season.
Florida State has a nice mix of veterans and youngsters. When it comes to everyday players, the Seminoles are replacing very experienced starters in Zoe Casas, Cali Harrod and Carsyn Gordon. The bigger void comes in the circle where FSU is trying to replace a 4-time All-ACC performer in Meghan King.
More early-season tests are on the way for Florida State as it will face Baylor, Arkansas, UCF and Florida before the start of ACC play. The ACC isn’t regarded as a great softball conference, but having great early-season competition will prove invaluable in the long run. FSU may have gone just 1-4 in its recent trip to the Gulf, but the Seminoles will ultimately end up being better for it come May.
EDITOR’S NOTE: We apologize for not having a piece for “On My Mind Monday”.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson. Like The Daily Nole on Facebook. To pitch an idea, author a post or to learn more about The Daily Nole, email Mike Ferguson at Mike@TheDailyNole.com.
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