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The 12th-ranked Florida State softball team (11-3) will face the Jacksonville University Dolphins (6-11) in a fill-in game on Sunday at noon. FSU was initially scheduled to play at the Jane Sanders Classic in Eugene, Oregon, this weekend, but due to weather and travel difficulties, they were unable to attend. Fortunately, FSU was able to add a game against Jacksonville, who was already scheduled to play a three-game series against Florida A&M this weekend. The game will take place at Rattler Field on the Florida A&M campus. The Seminoles have a strong history against Jacksonville, winning 19 out of 23 meetings, with their last loss to JU dating back to 2008.
Over the past weekend, the Seminoles competed in the Dugout Club Classic and finished the tournament undefeated with a 6-0 record. They won two games each against FIU, Charleston Southern, and Nicholls, outscoring their opponents 47-11. This season, the Seminoles have been producing impressive numbers, with 113 runs through 14 games, the highest in the fast-pitch softball era since 1978. They are averaging 8.07 runs per game, the eighth highest in the country, and have a .370 team batting average, which ranks seventh in the country.
True freshman Jaysoni Beachum has been leading the way for the Seminoles, boasting a team-leading .512 batting average and recording a hit in 13 out of 14 games. In their last game against Nicholls, Beachum hit two home runs, making her the first true freshman since Kalei Harding in 2021 to have a multi-home run game.
Amaya Ross has also been a standout for the Seminole offense this season. She had one of her best weeks during the Dugout Club Classic, going 10-for-15 with six RBIs and three triples. Ross was involved in 17 out of the Seminoles’ 47 runs during the week and was a threat on the base paths, going a perfect 5-for-5. Ross has hit four triples this season, tied for the most in the country, and is one of three players in the ACC to steal 10 or more bases without being caught.
The Seminoles performed well in the circle, posting a 1.08 ERA in the Dugout Club Classic. Allison Royalty has had a solid season for the Seminoles; last week was no different. She picked up two wins and didn’t allow an earned run in 9.2 innings, bringing her season ERA down to 0.62, which ranks 13th in the country and second in the ACC among pitchers who have pitched 20 or more innings.
This will mark the Twenty-eighth time the Lady Noles and the Lady Dolphins have met in softball dating back to April 19th, 2003, when the Lady Noles took the first meeting by a score of 9-0, behind a great outing from Casey Hunter who threw four innings and struck out six dolphins. The Lady Dolphins haven’t gotten off to a desirable start at 5-10. In their most recent outing, they played in the UNF/JU Classic, where they went 2-3. They earned two victories over Manhattan (9-0,8-0) while losing to Harvard (4-1), and a pair of games to Iowa (5-3,4-2).
Through seventeen games, The Lady Dolphins have struggled at the plate with a team batting average of .222 which is 245th in the country. JU has 87 hits on the season, including 21 doubles, and 6 home runs. They have also recorded 58 RBI and 62 total runs while boasting a .321 slugging percentage, ranking them at 204th in the nation. The main reason for their abysmal offensive production is they have struck out 67 times while walking 57 times, and only have an on-base percentage of .323. When they get runners on base, tJU loves to be aggressive on the basepath with a stolen base success rate of 93.6% (29-31).
Senior utility player, Allison Bratek #2, leads the team in batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage. Bratek has maintained a batting average of .390 and a slugging percentage of .659, with 16 hits, including five doubles and two home runs. She has driven in seven RBIs, while posting an on-base percentage of .480, and is perfect on the basepath with three stolen bases.
JU is fortunate to have one great player with the last name Bratek, but they also have Allison’s talented younger sister Madison on the team. It just so happens that one sister is leading the team, and her little sister isn’t far behind. Madison is second on the team in batting average (.302), slugging percentage (.419), and on-base percentage (.360). She has 13 hits, including two doubles, a home run and six RBI.
The Lady Dolphins have a .927 fielding percentage, with 31 errors over 15 games. In the circle, the Lady Dolphins have a combined ERA of 2.33, with over 96.0 innings pitched. They’ve allowed 92 hits, including 14 doubles, two triples, and 6 home runs. They’ve surrendered 62 runs (32 earned). Opponents have 40 walks and have struck out 46 times against them.
Freshman left-handed pitcher Skylar Waggoner leads the team in innings pitched (38.0). She has a 2.58 ERA, a 1-4 record in eight appearances and 7 starts. She has allowed 45 hits, and 22 runs (14 earned) while walking twelve and striking out 17. Opponents are batting .306 against her, with 8 doubles, a triple, and one home run.
Grad transfer pitcher Shelby Harpe is a left-hander who has thrown 23.2 innings over seven appearances, with only two starts. She has a team-leading 0.89 ERA and a 1-3 record. Shelby has given up 17 hits, and 16 runs (3 earned) while walking five and striking out 14. Opponents are batting .193 with a double and two home runs.
This will be another great opportunity for coach Alameda and this team to fine-tune the small issues that have been holding this team back before they head to Fort Myers and play in the FGCU Spring Break Classic next weekend where they will take on Purdue, Western Michigan, and FGCU. Admission to this weekend’s game is free, unfortunately, a live stream won’t be available. However, fans can keep up with the game by following along at statbroadcast.com.
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