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Examining the four top-20 ranked programs FSU softball will play in Clearwater Invitational

Ehsan Kassim, Tallahassee Democrat
·7 min read

It may only be the second weekend of the softball season, but it could be a major one for Florida State.

The No. 5 Seminoles (4-1) will play in the 2024 TaxAct Clearwater Invitational starting Thursday in Clearwater, where they will face some of the best teams in college softball.

FSU went 3-2 in the invitational last year, with wins over No. 15 Arizona (6-4), No. 4 Arkansas (9-6) and No. 22 Louisiana (10-2), along with losses to No. 2 UCLA (6-4) and No. 12 Alabama (2-1).

FSU will face off against four top-20 opponents, starting Thursday. when it plays No. 9 Stanford at 4 p.m. Thursday (ESPNU), No. 20 UCLA at 1 p.m. Friday (ESPNU), No. 6 Georgia at 10 a.m. Saturday (ESPN2) and No. 2 Tennessee at 8 p.m. Sunday (ESPN).

"The environment in general is very cool," FSU head coach Lonni Alameda said at a press availability Tuesday. "It's got a little postseason feel to it, not just with the teams there, but the energy and excitement that is built around the tournament with ESPN."

The Seminoles are off to a hot start in the 2024 season with wins over Charlotte, Texas Tech and Florida A&M in the JoAnne Graf Classic. The Seminoles dropped their opener against the 49ers but bounced back with four straight victories.

The invitational, which is played at Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, has been played in the middle of February since the 2019 season.

"It's basketball season and we're starting to showcase softball at a pretty high level is special," Alameda said of the growth of the invitational over the years. "But we all know how cool the sport is, now everyone else gets to be a part of it.

"The hard part right now is we've outgrown the facility, we've outgrown a lot of things down there. I would say the World Series is kind of the same way. People always talk about 'Why is it in Oklahoma City all the time?'

"We need people to invest in stadiums and fastpitch and those kinds of things for our game to continue to grow."

Here is more information on each opponent the Seminoles will face this weekend.

No. 9 Stanford Cardinal

The Thursday contest will be the third-ever matchup between the two traditional softball powerhouses. FSU defeated the Cardinal 8-2 in a tournament in 2017 in Cathedral City, California. Stanford claimed a 3-1 win in a tournament game in Palm Springs, California during the 2013 season.

The Cardinal went 3-2 during the SDSU Season Kickoff in San Diego last weekend. It opened with a 3-0 win over host No. 24 San Diego State but dropped back-to-back contests against No. 25 Kentucky.

Stanford bounced back with 3-0 and 3-2 wins over Minnesota and UC Santa Barbara to close the weekend.

Top hitters

  • Caelan Koch - .357 average, 1 home run, 3 RBI, .400 on base, .971 OPS

  • River Mahler - .333 average, 1 double, 1 RBI, .429 on base, .846 OPS, 1 stolen base

Top pitchers

  • NiJaree Canady - 1-1 record, 0.43 ERA, 1 shutout, 1 save, 33 strikeouts, 2 walks, 16 ⅓ innings

  • Regan Krause - 2-1, record, 1.58 ERA, 1 shutout, 7 strikeouts, 6 walks, 13 ⅓ innings

No. 20 UCLA Bruins

The Bruins and Seminoles have become regular opponents in Clearwater. This year's matchup will be the third straight year the two are pitted against each other in the tournament and the fourth time overall.

FSU leads the all-time series between the two programs 8-4, but UCLA got the 6-4 victory in the matchup last season with six runs in the final two innings off Makenna Reid and Kathryn Sandercock.

UCLA got off to a slow start in the Stacy Winsberg Tournament in Los Angeles, going 2-3. The Bruins fell 12 spots in the first in-season polls as a result.

The Bruins lost to Texas twice by the scores of 3-2 and 16-0, including allowing the Longhorns to hit two grand slams in the second game. UCLA also lost 9-1 to Oklahoma State. They had wins over Maryland (6-5) and San Diego State (7-6) during the weekend.

Top hitters

  • Alexis Ramirez - .455 average, 1 home run, 2 RBI, .500 on base, 1.138 OPS

  • Maya Brady - .385 average, 1 double, 3 RBI, .529 on base, .991 OPS

  • Jadelyn Allchin - .333 average, 1 home run, 2 RBI, .385 on base, .968 OPS, 1 stolen base

Top pitchers

  • Taylor Tinsley - 0-2 record, 3.23 ERA, 2 saves, 15 strikeouts, 3 walks, 13 innings

  • Jada Cecil - 1-1, record, 9.75 ERA, 5 strikeouts, 10 walks, 9 ⅓ innings

  • Kaitlyn Terry - 1-0 record, 4.38 ERA, 9 strikeouts, 4 walks, 8 innings

No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs

The Seminoles play the Bulldogs in a 2023 Tallahassee Super Regional rematch, where FSU swept Georgia in the two-game series. The Seminoles lead the all-time series 11-8.

Georgia went 5-0 in the Red & Black Showcase in Athens, Georgia, with wins over Murray State (11-0), South Dakota (4-0), Murray State (2-0) and Purdue (6-1 and 5-1).

The Bulldogs are carried by their pitching, allowing just two runs over the five games.

Top hitters

  • Sydney Kuma - .750 average, 2 home runs, 2 RBI, .813 on base, 2.146 OPS, 1 stolen base

  • Sydney Chambley - .500 average, 3 home runs, 10 RBI, .625 on base, 2.042 OPS, 1 stolen base

  • Jayda Kearney - .357 average, 2 home runs, 2 RBI, .438 on base, 1.224 OPS

Top pitchers

  • Madison Kerpics - 2-0 record, 0.00 ERA, 1 shutout, 5 strikeouts, 2 walks, 10 innings

  • Shelby Walters - 2-0, record, 0.00 ERA, 1 shutout, 14 strikeouts, 3 walks, 8 innings

  • Lillie Backes - 1-0, record, 0.66 ERA, 1 shutout, 1 save, 11 strikeouts, 1 walk, 10 ⅔ innings

No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers

A group of FSU softball players huddle at home plate as the Seminoles take on No. 18 Tennessee in the St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022.
A group of FSU softball players huddle at home plate as the Seminoles take on No. 18 Tennessee in the St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022.

The Volunteers won the first-ever matchups between the two programs, but FSU has been victors in the last four, including a 5-1 victory in the WCWS last June. Reid earned the win in relief in that game, with Michaela Edenfield and Hallie Wacaser hitting home runs.

Tennessee opened the season with a win against UT Arlington (15-) in Arlington, Texas and a pair of wins over Baylor (3-2 and 9-1) in Waco, Texas. It had a game canceled on Sunday due to inclement weather.

The Volunteers play a mid-week contest against Kennesaw State in Georgia before heading to Clearwater.

FSU-Tennessee will be the featured game at the 8 p.m. primetime slot Sunday.

Top hitters

  • Destiny Rodriguez - .750 average, 1 home run, 2 RBI, .833 on base, 2.333 OPS

  • Riley West - .714 average, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 6 RBI, .429 on base, 2.657 OPS

  • Kiki Milloy - .333 average, 1 home run, 3 RBI, .455 on base, 1.233 OPS, 1 stolen base

Top pitchers

  • Payton Gottshall - 2-0 record, 0.00 ERA, 1 shutout, 13 strikeouts, 0 walks, 8 ⅓ innings

  • Regan Krause - 1-0, record, 1.40 ERA, 4 strikeouts, 2 walks, 5 innings

FSU at 2024 TaxAct Clearwater Invitational

Thursday, Feb. 15

No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 9 Stanford, 4 p.m. (ESPNU)

Friday, Feb. 16

No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 20 UCLA, 1 p.m. (ESPNU)

Saturday, Feb. 17

No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 4 Georgia, 10 a.m. (ESPN2)

Sunday, Feb. 18

No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 2 Tennessee, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports), Instagram (tlhnolesports) and YouTube channel (NoleSportsTD).

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: What to know for FSU softball playing in Clearwater Invitational