Alameda urges Seminoles to savor success before NCAA tourney begins
Lonni Alameda insists she wasn't all that nervous when her Florida State softball team was in the final innings against Clemson in the ACC championship game last weekend.
Not only did she have the utmost faith in her team to come through like it had 51 previous times this season, but she has been through so many of those moments that they don't necessarily affect her the way they might someone else.
Still, Alameda was exceedingly proud of her team for winning yet another ACC title. Mainly because of how the Seminoles won -- rallying from behind in the sixth inning and first baseman Mack Leonard hitting the go-ahead, three-run homer to cap off the comeback. And she hopes/thinks/expects that those types of moments will pay off for her team when the NCAA Tournament starts this weekend.
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Florida State, the No. 2 overall national seed, will host Howard on Friday night. And if the 'Noles win that, they'll play the winner of Mississippi State-South Florida on Saturday.
"I know the fans in general want a 7-0 ball game and it be over," Alameda said. "But like to me, a 6-5 ball game, or you're down one or two in the seventh, that's like so memorable personally and as a team, too.
"So for Mack to have that was so cool."
It has been a whole lot of cool for the Seminoles this year.
They're currently 52-5. They are 19-2 against teams ranked in the top 20 of the RPI. They have still yet to lose to a non-conference opponent. And they just won yet another ACC Championship.
There's no telling what the next few weeks will hold. Maybe the Seminoles advance to the Women's College World Series again. Maybe they surprisingly struggle this weekend.
But no matter what happens for the rest of this month and into June, there has never been a regular season in FSU softball history quite like the one the Seminoles just put together. And before they focus on making some more magic in the NCAA Tournament, the head coach wanted to make sure they appreciated, respected and celebrated what they accomplished this season.
Because it was truly remarkable.
"Before we had practice (on Tuesday), I said, 'You guys, can we just take a second right now and can you seriously turn around and high-five and hug and love on your teammate? Because something has been accomplished here that's truly incredible,'" Alameda said. "There have been some historic things.
"Sometimes in a 50-game season, it's hard to stop and take a second because all you're thinking about is the Tuesday game and the Thursday game and the Sunday game."
Alameda wanted to make sure her players understood what they already have accomplished in 2022. And now, as we get closer to the weekend, she wants them to shift mentally to what they can still accomplish.
Florida State was one win away from a national championship a season ago.
This team, by all measures, has played better than that one. So, naturally, the goal is to go to Oklahoma City and win the whole thing.
First things first, though.
The Seminoles have to get out of a regional that isn't exactly the easiest one they've ever had.
South Florida (44-14) and Mississippi State (33-24) are both quite capable of pulling off the upset in Tallahassee and advancing to next weekend's Super Regional.
"That's fine," Alameda said of what appears to be a tough draw. "You're going to have to beat good people to get to the World Series, so I think that mindset has always been there for us. And we've always had a tough regional. So, yeah, bring them on, and we've got to play the best softball we can."
Note: Lonni Alameda's full interview from today's Wake Up Warchant podcast can be heard below. It begins around the 23:40 mark.
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