6/6/2023 other sports Edit

Column: The FSU softball program has totally flipped its WCWS narrative

In FSU softball's last three trips to the Women's College World Series, it has amassed a 14-4 record. (Brett Rojo/USA Today Sports)

Curt Weiler • TheOsceola

Senior Writer

Since its inception as an NCAA sport in 1982, Florida State has consistently been near the top of the college softball world.

After FSU won consecutive AIAW slow-pitch national championships in 1981 and 1982, the Seminoles have made 12 trips to the Women’s College World Series since 1987, tied with Michigan for the fifth-most WCWS appearances over that span behind only Arizona, UCLA, Oklahoma and Washington.

Entering Wednesday’s WCWS Championship Series vs. No. 1 Oklahoma, the Seminoles are 22-22 over their 12 WCWS appearances after Monday night’s 5-1 win over No. 4 Tennessee.

That .500 record, though, doesn’t do a proper job of telling the story of FSU softball’s postseason success. Because for a long time, the Seminoles couldn’t manage to extend the success they had on a yearly basis into success at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

In FSU’s seven trips to the fast-pitch WCWS under legendary head coach JoAnne Graf, the Seminoles’ record was 6-14. In FSU’s first two trips to OKC under Alameda, the Seminoles went a combined 2-4.

Before 2018 and the program’s first NCAA Championship, the FSU softball team had never even made it to the WCWS Semifinals in the fast-pitch format. Now, FSU is set to compete in its third WCWS Championship Series in as many trips to Oklahoma City.

Between the 2018, 2021 and 2023 appearances, FSU has a combined 14-4 record over its last three trips to the WCWS entering this year’s championship series.

FSU softball's record in the Women's College World Series

First seven appearances before Lonni Alameda	6-14
First two appearances under Lonni Alameda	2-4
Last three appearances under Lonni Alameda	14-4

“I always fall back on how we do things. We have a saying, 'How you do anything is how you do everything.' What we're doing now is no different than what we did in February or March. We really take pride as a program for building this time of year,” Alameda said when asked about FSU’s recent postseason success. “As a team, you're going to go up and down in successes throughout the season, but our mindset is always like I want Kat (Sandercock) to be the strongest at the end of the season. I want Jahni (Kerr) to learn from these moments so at the end of the season she's super comfortable in them. Just all facets of it. I think we have this vision and it's mapped out and we check the boxes as we go along.

“I feel like when you're building that process piece, then they can always rely on this is how we do things and it's not something new at this point in the year. I truly believe that's a big part of it is just our culture and how we live daily. Yes, there is an expectation of how to play the game of softball, but it's off the field, too, and how you deal with each other on and off the field. I see that show up for them a ton and they can rely on each other.”

Preview of Oklahoma, how FSU measures up statistically

Transcript from FSU's pre-championship series press conference

Trying to identify any singular reason why FSU has totally changed its level of success at the highest level of softball in OKC is a futile quest. It extends far beyond any single player or facet and into how Alameda has taken a program that was already thriving in the softball space and elevated its standing into the penthouse.

Obviously, Alameda's ability to recruit and develop pitchers and assistant coaches Travis Wilson and Troy Cameron's (and Craig Snyder before him) refined offensive approach, which makes the Seminoles dangerous in so many different ways, have played big roles in the recent run of postseason success unlike any in program history as a fast-pitch team.

But maybe the culture that Alameda has established plays an even bigger role. The Seminoles play such remarkably complete softball, with the offense, defense and pitching staff consistently fueling each other.

In the NCAA Tournament, FSU has followed up 18 of its 20 innings where it has scored a run with a scoreless inning in the field the next half-inning.

“The ultimate goal when you get here is can you have everything firing on all cylinders. There's no book written on how to do that. You have to go from your previous experiences, your upperclassmen, what you think they can consistently bring, how you can grow your young ones..." Alameda said. “I'm really happy for (my players). This is their moment. Of course, it's my career. My passion is coaching and I love it. But they're only going to be able to do it four times. They're going to have that for the rest of their life. It's super cool to see them earning that.”

Whether FSU can finish the job this time and avenge its 2021 heartbreak in the championship series vs. OU remains to be seen. The Sooners (59-1) are two wins away from the best season in college softball history and enter Wednesday's series opener on a 51-game winning streak.

There would be no shame whatsoever if FSU comes up just short of bringing home its second national championship in a matter of five seasons. And even another championship series loss to the Sooners wouldn't diminish what Alameda and the Seminoles have accomplished.

That being said, it's fairly easy to envision a fairy-tale ending for FSU. The Seminoles may be facing a hostile atmosphere full of Oklahoma fans in a stadium about 30 minutes from OU's campus and a team on the longest winning streak in college softball history, but FSU led 4-3 in the fourth inning at Oklahoma back in March before falling 5-4, nearly ending the Sooners' historic winning streak before it even reached 15 games.

"They're very well coached. They're hard working. They have some returners who have been through this so they're very similar to us," OU head coach Patty Gasso said of FSU. "Am I surprised that we're both here? No."