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The No. 3 Florida softball team continues its road stretch on Wednesday against No. 7 Florida State. The game marks the Gators’ seventh straight on the road.
They are on a three-game win streak, following last weekend’s conference series sweep at Auburn. The Gators (33-5) will try to improve to four straight in this top-1o rivalry meeting.
morning ⏪ of yesterday’s win pic.twitter.com/buIOcU9E8I
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) March 31, 2025
Riding A High
Florida improved to 6-3 in conference play over the weekend by making easy work of Auburn. It was the team’s first sweep of the Tigers since 2020 and first on the road since 2011. The series also saw the return of Florida ace Keagan Rothrock, who has been battling an injury for more than a month. She barely skipped a beat, shutting out the Tigers in game two of the series.
Unfortunately for the Gators, Florida State’s 13-game win streak heading into this game makes three wins look mediocre. The Seminoles (33-5) are 15-2 at home this season and are coming off series sweeps against Pitt, No. 18 Duke and NC State. They haven’t lost a game since March 9 against No. 12 Oregon, 1-0. Suffice to say, the Gators will have their hands full in this one.
Florida leads the all-time series at 29-23. The team won last year’s meeting 15-13 in a nine-inning thriller.
Scouting Seminoles
Both these teams certainly have one thing in common: their lineups are a pitchers nightmare. The Seminoles know how to knock in runs, led by Michaela Edenfield in the clean up spot. The redshirt senior catcher is a presence behind the plate and at it. She’s batting .383 on the season with six home runs. Edenfield consistently finds a way to will herself on base, leading the team in walks and hits by pitch.
The top of the lineup knows how to get on base for Edenfield to knock them in. Lead off hitter and shortstop Isa Torres leads the team with a .463 batting average and 62 hits. Jaysoni Beachum, who bats second, leads the team with ten home runs and is batting .367 on the season.
The most intimidating part of the Seminoles lineup, however, is how complete it is top to bottom. Center fielder Kennedy Harp, who is second on the team with a .445 average, typically bats in the six spot, despite leading the team in slugging percentage, RBIs and runs scored. With talent top to bottom, the Gators defense will have its hands full against its rival.
Florida’s Focuses
This is clearly going to be a battle of the bats in Tallahassee. However, if Florida’s defense can find its footing, the Gators can pick up this top-10 win. With Rothrock back in the circle, this Florida team just got a whole lot more intimidating. Assuming she starts in the circle, shutting down the Seminoles lineup looks to be a more manageable tasks.
What may get the Gators into trouble is errors. Their defense plays as a unit and mistakes can quickly spiral, infecting the entire team in the process. They need to play clean on that side of the ball and back up their pitching staff.
Seminole Warrior
FSU coach Lonni Alameda was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, she announced on social media Monday. Alameda has been undergoing treatment at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.
Despite the recent diagnosis, the university said Alameda continues to fulfill her duties leading the program.
I’m so thankful for all your support, and I could not be in a better situation than I am in with TMH, Florida State Athletics, my team and my staff. I’m ready to go through this journey together
Go Noles pic.twitter.com/F7pTEfghP0
— Lonni Alameda (@Coach_Alameda) March 31, 2025
Gametime and Where to Watch
First pitch in Tallahassee is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday. The game will be available to watch on ACCNX and will be broadcast live on ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF starting at 5:45 p.m.
