Florida State softball: 5 Seminoles players to watch in JoAnne Graf Classic and 2023 season
Florida State softball kicks off its 40th season Thursday as it hosts the JoAnne Graf Classic.
The three-day tournament also features Lipscomb, Longwood and Purdue.
FSU players participated in the annual Fan Day and scrimmage Saturday, but is ready to face an opponent.
“We’re definitely ready to see a different opponent in a different uniform,” FSU graduate senior Mack Leonard said. “We were saying the other day in the locker room, ‘I’m so sick of hitting off (Kathryn Sandercock). I’m done hitting off of Allison (Royalty).’
“We just want to face different pitchers. Our pitchers want to face different hitters. We’re so ready to go and attack this weekend and play actual games.”
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The Seminoles are ranked No. 5 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll. They are scheduled to play five games this weekend, two Thursday and one Friday and two more Saturday, at the Seminole Softball Complex.
"I'm really expecting our new deck to be packed out," FSU catcher Michaela Edenfield said. "I know my mom was already saying, 'when can I bring my chair? I'm so excited.'"
Heavy rain is forecast for Tallahassee on Friday, so changes to the schedule were announced Wednesday morning.
FSU is scheduled to play Lipscomb in a double header, starting at 4 p.m. Thursday to open the tournament.
The Seminoles will play Longwood twice and Purdue once.
"Longwood is always scrappy. They like to swing it," FSU coach Lonni Alameda said. "Lipscomb, we played last year. They have some kids that can run. They both graduated a lot of people, so we know what that's like to get your freshman going. And they'll have that opportunity.
"We haven't had a chance to play Purdue in the Big 10 and see what they're all about. But I would imagine Purdue's probably been inside, they're excited to see some dirt."
Here are five players to watch for the Seminoles:
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Catcher Michaela Edenfield
The redshirt sophomore started in all 61 games of the 2022 season, hitting .293 and blasting a team-high 16 home runs.
She finished second on the team with 53 RBI and scored 36 runs, while leading the team with a .624 slugging percentage.
Edenfield earned a spot on the All-ACC second team following her strong performance and was a 2022 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Top 10 Finalist.
She will continue to be a power source for the Seminoles, as well as the starting catcher.
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Utility player Kalei Harding
The junior utility player could be depended upon to replace the production provided by Seminole legend third baseman Sydney Sherill.
She is an option in the hot corner, but likely will see action everywhere on the field, including right field and catcher.
Harding, who was named to the preseason All-ACC first team for 2023, earned All-ACC Tournament honors last season, as well as a spot on the All-ACC second team.
She hit .304 (56-for-184) with 11 doubles, 15 home runs a team-best 54 RBI, and also added 11 stolen bases.
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First baseman/pitcher Mack Leonard
Another 2023 preseason All-ACC first-team pick, Leonard makes an impact on both sides of the field.
Last season, she led FSU with a .375 average (66-for-176, was tied for the team lead in hits with 66 and was second on the team with 15 doubles.
She also posted a 3-0 record, to go along with a 3.36 ERA and struck out 24 hitters in 33 ⅓ innings.
Leonard earned All-ACC Tournament first-team honors and second-team for the regular season. She was named to the top 50 watch list for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year for 2023.
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Pitcher Allison Royalty
The junior Arizona State transfer could have a major role in the rotation for the Seminoles' staff behind Kathryn Sandercock.
In her two seasons with the Wildcats, she posted a 13-7 record with a 3.54 ERA and 158 strikeouts in 156.1 innings.
She went 2-1 last season, posting a 4.86 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 31 innings. As a freshman, she went 11-6 with a 3.20 ERA and a team-leading 121 strikeouts, earning a spot on the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.
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Pitcher Kathryn Sandercock
The redshirt senior led the Seminoles in several categories, including, wins (30), innings pitched (194 ⅓), earned runs allowed (40), walks (30), saves (3), complete games (8), opponent batting average (.189) and ERA (1.44).
Her ERA was 18th in the nation, while the wins were the second most, earning her being named a 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top-25 Finalist.
Along with first-team honors for All-ACC, she also earned D1 Softball Second Team All-American.
She was named to the top 50 watch list for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year for 2023 and was another Seminole on the All-ACC preseason first team.
JoAnne Graf Classic schedule
Thursday, Feb. 9
Lipscomb vs. Florida State (4 p.m.)
Lipscomb vs. Florida State (Approximately 30 minutes following game one)
Friday, Feb. 10
Longwood vs. Purdue (9 a.m.)
Lipscomb vs. Purdue (11:15 p.m.)
Longwood vs. Florida State (1:30 p.m.)
Saturday, Feb. 11
Purdue vs. Lipscomb (10 a.m.)
Longwood vs. Lipscomb (12:15 p.m.)
Longwood vs. Florida State (2:30 p.m.)
Purdue vs. Florida State (4:45 p.m.)
Sunday, Feb. 12
Longwood vs. Purdue (9 a.m.)
Where: Seminole Softball Complex
TV: ACC Network Extra
Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU softball: 5 Seminoles players to watch during 2023 season
