FSU Softball Starts Season 5-0

by NoleCC on Feb 13, 2012 3:59 PM EST

The FSU Softball Team started off the 2012 season over the weekend, and they came out strong. The Noles started 5-0 over the weekend with Friday victories over Stephen F. Austin (I attended) & Ole Miss. Saturday featured two victories over Tennessee Tech (the late game by mercy rule). Sunday's championship game featured not only an 8-0, 5 inning mercy rule, but also a 5 inning no-hitter by true freshman Lacey Waldrop.

Personal notes after the jump >>>------|>

I was only able to check out the Stephen F. Austin game on Friday.

A) It was FSU's worst game of the weekend based on the summaries / box scores of the other games. I'm sorry that I missed out on the bigger fun the rest of the weekend.

2) I spoke too soon about having a nice day for the game. Cool weather, wind and a little traditional opening day drizzle started late in the SFA game and continued into the Ole Miss game.

D) Ole Miss is a bunch of loud mouthed smack talkers, but Stephen F. Austin won the individual Waste Management, Inc. Trash Talker award for #22 and her "Wasssssssuppp!!!??" after being called safe on an RBI bunt.

IV) I had a couple Tennessee Tech players behind me that struck up a conversation about the Sand Volleyball courts. They had no idea that it had become a varsity sport and thought that it was really cool that FSU offered it.

Last year's team was disappointing until the ACC Tournament when they pulled it together at the perfect time and won the championship. I was worried about this year's squad with Monica Perry anchoring the staff and two true freshman along with Jessica Nori. It turns out the freshmen had a great opening weekend and Nori continued to be a pleasant surprise. I didn't get to see Waldrop in person, but Bailey Schinella kept batters off balance with a change up first, sneak it by you fast ball strategy. I haven't seen that before and it seems to work well in relief of Monica Perry that was solid through 5-ish innings.

The lineup is solid and it appears to be more powerful than any lineup I can remember since Yurubi Alicart was playing SS. Briana Hamilton, Maddie O'Brien and Erika Leonard look to be consistent long ball threats. There's plenty of speed as usual with Tiffani Brown, Courtney Senas and Morgan Bullock. The offensive outlook continues to be on the upswing, as it has been each year since Lonnie Alameda took over the program.

We'll know more after the Noles travel to #20 LSU on Wednesday and after next weekend's Seminole Classic #2 at JoAnne Graf Field. If the pitching holds up and the bats don't completely die, that bodes well for the rest of the season.

Season FSU Softball Statistics (take them for what they're worth, which isn't always much).

A No-No For Waldrop (Seminoles.com)

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Comments

Cool.

A quick Google search revealed that even though we aren’t ranked, we did receive a couple preseason votes!

http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/softball/d1

Here’s hoping the softball team has a great season (which would be awesome AND help with our Director’s Cup ranking)!

by Invictus13 on Feb 13, 2012 5:09 PM EST reply actions

Thanks for putting this up CC. I am looking forward to the updates and whether or not the nerds here and the geeks still attending FSU will support and come to appreciate your passion.

Add photo’s if you’d like, whenever you feel like it. Also, I will make sure the comments are kept classy in case we pick up any of the players or fans as new members.

>------::----::------->Spearing 'em and Scalping 'em like it's 1999
I'm not so sure this Jimbo fella is the right man for the job.

by FrankDNole on Feb 13, 2012 6:54 PM EST reply actions

Fwiw I don’t generally carry the camera anymore. If I remember for one weekend I include some.

"Baseball is like church. Many attend but few understand." - Wes Westrum, Mets Manager

Follow @ScalpEmOfficial

by NoleCC on Feb 14, 2012 6:43 AM EST via iPhone app up reply actions

Good job on this!

Glad to see a good start to the season. Glad to see the freshmen contribute well early on. Hopefully they’ll be able to keep that up.

by evenflow58 on Feb 13, 2012 6:57 PM EST reply actions

Thanks for This!

I can’t say I’ve followed much softball, but it’s always nice to hear about our Noles in all sports and learn something new at the same time. Thanks for sharing your passion and interest in our Noles!

"Awww, come on guys, it's so simple. Maybe you need a refresher course."

by BookemDanole on Feb 13, 2012 7:04 PM EST reply actions

Thanks CC

Would be nice to have a correspondent for women’s BB, soccer, and volleyball as well. All excellent programs.

Is the poster known as FSU actually Terry Saban? And why does TN not want you to know?

by csfuu on Feb 13, 2012 9:00 PM EST reply actions

Thank You!

Would love to continue to hear softball updates and program news! I coach in the Pensacola area and have a daughter who is a hs freshman, hoping to steer her towards Tally : )

by LetsRollNoles! on Feb 13, 2012 11:08 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Wonderful update!

It is so great to have the true Seminole spirit still flowing through the less advertised sports on TN. I second @csfuu that a correspondent for ALL of the other sports would be GREAT for us FSU junkies…

It should also give fans some motivation to go support all of the athletics so we can not only be champions in a few sports, we are champions in ALL the sports by achieving the Director’s Cup, as @Invictus13 specified.

Look forward to your next update

by RobbSeminole on Feb 14, 2012 1:57 AM EST reply actions

Thanks guys

I appreciate the positive feedback. I might try to keep up some sort of weekly update, it just depends on time.

"Baseball is like church. Many attend but few understand." - Wes Westrum, Mets Manager

Follow @ScalpEmOfficial

by NoleCC on Feb 14, 2012 6:41 AM EST via iPhone app reply actions

thanks for the updates

My sis is the senior center fielder for USF and they have a pretty good group of girls this year, finally. They played the gators real close and it was an all around great game. Hope the lady Noles go all the way again this year.

Saw Peter Warrick play once. The rest is history...

by polknole on Feb 14, 2012 9:21 AM EST reply actions

Back in the day...late '80s

My roommates and I stumbled over from the Palace to game (when the field was next to Doak). I’d say there might have been 20 people in the stands that weren’t making any noise. We changed that…had so much fun cheering & chanting with the team and basically harassing anyone not wearing G&G. After the game some of the players and Asst coaches thanked us for being there and asked to come back…which we did. Course it helped that they had some lookers on the team…loved those Larsen sisters. Good teams back then, but like the baseball squads…many times the bride’s maid, never the bride.

Gripper

Tommyhawk Nation: Bobby Bowden is the all-time ACC leader in conference titles, conference wins, total wins, winning percentage, bowl appearances & wins and owns the longest conference winning streak.

by Gripper on Feb 14, 2012 12:32 PM EST reply actions

I vaguely remember the old field. I never watched a game at that one, I just remember passing by a couple of times.

You bring up an interesting, and bothersome point about softball. At lot of times in the last few years I’ve noticed this huge emphasis on “fans, be mindful of your cheering… blah blah no harassing comments, etc.” I agree, that there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed, but to me they are the same ones for the guys and ladies. This whole just applaud your own team thing is what contributes to the feeling of it being a junior league sport.

Seriously, a couple of players from opposing teams deserved some heckling after their displays of arrogance all while ultimately losing to FSU.

"Baseball is like church. Many attend but few understand." - Wes Westrum, Mets Manager

Follow @ScalpEmOfficial

by NoleCC on Feb 14, 2012 1:11 PM EST up reply actions

Maybe you're right

but I’m old and I see no enjoyment from or benefit to heckling girls.

I accept Process...as long as it yields immediate beneficial results.

by fmnole on Feb 15, 2012 4:52 AM EST up reply actions

I guess my main complaint isn’t really that we should heckle ultimately, it’s just that the crowd tends to over correct in the other direction which leaves you with a very flat / laid back environment in the stands even during big games. Poor explanation on my part. I do that a lot.

"Baseball is like church. Many attend but few understand." - Wes Westrum, Mets Manager

Follow @ScalpEmOfficial

by NoleCC on Feb 15, 2012 7:10 AM EST up reply actions

I do want to say...

That we heckled the ladies differently than the guys. There are times when a guy on the opposing team is just an arse and we let him have it….mean stuff.

But when harassing the ladies…even those on rival teams…our harassment was much more in fun (at least in our minds) than mean. And a lot of the time we were self-deprecating while heckling. Example… Most of the time we biked over to the field…we try to distract the other team by offering to go out on a date (if she struck out) but she would have to ride on the handle bars…stupid stuff like that.

We probably made it to about 15 games that year, to the point where some of the girls knew us by name. Not once did anyone suggest we went over the line.

BTW-the old field was embarrassing compared to the stadium they have now.

Gripper

by Gripper on Feb 16, 2012 10:04 AM EST up reply actions