TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — With the start of the 2020 season just 10 days away, Florida State softball has been listed among the Top 10 in the country in all of the major polls, as the Seminoles are ranked No. 7 by Softball America, No. 8 by USA Softball, No. 9 by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and No. 10 by both D1Softball and FloSoftball.
“While we have a bunch of new faces both on and off the field this season, there is also a lot of veteran leadership on this team,” said FSU head coach Lonni Alameda. “Team 37 has been working hard since the fall and we are so excited for the season to start. It is a testament to the legacy of this program that we are recognized in the preseason rankings, and are looking forward to the challenge in front of us.”
The Seminoles will play three of the top four teams in the USA Softball poll this season, combining for 16 of the 19 first-place votes in the poll – No. 1 Alabama (12 first-place votes), No. 2 Washington (2) and No. 4 UCLA (3). Overall, Florida State will play 23 games against teams ranked or receiving votes in the preseason, along with No. 7 Minnesota, No. 9 Florida, No. 10 Louisiana, No. 15 Northwestern, No. 20 Arkansas, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Louisville, North Carolina, Baylor and Notre Dame.
Individually, junior Sydney Sherrill and senior Dani Morgan were recognized by Softball America as Preseason First Team All-Americans, as FSU was one of three schools, along with Washington and Oklahoma, to have multiple players named to the First Team. The pair of Seminoles, ranked No. 5 and No. 18 in SA’s Preseason Top 100, we’re joined on the list by redshirt junior Elizabeth Mason (No. 65), senior Caylan Arnold (No. 76), sophomore Kathryn Sandercock (No. 78) and senior Anna Shelnutt (No. 96). Florida State’s six selections to the Top 100 was tied with UCLA for the most in the country.
The No. 8 Seminoles will begin the 2020 season at home on February 7 as FSU will host RV North Carolina, No. 1 Alabama and Detroit Mercy in the JoAnne Graf Classic.
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