Posted by NoleCC

By Bill Kristoph

The 2008 FSU Softball season turned out to be what most fans expected, good by many standards, mediocre by FSU standards. It’s been the same story for a couple of years (basically Tiffany McDonald’s entire career at FSU), if the Seminole offense wakes up, then the Noles win. All too often though, the FSU bats are seemingly dead, or they die at the wrong time. Fight, Fight, Fight for F-S-U goes the fight song, but the Noles didn’t show it very often. When trailing after 4 innings were 3-24, after 5 innings they were 3-22 and after 6 innings, 0-21.

The biggest issue of the 2008 season though, was the pitching staff behind TMac. Hopefully local Tallahassee talent Sarah Hamilton picks up the pace next year, after a solid, but inconsistent, debut and Terese Gober rebounds from an ugly sophomore slump. It would be nice to see Melissa May return to the form of her first two years too, when she was a solid lefty for the Noles.  Who’s to blame for the downright mediocre pitching performance? For now, the finger has to be pointed at Barbara Sherwood, not directly due to her coaching, but maybe due to 2008 being a “getting to know each other” season for her and the pitching staff. Casey Hunter had similar ups and downs her senior season when the Noles changed pitching coaches too.

On the offensive side, the slumps spilled over to Monica Montez too, who batted 90 points lower than her ACC Freshman of the Year performance in 2007.  Basically, Brittany Osmon, Whitney Buckmon and Carly Wynn carried the team.  Wynn (pictured above) is the only one of those returning. She’ll be the only .300 hitter returning from the 2008 Seminoles.

The 2008 season was, to quote Dennis Green, “Exactly what we though they were.”

Looking ahead to 2009:

On the bright side, the middle of the infield has a year under its belt. Freshmen Kristie McConn and Ashley Stager need to step up next season in the field and at the plate.  Carly Wynn returns with a glove that gets everything in the outfield, a great bat, and good speed on the bases. Robin Ahrberg and Jessica Gilmore will anchor home plate again, splitting duties at catcher and in Ahrberg’s case, providing some pop in the batter’s box. And, if Allison Collins can improve her consistency at the plate, her power will be welcome in the lineup at designated player, while she waits behind Ahberg and Gilmore at catcher.

Most importantly though, between now and the start of the 2009 season let’s hope the Noles find some fight. Maybe a viewing of 300 is in order for the team?