Who will Stetson softball play in NCAA Tournament? Meet Tallahassee Regional teams

[ASFN Admin]

The Stetson Hatters unlocked a new NCAA Tournament destination.

During their previous two trips to softball's big dance, in 2007 and 2014, they traveled less than two hours northwest to Gainesville for Regionals hosted by the Florida Gators. But after clinching their sixth ASUN title last weekend, the Hatters (36-20, 18-6 ASUN) will stay on the bus a little longer this time.

They're bound for the Tallahassee Regional, headlined by Florida State.

Stetson will open the bracket against the Seminoles at noon on May 15. From there, it will face either UCF or Jacksonville State.

The Hatters already matched up with UCF this spring, falling 5-3 on April 15. The programs have also met in the postseason, with Stetson's lone NCAA Tournament victory coming against the Knights in 2014.

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This year, the Hatters' lineup is led by conference player of the year Nicole Edmiaston. The junior first baseman has rewritten the team record book with 22 home runs, 69 RBIs and 147 total bases. She also carries a .465 batting average and a 1.499 OPS.

In the circle, Ava Braswell paces the staff with 37 appearances and 152⅔ innings pitched. She maintains an ERA of 3.03 and has struck out 63 batters. Her record is 19-10.

Regardless of how its NCAA Tournament trip goes, Stetson will finish the season over .500 for the first time since 2018.

Let's take a look at their Regional opponents.

Florida State Seminoles softball, No. 1 seed​

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• Record: 49-8 (21-3 ACC)
• NCAA Tournament history: 117-83, 38th appearance
• Leading hitter: Florida State is ranked among the top 10 batting teams in the country, led by junior shortstop Isa Torres in the leadoff spot. The reigning ACC Player of the Year is hitting .542, which ranks third nationally. She is also fourth in the country in total hits with 90 and fourth in on-base percentage at .605. Torres has set the tone for the Seminoles all season, highlighted by a record-setting streak of 16 consecutive hits. She is joined by fellow juniors Jaysoni Beachum and Ashtyn Danley, who round out the team’s top three offensive contributors. Danley leads Florida State with 111 RBIs, while Beachum has 101 and ranked 16th in the country in walks per game (.89). Torres has also contributed 16 home runs, while Danley and Beachum have combined for 16.
• Leading pitcher: Sophomore right-hander Jazzy Francik has emerged as Florida State’s strikeout leader. She was named ACC Player of the Year after compiling a 1.75 ERA, a 22-2 record and 105 strikeouts, and she pitched six no-hitters this season. Danley serves as the second option and has been a reliable closer, leading the staff with four saves. Another pitcher to watch is freshman Bella Dimitrijevic, the team’s third starting option, who has continued to improve in the circle.
• Stetson's all-time record vs. FSU: 1-17
• Last meeting: March 26, 2025 (FSU won 5-1)
• Short hops: Florida State enters the Tallahassee Regional with a blend of sustained success and emerging talent. The Seminoles are hosting a regional for the 12th consecutive season and have advanced in 10 of the past 12 years, underscoring the program’s consistency. This year’s roster features nine freshmen, but the youth has not hindered performance. FSU is peaking late, having swept both the ACC regular-season and tournament titles. The team’s success has been driven by timely hitting, reliable pitching and steady defense. Coach Lonni Alameda’s player development is evident in the rapid growth of the freshmen, complemented by a versatile junior core led by Torres, Beachum and Danley, along with Francik in the circle. FSU combines postseason experience with ascending young talent, positioning it as a strong contender to win its home regional. A likely Super Regional matchup at UCLA would provide a significant test of the Seminoles’ championship trajectory.

— Peter Holland, Tallahassee Democrat

UCF Knights softball, No. 2 seed​

• Record: 38-16-1 (14-9-1 Big 12)
• NCAA Tournament history: 20-24, 13th appearance
• Leading hitter: UCF has five everyday regulars hitting at least .300 with 10 or more home runs. Sierra Humphreys is at or near the top in most major statistical categories. The junior from California’s Inland Empire leads the Knights in hits (62), doubles (13), runs scored (46), RBIs (56) and total bases (118), and she is second in on-base percentage (.465), slugging percentage (.742) and stolen bases (nine).
• Leading pitcher: Sophomore right-hander Isabella Vega earned her second straight All-Big 12 first-team recognition with a 17-8 record, a 2.89 ERA, 11 complete games, five saves and one shutout. Across 140.2 innings, the Bradenton native struck out 98 batters, walked 66 and allowed 20 home runs.
• Stetson's all-time record vs. Knights: 9-23
• Last meeting: April 15, 2026 (UCF won 5-3)
• Short hops: UCF returns to Tallahassee for regionals for the fourth time in the last six seasons (2021, ’23, ’24, ’26). The Knights have won their opening game in each of their previous four regional trips to the state’s capital. … Beth Damon belted her team-leading 15th home run at the Big 12 tournament, but UCF squandered an early 4-0 lead in a 6-5 defeat to Kansas. … UCF lost promising freshman pitcher Hildie Dempsey for the season in March due to ACL and meniscus injuries; she sported a 1.88 ERA in 41 innings. … UCF’s 67 home runs are a single-season program record, tied for 46th among Division I teams and five more than regional host Florida State.

— Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-Journal

Jacksonville State Gamecocks softball, No. 3 seed​

• Record: 45-14 (24-3 CUSA)
• NCAA Tournament history: 13-19, 10th appearance
• Leading hitter: Morgan Nowakowski is the spark plug for the Gamecocks' offense. She holds a .358 batting average, second on the team, with 46 runs scored, 42 RBIs, 24 doubles and four home runs. She is slugging .561 on the year.
• Leading pitcher: Makenna Moore was named the CUSA Pitcher of the Year, leading the Gamecocks with a 2.52 ERA. She has struck out 113 batters, and opponents are hitting .205 off her this season.
• Stetson's all-time record vs. Gamecocks: 8-8
• Last meeting: April 8, 2023 (Stetson won 2-1)
• Short hops: The Gamecocks dropped a Conference USA semifinal game but responded with back-to-back wins including a comeback win for the title. Jax State will be one of the tougher three seeds to knock out, coming in with a RPI of 36, but it did struggle against the three SEC teams it faced this season so it will be a tough task to advance out of the regional.

— Maxwell Donaldson, Gadsden Times

Tallahassee Regional schedule​

Double elimination from Friday-Sunday (May 15-17) at JoAnne Graf Field at Seminole Softball Complex:

Friday's games

• Game 1: Stetson vs. Florida, noon (ESPNU)
• Game 2: UCF vs. Jacksonville State, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

Saturday's games

• Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, noon
• Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 2:30 p.m.
• Game 5: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 5 p.m.

Sunday's games

Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5, noon

*Game 7: Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6, 2:30 p.m.

* If necessary

Where to watch NCAA softball Regionals​

Streaming: ESPN app | ESPN+ | Fubo (free trial)

TV channel: ESPN

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Stetson softball: Scouting report for Tallahassee Regional opponents

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