Syracuse Faces #3 Florida State in ACC Quarterfinals

SOUTH BEND, IND. – Syracuse softball faces a major test in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Quarterfinals, as the Orange play top-seeded No. 3 Florida State on Thursday, May 11 at 11 a.m. at Melissa Cook Softball Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. Fans can purchase tickets here and can tune in live on ACC Network.

ORANGE UPDATE:

Syracuse earned a historic win against Virginia, beating the Cavaliers 8-2 in the first round. The Orange advance to the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals for the second time in school history.
The eight runs and 10 hits against Virginia are the most in an ACC Tournament game in program history.
Laila Alves, Angel Jasso and Madison Knight combined for seven hits and five runs batted in across 12 at-bats against Virginia in the first round.
In the circle, Knight threw her eighth complete game of the season, containing the Cavaliers' offense to two runs on five hits with four strikeouts.
Jasso has logged multiple hits in three straight games, batting .667 in that stretch with three RBIs.
A 2023 ACC All-Freshmen team selection, Knight is a two-way star for head coach Shannon Doepking. The Baltimore, Maryland native leads Syracuse in earned run average (2.99), innings pitched (147.1), strikeouts (128) and RBIs (28).
Alves leads the team in batting average (.308), tying a career-high for hits in a game in the first round with three.
The Orange are the youngest team in the ACC, as the 10 freshmen on the roster are the most in the conference.
Underclassmen account for 72 percent of hits this season (234-332).
Syracuse is one of the stronger defensive sides in the conference, ranking fourth in fielding percentage (.971) and fewest errors committed (38).
The .971 fielding percentage is the best in Doepking's tenure.

SCOUTING THE SEMINOLES:

Florida State is the No. 3 team in the nation, earning the top seed in the ACC Tournament after winning the conference in the regular season with a 22-2 record in ACC play.
The Seminoles ended the regular season with 13-straight wins, as they last lost a game on Saturday, Apr. 15 against Virginia.
ACC Pitcher of the Year Kathryn Sandercock leads Florida State in the circle, tossing a team-high 80 strikeouts in 138 innings.
At the plate, the Seminoles are led by outfielder Jahni Kerr, who leads the team in batting average (.386).

THE SERIES:

Syracuse and Florida State meet for a fourth time this season, as the Seminoles earned a three-game sweep in March.
The Seminoles lead the all-time series, 30-2.
Syracuse last won a game in the series in 2005, as the Orange edged Florida State in extra innings, 4-3.

UP NEXT:

The winner of Thursday morning's clash will play in the ACC Tournament Semifinals on Friday, May 12 on ESPN2.

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