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Florida State Softball Picks up Former Tennessee Infielder in Transfer Portal

The newest Seminole has two years of eligibility remaining.
Nicole Reitz|
Tennessee outfielder Gabby Leach (55), Tennessee utility Ella Dodge (25) and Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens (23) pose with the trophy after winning a NCAA super regional game between Tennessee and Georgia, advancing to the Women’s College World Series at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on May 22, 2026.
Tennessee outfielder Gabby Leach (55), Tennessee utility Ella Dodge (25) and Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens (23) pose with the trophy after winning a NCAA super regional game between Tennessee and Georgia, advancing to the Women’s College World Series at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on May 22, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/ News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With Isa Torres and Jaysoni Beachum gone, Florida State has picked up a strong infielder with a big bat.

Former Tennessee Lady Vol Ella Dodge announced via social media on Friday that she’s headed to Tallahassee. 

The Florida native and starting third baseman was a top-of-the-lineup slugger for Tennessee from 2024 to 2026. She appeared in 120 games with 113 starts and built a career batting average of .262 with 82 hits, 18 home runs, 20 doubles, three triples, 61 RBIs, 82 runs, 50 walks, and 13 stolen bases. 

In the infield, she has a .967 fielding percentage with 10 errors.

As a redshirt freshman in 2025, she started 49 games, with seven home runs and 15 RBIs, and was a star at the Women’s College World Series (WCWS), when she reached base safely in all four of Tennessee’s games. 

Dodge came from Lakewood Ranch High School in Florida, where she won two 7A state titles and was named the 2022 FACA High School Player of the Year. She enrolled at Tennessee in January 2024 to join the team early, but redshirted her first official season on Rocky Top. 

The Lady Vols did see a historic year in 2026, landing No.1 in all four major polls for the first time in program history. While several players had career years at the plate, Dodge combined with Alannaha and Gabby Leach for 48 home runs with 146 RBIs. The team even started the season outscoring opponents 76-4 and put up 43 runs in five games. 

But after a third-straight unsuccessful trip to the WCWS, falling in the semifinals to the eventual two-time national champions, the Texas Longhorns, Dodge, along with pitcher Kailey Plumlee and outfielder Saviya Morgan, flew the coop. 

She now joins ASUN Player of the Year Nicole Edmiaston as the only other player to transfer to Florida State so far. Edmiaston is coming off a breakout junior campaign with Stetson, where she batted .453 with 23 home runs and 70 RBIs. She also set Stetson’s single-season record for home runs, RBIs and total bases. 

Both Dodge and Edmiaston should help replace the offensive production of Torres and Beachum. 

Meanwhile, the Seminoles didn’t have the best postseason either, losing to Stetson and UCF at their home Regional.

2027 will surely be a year of rebuilding for Lonni Alameda, as the 2026 signing class brings in Kaylee Goodpaster, McLaine Hudson, Callee Leffler, Ava Lorenzatti, Missy Odom, and Addyson Ware. 

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Nicole Reitz
NICOLE REITZ

Nicole Reitz graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in sports journalism in 2022 and has been writing about softball and baseball since 2018 .Her work has been published in various publications like Softball America, the Indianapolis Star, and SoxOn35th.

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