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Unranked Stetson Stuns No. 9 Florida State in NCAA Tournament Opener

Maddy Lewis|
The unranked Stetson Hatters pick up one of their biggest victories in program history upon defeating No. 9 Florida State, 8-3, in day one at the Tallahassee Regional.
The unranked Stetson Hatters pick up one of their biggest victories in program history upon defeating No. 9 Florida State, 8-3, in day one at the Tallahassee Regional. | Stetson Athletics

Unranked Stetson delivered the first upset of the 2026 NCAA DI Softball Championship as the Hatters beat the ninth-ranked Florida State Seminoles, 8-3, at JoAnne Graf Field in Tallahassee, Fla.

This is the first time Florida State has lost a regional opener since 2012 and first home regional loss since 2009.

Stetson scored five runs on the ACC Pitcher of the Year Jazzy Francik in 2.2 innings of play, forcing the Seminoles to tap into their bullpen early.

Logan Forman was 2-for-3 on the day with two RBI including a two-run home run in the top of the second to get the score party going for her Hatters.

Anna Hinde answered back for FSU with a solo shot in the bottom half of the inning.

But the Hatters continued to piece together runs. Amber Chumley's (3-4, HR, 4 RBI) three-run blast, her seventh of the season, put the Hatters ahead, 5-1. Forman's single following the four-bagger would ultimately lead FSU head coach Loni Alameda to yank her ace.

Again, the Seminoles would attempt to fight back as Ashtyn Danley (1-3, HR, 2 RBI) took a ball deep to center field to cut the deficit to two.

The Hatters would then tag on additional insurance in the fourth when Annabella McClerren capitalized on an error from FSU's first baseman. A single through the left side plated two more. One more run in the sixth would do the job for Stetson.

Sophomore shortstop Irianis Garcia surpassed the Stetson single-season runs record in the victory with her 53rd on the year.

The Hatters' starting pitcher Hayley Arnold earned the win on the bump. The right hander tossed 5.0 impressive innings, scattering five hits, and allowed just three earned runs from a strong top 10 program in FSU.

Ava Braswell came in relief in the sixth to shut the door. She limited the Seminoles to two hits and zero runs in the nine batters she faced.

"Just super proud of my girls," Stetson head coach Shellie Cousins said in the postgame presser. "We came into this weekend "why not us?"... We knew it was going to be a battle, we knew it was going to be a fight."

Florida State left a total of eight runners on base and tallied one error on the contest which proved to be costly.

The Tallahassee Regional continues tomorrow May 16 as Stetson will play the winner of Jacksonville State and Central Florida at 12 p.m. ET. Florida State will match up against the losing team of that same contest at 2:30 p.m. ET.

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Maddy Lewis
MADDY LEWIS

Maddy Lewis was a four-year starting infielder for UC San Diego Softball (2015–19), helping lead the Tritons to two conference championships, a West Region title, and a trip to the Division II National Championship in her senior season. She graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in Communication, where she also wrote for the student newspaper, The Guardian. After college, Maddy spent two years as a Sports Information Director, working closely with the softball, basketball and running programs, deepening her appreciation for the stories behind the stats. She has continued her playing career on the international stage as a member and captain of the Israeli Women’s National Softball Team for the past four years, facing top talent at European Championships, Canada Cups, and the Maccabi Games. Beyond competing, Maddy remains deeply committed to growing the game. She co-hosts the Jewish Softball: More Than A Game podcast, offers private instruction in the Bay Area and has coached teams at the Triple Crown Sports International Challenge and the JCC Maccabi Games. With a passion for storytelling and softball, she is dedicated to giving back to the sport that has shaped her both on and off the field and making an impact on the next generation in any way she can.

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