FSU’s Sherrill relishes title
The confetti fluttered from the sky, and the blaring music made OGE Energy Field even more of a commotion.
The Florida State softball team had just defeated Washington 8-3 in the second game of the Women’s College World Series final on Tuesday night. Trophies were handed to the players as families and onlookers scurried across the dirt to celebrate. A large sum of the crowd seemed to gather around Sydney Sherrill.
Sherrill, a freshman second baseman, grew up about 15 miles from ASA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium. A budding Seminoles’ star won four state titles in high school, two fastpitch and two slowpitch, for Southmoore. In her first softball tournament back in her home state, Sherrill again walked away victorious.
“This one is way bigger and just means so much more,” Sherrill said. “It’s a great place, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now.”
Sporting a gold uniform with garnet stirrups, Sherrill and the Seminoles paraded around the field after their victorious bout. The first person to approach her was Scott, Sherrill’s father, and Jason Lingo, her former coach at Southmoore. Other family members and friends sporting white shirts with Sherrill’s name and No. 24
emblazoned on the back congratulated her, some with tears filling their eyes.
“It was really an incredible feeling,” Lingo said. “I felt really lucky to be able to see something that not a lot of high school coaches get to see, one of their alumni win a national championship at that level.”
Sherrill’s performance in Oklahoma City earned her All-Tournament team honors. She went 1 for 3 on Tuesday, her one hit tying the NCAA record for most doubles (29) in a season. Sherrill wishes she could have broken the record.
She was stout defensively, scrapping up infield dribblers before slinging them to first base.
Whenever Sherrill readied in the batter’s box and her name was announced on the PA system, the local crowd awoke and vigorously applauded her throughout her at-bats.
Lingo said the last time he spent a lot of time talking to Sherrill was Christmas break, but the two continued talking throughout the season. He mentioned Sherrill was trying to find her niche in FSU’s system.
When she did, it helped propel the Seminoles to make a run.
Even as fans and family engulfed Sherrill near the first base line after the trophy presentation, FSU assistants were calling for players to gather in the outfield for a team photo, and fans followed them like paparazzi.
Eventually, the fans who rushed to snap photos were invited to be in the picture themselves.
The title was FSU’s first WCWS crown, snapping a streak of nine appearances without a title, which was the longest in the country. It is also the first ACC softball title, something Sherrill, a third-team All-American, said her team had worked for all season.
“I’m just happy as a team we made it here and won the whole thing,” Sherrill said. “Everyone doubted us, and I just want to say we just did it, so ‘Go ‘Noles.’”