ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — The City of Orange Beach will host two college softball games this fall between the Florida State Seminoles and the LSU Tigers.
According to a Facebook post, the Seminoles and the Tigers will face each other in exhibition games on Saturday, Oct. 24, and Sunday, Oct. 25, at the Orange Beach Softball Stadium, located at 4285 Williams Silvers Parkway.
The first game on Saturday begins at 2 p.m. Sunday’s game begins at 11 a.m.
Two Programs With Serious Résumés
Last season, Florida State finished with an overall record of 52-1 and reached the NCAA Tallahassee Regional Finals.
LSU finished the season with an overall record of 40-19 and advanced to the NCAA Tuscaloosa Super Regionals.
A 52-1 record is the sort of number that stands out even in a sport where strong programs routinely win 45 or more games. Florida State has been among the most consistent programs in college softball for well over a decade, with a sustained run of postseason appearances and Women’s College World Series trips.
LSU’s 40-19 mark came in the Southeastern Conference, which has for years been the deepest league in the sport. A conference schedule loaded with nationally ranked opponents produces more losses than the same team would accumulate elsewhere, and reaching a Super Regional — the round immediately preceding the Women’s College World Series — reflects that.
What a Fall Exhibition Actually Is
Fall softball is a distinct season from the spring championship schedule. NCAA rules permit a limited number of fall contests, and programs use them for evaluation rather than for results. Coaches give extended looks at freshmen and transfers, rotate pitchers through short appearances, experiment with defensive alignments and let players face live competition after weeks of practice.
Fall games do not count toward a team’s official record, do not affect postseason selection and generally are not part of a conference schedule. That is precisely what makes them well suited to a neutral site — there is no competitive disadvantage in playing away from home, and neither program is chasing a result.
For spectators, the trade-off is favorable. Two nationally relevant programs are on the field, tickets and crowds are typically more manageable than at a spring conference series, and fans get an early look at rosters months before the season begins.
The Venue
The stadium is home to the Orange Beach Makos, winners of six consecutive state softball championships.
That is the detail that explains why a Division I neutral-site event lands in a city of Orange Beach’s size. A facility maintained to the standard required by a program in the middle of a six-year title run is one that can host college teams without modification — playing surface, lighting, dugouts, backstop and seating already at the necessary level.
It is also a meaningful thing for the Makos’ own players, who will watch two Division I programs compete on their home field.
Sports Tourism on the Alabama Gulf Coast
Orange Beach and neighboring Gulf Shores have built a substantial youth and amateur sports events business, drawing tournaments across multiple sports to coastal facilities. Late October is well past the summer beach peak, which makes an event of this kind valuable to local hotels and restaurants during a shoulder-season weekend.
A two-day event drawing college softball fans from Florida, Louisiana and across the Gulf Coast fits that model directly — visitors who arrive for a Saturday afternoon game and an 11 a.m. Sunday game generally stay overnight.
If You Go
- Saturday, Oct. 24 — first pitch at 2 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 25 — first pitch at 11 a.m.
- Venue: Orange Beach Softball Stadium, 4285 Williams Silvers Parkway, Orange Beach
Ticket and parking information is expected from the City of Orange Beach.