Lonni Alameda counters the loss of two All-Americans by landing versatile slugger Ella Dodge. The former Tennessee standout brings elite power and World Series experience to Tallahassee.
Florida State softball has signed former Tennessee Volunteer infielder/utility Ella Dodge.
This is the second significant signing by team manager Lonni Alameda, who lost key contributors Isa Torres and Jaysoni Beachum to the transfer portal.
Over the last two seasons, Dodge helped the Volunteers get to two College World Series Semifinal appearances. Dodge comes with tremendous experience as she played in 110 games in her college career, and started in all 61 games for the Vols this past season.
In her two seasons as a Vol, Dodge hit 18 home runs with 61 RBI. Her 11 stolen bases in 13 attempts show her versatility as a player. This season, she led the team with 46 RBI and batted .265 over the last two seasons in Tennessee.
Dodge primarily played second and third base while with the Vols. Her .967 fielding percentage is consistent with what Florida State has been accustomed to with Beachum and Torres (Torres did not commit an error this past season while playing shortstop for the Noles). Dodge also played the outfield when needed. The versatility she has displayed is exactly what coach Alameda is looking for.
“Ella is an excellent addition to our infield with her ability to play multiple positions,” Florida State assistant coach Travis Wilson said. “She has left-handed power with the ability to drive in runs in the middle of the order. With two years of Women’s College World Series experience, we expect Ella to bring a veteran presence to our locker room. Ella is a high-energy player with a team-first mentality and is a perfect fit for our program.”
While at Lakewood Ranch High, Dodge was ranked as the No.65 overall player when she came out in 2024, and the No. 4 utility player in the country. She helped Lakewood win two 7A titles while being named FACA State Player of the Year in Florida.
Florida State now has commitments from Nicole Edmistron and Ella Dodge. This is significant because Florida lost two All-Americans in Torres and Beachum. Torres was named National Player of the Year and ACC Player of the Year, while Beachum was ranked the No. 2 third baseman in the country.
Florida State is coming off a disappointing season as the Garnet and Gold were one of the hottest teams in the country, riding a 25-game win streak toward the end of the 2026 season.
Florida State was the No.9 team in the country heading into the postseason. An upset loss to Stetson and a loss to UCF in the regional championship game knocked Florida State out of the playoffs.
Florida State was one of the teams looking to advance to the Super Regionals and beyond with a roster that included eight All-ACC performers in 2026. The signing of Dodge is a sign of the times, as Alameda prided herself on not bringing in any transfer portal players in 2025, and being the only ACC team (other than Duke) to do so.
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