Jazzy Francik has family rooted in London, England. She is excited to travel overseas and be part of the British National team.
Cheerio.
Starting on Aug. 3, Florida State softball will leave for London, England. Not only will it be for sightseeing and team bonding, but the Seminoles will also be participating in youth clinics and a scrimmage with the London Mets, a local baseball and softball club located in North London.
This is a first-time experience for many players on Lonni Alameda's roster. But for pitcher Jazzy Francik, it's a family affair.
Francik, whose parents are from England, has relatives across the United Kingdom and traveled to England as a little girl. The Rockledge, Florida native is looking forward to meeting her family while promoting the game of softball and Florida State.
At the same time, the pitcher is looking forward to the team camaraderie with her returning teammates and the nine freshmen Alameda signed this offseason. The incoming sophomore will be their tour guide as they explore the streets of London and participate in the youth clinics.
"Just trying to show them a little bit of the city instead of the country-style because a lot of my family lives more out of the country," Francik said.
Jazzy Francik to compete with Great Britain National team. Hopes to qualify for 2028 Olympics
Francik will be sticking around in Europe as she will be joining the Great Britain National Team and will compete in the 2025 Women’s Softball European Championships in Prague, Czechia.
Competing for the national team reminds her of playing for the Super Regional because of what's at stake: Qualifying for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
"I feel like it's going to be like a Super Regional because we're trying to qualify for the LA28, for the Olympics. So every little thing makes a difference," Francik said. "Just being able to be out there with some super cool people, it's exciting to see if we can start qualifying for the Olympics."
Francik will be teaming up with former Seminole, Jahni Kerr, who will also be part of the national team. For her, it was expected that both would be teammates again on a global scale.
"We knew that was going to happen," Francik said. "I'm super excited to be with Jahni because she is just a good person."
Jazzy Francik reflects on her freshman season
Francik had a remarkable freshman season.
She led the Seminoles with 87 strikeouts, eight saves and a 1.51 ERA. All of which she was top in the ACC in the pitching category, along with Ashtyn Danley. As she reflected on her first season, she discovered her potential in the circle and to be independent while living on her own for the first time.
"I experienced so many cool moments and opportunities," I learned a lot not only as a pitcher but as a person."
As she continues to improve on her pitching heading into her sophomore year, she focuses on the minor details, which include speed pitching.
"A bunch of little things, whether it's we want more speed on this or a change of speed on this one, or focus a little bit on the movement," Francik said. "Just a bunch of sequences."
What contributed to Francik's success was the team's early fall report for offseason activities, which allowed her to get to know her teammates. Now that she is established, she is looking forward to helping break in the freshman class, expecting them to contribute next season the same way she did last year.
"It was huge for me last year as a freshman and get into the program, make friends, and everything that is a part of it," Francik said. "The fact that we're doing it earlier now is super cool. "
Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at [email protected] or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU softball's trip to London kind of a homecoming for Jazzy Francik
Category: General Sports
