Column: Transfer Mack Leonard Has Her Championship Moment for FSU

For anyone who has followed ACC softball for the last decade, Florida State claiming the conference crown seems about as certain as death and taxes.

The Seminoles earned their seventh crown in eight ACC Tournaments on Saturday with a thrilling 8-6 win over Clemson. The win came just one day after FSU avenged last season's ACC Tournament semifinal loss to Duke.

Last season, it was the Blue Devils who halted the streak of six straight ACC titles for FSU before ultimately winning it themselves. FSU did bounce back. The Seminoles went on to reach the championship series of the Women's College World Series before falling to Oklahoma in the decisive game.

Following last season's ACC Tournament loss to Duke, it wouldn't have been hard to convince someone that the Seminoles would reclaim their ACC crown in 2022. Probably no one, however, would have guessed the hero.The reason?She wasn't on the roster.

A Big-Time Addition

One of the biggest additions of the offseason for FSU was former Illinois State 2-way standout Mack Leonard. Leonard starred in the circle and at the plate for the Redbirds over three years.She wasted no time making her presence felt in Tallahassee.In her first game as a Seminole, Leonard was 3-for-3 and finished a double short of the cycle in a 12-0 win over Mercer. This season, Leonard was named a first-team All-ACC selection and will enter the NCAA Tournament hitting .372 with eight home runs and 46 RBIs. Over her three years at Illinois State -- one being shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic -- Leonard never played in the NCAA Tournament.

The Redbirds finished with winning records in each of her final two seasons. In 2020, Illinois State was 12-11 before the season ended at the beginning of the pandemic. In 2021, it went 31-10, but their NCAA Tournament hopes died when the top-seeded Redbirds were upset by Southern Illinois in the Missouri Valley Tournament semifinals.Leonard was a .406 hitter at Illinois State and was named a first-team Missouri Valley selection in 2021. With two years of eligibility remaining, Leonard joined a program that was one win away from a second national championship in four years.

Mack Has Her Moment

Until the sixth inning on Saturday, Leonard's first ACC Tournament had not gone as planned. Leonard had gone just 1-for-9 at the plate. That, however, wasn't the only place where she struggled.In the ACC Tournament opener on Thursday, Leonard allowed three runs from the circle without recording an out as Virginia cut a 5-0 deficit to two and put the tying run in scoring position in the seventh. FSU won the contest 5-3. The next day, Leonard was 0-for-4 in an 8-6 comeback win over Duke.

As was the case vs. Duke, FSU entered the sixth inning trailing against Clemson in the ACC Championship on Saturday. The Seminoles managed to draw even when the speedy Amaya Ross scored on a sacrifice fly from Kaley Mudge that barely cleared the infield dirt.Three batters later, the stage was set for Leonard.

With two runners on in a 5-5 game, she found herself behind in the count 1-2. Leonard got a pitch she could handle.She didn't miss it.Her no-doubt 3-run home run to centerfield put FSU ahead for good.

https://twitter.com/FSU_Softball/status/1525555998882136064

Leonard finished just 2-for-10 during the ACC Tournament, but the biggest swing in Pittsburgh earned her a spot on the ACC's All-Tournament team. It earned FSU an 18th ACC title -- more than the rest of the conference combined.

One for the Ages

The story of Leonard's FSU career is still being written. By the time is all said and done, she hopes to help the No. 2 national seed Seminoles return to Oklahoma City and perhaps even win it all.

Only time will tell whether that happens. As it stands, Leonard has already had a championship moment that young girls on softball diamonds across the country can only dream of. For the faithful in garnet and gold, her go-ahead blast won't soon be forgotten.

Mike Ferguson is the lead writer for Double Fries No Slaw. Be sure to follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeWFerguson. Follow all of Mike's work by liking his Facebook page.