Florida State softball is seeking a sixth Women's College World Series bid in 17 years — and that level of success isn't a coincidence. That's how long Lonni Alameda has been at the helm of the program.
Alameda, a seven-time ACC Coach of the Year after winning the award once again in May, guided the Seminoles to a 49-11 record entering the super regionals round of the NCAA Softball Tournament, where her squad is seeking to win it all for the first time since 2018.
However, the 2025 season has proven challenging for Alameda beyond the softball field. In March, Alameda publicly announced that she had received a cancer diagnosis but would continue to coach her squad, which she continued to do into the second round of the national tournament.
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Here's what to know about Alameda's cancer diagnosis and how she's continued leading Florida State.
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Lonni Alameda cancer recovery
On March 31, Alameda released a video on social media where she shared that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and was already undergoing treatment. Florida State also released a statement, specifying that Alameda would continue fulfilling her duties as head coach.
"I just wanted to come on here and just say thank you for all the support that I have received," Alameda said. "I'm in a really good spot, have a really good plan, and I'm just so supported."
I’m so thankful for all your support, and I could not be in a better situation than I am in with TMH, Florida State Athletics, my team and my staff. I’m ready to go through this journey together👊
— Lonni Alameda (@Coach_Alameda) March 31, 2025
Go Noles🍢 pic.twitter.com/F7pTEfghP0
Alameda, 54, has been Florida State's softball coach since 2009. Her Seminoles teams have never missed the NCAA Tournament (outside of the canceled 2020 season), winning the WCWS in 2018 and finishing as the runner-up in 2021 and 2023.
At the time of Alameda's cancer announcement, Florida State was already one of the best teams in the country at 33-5, tracking toward a deep playoff run. That's held true into May, as the Seminoles have reached the super regionals round, where they're facing Texas Tech.
On May 21, ESPN released a story that provided insight from Alameda into how she's coached the 2025 season while going through cancer treatments. In the story, the longtime head coach described the lack of appetite, nausea, exhaustion, and other symptoms she's dealt with due to chemotherapy. Even with that, she told ESPN that she never considered stepping away from the team after her diagnosis.
"When you talk about showing up — maybe I don't feel good today, but I'm going to be here," Alameda told ESPN. "As a young person, if you can see people can do that in life in general, that is what we are talking about. It is just really important for me to be here."
Alameda also said she leaned on FSU women's basketball coach Brooke Wyckoff, who had coached through a breast cancer diagnosis in 2023-24. After informing her softball squad of her diagnosis, the players have supported their coach since.
"You never want to see your strong, fearless leader get diagnosed with something like that," catcher Michaela Edenfield told ESPN. "But I kept thinking, 'Now it's our turn to be there for her.' I just remember looking at her when she was done talking, and I said, 'Coach, you're truly one of the strongest, bravest women I've ever met in my whole entire life. Please let us know how we can help you.'"
Other ACC squads have also shown their support for Alameda, coming up with helmet stickers that include a pink ribbon with a braid, which the FSU coach is known for.
Sending our love and support to @Coach_Alameda and @FSU_Softball 🩷 pic.twitter.com/9oqs7jeYsZ
— Louisville Softball (@LouisvilleSB) April 2, 2025
Bigger than Softball @FSU_Softball 🩷 pic.twitter.com/NnrbYJVSMn
— Duke Softball (@DukeSOFTBALL) April 5, 2025
What kind of cancer does Lonni Alameda have?
Alameda was diagnosed with Stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer, per ESPN. She told the outlet that she initially felt a mass under her armpit and right breast around Christmas Eve 2024, after she had knee surgery in November and was using crutches in the weeks after.
By late February, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, but she was told that it had not spread to her lymph nodes and doctors reassured her that "there is a high success rate in treating this type of cancer," per ESPN.
"The doctor, she came in and gave me a big hug because I have known her for a long time, and she was like, 'You're a fighter, and plenty of people live through this. You're going to be fine,'" Alameda told ESPN. "They conveyed a plan right away, and I was all in."
The ESPN story also says that Alameda is scheduled to undergo a second round of chemotherapy through Aug. 25, and she will then undergo a double mastectomy.
How Lonni Alameda became Florida State's head softball coach
Alameda took over Florida State's softball program in 2009, filling in for NFCA Hall of Fame coach JoAnne Graf.
Before joining the Seminoles, she was UNLV's head coach from 2004-08 and had been an assistant at Barry and Stanford.