USF Athletics

Bulls Open Eriksen’s 22nd Season at Home

February 07, 2018

Season Opener // USF vs. Illinois State, Thurs. 6:30 p.m.  
USF Tournament Schedule // Full Schedule
Friday vs. Georgia State, 7:00 p.m. 
Saturday vs. Michigan, 3:45 p.m.
Saturday vs. UAB, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday vs. Florida, 4:15 p.m.
Location // Tampa, Fla. // USF Softball Stadium
Follow // Twitter @USFSoftball // Live Stats

TAMPA (Feb. 7, 2018) – The USF softball team will open its season with a test against Illinois State, before hosting a five-team tournament Feb. 8-11.

Following a 32-24 finish in 2017, the Bulls are back and ready for action. USF returns 17 players from the 2017 squad, including American Athletic first team all-conference selection Cheyenne Eggens, second-team selections Astin Donovan and Lauren Evans as well as all-rookie team selection Bethaney Keen.

The Bulls take the field with a veteran staff, and a lot of depth to their roster. Head coach Ken Eriksen's squad features six pitching options including three returners, a transfer and two freshmen.

"All six of them can open. All six of them can be middle and all six of them could be at the end. That's a nice situation," Eriksen said.

The season opens with a Thursday evening matchup with Illinois State, followed by the Wilson DeMarini Tournament. The tournament will feature five talented teams including Illinois State, Georgia State, No. 18 Michigan, UAB and No. 2 Florida.

The teams will also be playing for a greater cause this weekend, as $3 dollars for every ticket sold to this weekend's games with this LINK will go to relief efforts in Puerto Rico through the Disaster and Humanitarian Relief Student Collaborative group on campus at USF.

THE OPPONENT
Illinois State
The Bulls take on the Redbirds in the season opener for the second straight year on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The Bulls dropped an 8-4 loss to Illinois State last season, but lead the series, 8-4. The Redbirds return seven players with two lost from a 33-24 campaign in 2017, when they finished the regular season tied for first in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Georgia State
The Panthers are coming off their 11^th 30-win season in 2017, and will begin their season in Tampa. Georgia State returns 16 players from its 36-25 season, including its top hitters who return as seniors, Ivie Drake and Megan Litumbe. Another notable returner includes key pitcher Kinsley Jennings, the 2017 Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year.  The Panthers were picked third in the Sun Belt Preseason Coaches' Poll. USF leads Georgia State 10-4 in the all-time series, with their last meeting during March of 2017, when the Bulls came out on top of a 10-4 win at home. USF will face Georgia State on Friday night at 7 p.m. The game will air live on www.Facebook.com/USFSoftball.

No. 18 Michigan
The Wolverines return to Tampa with two All-Americans on their roster, and four starters lost after the 2017 season. Last season, the Bulls took on Michigan in the same tournament, upsetting the No. 6 Wolverines in a 6-4 comeback win. Michigan leads the all-time series, 15-9, dating back to 1989. The Wolverines also bring junior second baseman Faith Canfield, who was recently named one of the 50 student-athletes on the watch list for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. USF will take on Michigan at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday. The game will air live on www.Facebook.com/USFSoftball.

UAB
The Blazers open their season in Tampa with Michigan and Illinois State before taking on the Bulls on Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. UAB finished a 21-33 season in 2017, and begins a new era in 2018 under first-year head coach Amanda Ellis, just the second head coach in program history. The Blazers return 14 letter winners from 2017 and add five for the upcoming season. The game will air live on www.Facebook.com/USFSoftball.


No. 2 Florida
The Bulls conclude the tournament with a test against No. 2 Florida, which finished as the Women's College World Series runner-up in 2017. They took part in the longest game in finals history after 17 innings. Tabbed as the 2018 SEC preseason favorite, Florida went 58-10 last season, and leads the all-time series against USF, 45-13, dating back to 1997. The teams met twice last season, including during the Wilson DeMarini Tournament in February, and again in April. The Gators took both games, 8-0. USF will take on Florida at 4:15 p.m. on Sunday. The game will be broadcasted live on BullsVision.

 
Be sure to follow USF softball on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. The USF softball program has been one of the most successful on campus, making 12 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women's College World Series in 2012.