USF Athletics

Host Bulls Begin American Championship Run Thursday

May 09, 2018

EVENT: The American Softball Championship
DATES: Thursday, May 10 – Saturday, May 12
LOCATION: USF Softball Stadium
SCHEDULE: Championship central
TICKETS: Ticketmaster.com
WATCH: Thursday, Friday – American Digital Network | Saturday – ESPN2
TWITTER UPDATES: @USFSoftball
LIVE STATS


 
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, MAY 9, 2018 – Regular season champion and host USF is ready to chase after another ring this week at the American Athletic Conference Softball Championship.

Action at the single-elimination tournament takes place Thursday through Saturday at USF Softball Stadium. Head coach Ken Eriksen's top-seeded Bulls (36-20, 14-7) begin their tournament run in the quarterfinals 6:30 p.m. Thursday against eighth-seeded UConn (20-34, 5-16).

USF heads into the postseason with momentum after capturing its sixth conference title under Eriksen. The Bulls accomplished the feat by taking two of three games from Wichita State in a thrilling home series last weekend. Despite having to endure nearly a four-hour rain delay, the energetic home fans gave the Bulls a big boost during a 3-1 victory in the series finale on May 6.

Leading the pack has been a norm for USF, which held the top spot in the conference standings in every week of league play this season.

AAC Tournament History
USF will look to book a trip to The American tournament championship game for the second time in league history and the first time since 2016. Eriksen's Bulls have advanced to the semifinals in three of the past four conference tournaments (2014-16).

Bulls Reel In All-Conference Honors
USF was well-represented on The American's season awards list that was released Wednesday afternoon.

Freshman Georgina Corrick (Sanford, Fla.) was named co-pitcher of the year and the conference's rookie of the year in addition to her all-rookie team selection. USF also received coaching staff of the year honors.

Corrick was joined on the all-conference first team by first baseman Lauren Evans (Land O' Lakes, Fla.), second baseman Lindsey Devitt (Jacksonville, Fla.), outfielder Astin Donovan (Guilford, Conn.) and designated player Amber Atkinson (Citrus, Fla.). Learn more about USF's conference honors HERE.
 
Quotable
Head coach Ken Eriksen on USF having the opportunity to host the conference tournament after getting a large turnout for the final regular season series:
"That's a really big deal. Every time we've hosted a postseason event here for softball, the place is packed. Going back all the way to the Super Regionals and the conference tournaments and championship-caliber play here, it's a great place to watch a game. Last weekend, Sunday's energy in this ballpark was unbelievable before the rain hit. Then the 50 percent of fans that stuck around afterward, you wouldn't know there was a difference in the energy… It's really neat we're hosting it. Anytime USF can host a postseason tournament, in the conference or the NCAA tournament, it means a lot."

Eriksen on top-seeded USF staying focused on the next game and not looking too far ahead:
"We haven't done it all year. We haven't ever looked forward to the next day, or the next inning. That's probably the biggest strength of this team is taking care of the here and the now. To us, it's been a one-game season since conference started."

Freshman pitcher Georgina Corrick on the importance of USF capturing the regular season title ahead of the conference tournament:
"I think it's huge. We've obviously been playing super well for months now, at least two-three months. We've been at the top of the conference and to still have it come down to that last game was kind of crazy. I think it's a huge deal because sometimes you can get all the way there and just kind of lose it. You lose the energy, you lose the motivation, but we really had girls in the dugout who were not going to let that happen."

Notables

• USF-UCONN SERIES: USF has a 24-5 advantage in its all-time series with UConn after sweeping the Huskies in a three-game series this season (March 23-25). USF has outscored UConn, 25-2, this year and run-ruled the Huskies twice in Tampa.
• GOING, GOING, GONE: The Bulls head into the conference tournament ranking second in the league with 42 home runs. USF is seven more homers away from the program's season record set in 2016. Sophomore Brooke Hartman (Port Orange, Fla.) leads the team with a career-high 10 homers this year.
• CORRICK'S FANTASTIC FRESHMAN SEASON: American co-pitcher of the year and rookie of the year Georgina Corrick (Sanford, Fla.) ranks second in the conference this season in earned run average (1.59), opposing batting average (.201) and fifth in strikeouts (152). The freshman also has a team-leading 15 wins and 10 complete games.
• SHARP EGGENS: Junior Cheyenne Eggens (Vienna, Ohio) has surrendered just nine walks all season (73 innings) and ranks seventh nationally in walks allowed per seven innings (0.86).
• NCAA SELECTION SHOW INFO: Following the conference tournament, find out where the Bulls will be headed for regionals during the NCAA Selection Show that airs 10 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2. USF is in position to make the 14^th NCAA tournament appearance in program history.

About USF Softball
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 13 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women's College World Series in 2012.