Eriksen Eager to Watch USF's Identity Develop Throughout 2019
EVENT: USF Opening Weekend Invitational
USF SCHEDULE: Thursday vs. Illinois State, 6:30 p.m.; Friday vs. No. 7/6 Arizona, 7:15 p.m.; Saturday vs. No. 19/14 Michigan, 3:15 p.m. and vs. NC State, 8:15 p.m.; Sunday vs. No. 5 Florida, 4:15 p.m.
LOCATION: USF Softball Stadium, Tampa
FOLLOW: Live stats | Twitter
@USFSoftball
TICKETS: USFBullsTix.com
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, FEB. 6, 2019 – Established names are still in the frame, but head coach
Ken Eriksen is excited about how the new-look USF softball team fills in the rest of the picture as the 2019 season progresses.
"I feel like this is a group that has a blank canvas in front of them. Going into last year, we had half the canvas painted," Eriksen said. "We already understood where we were at and who had established themselves as everyday players on the field. We haven't had that yet in respect to saying, 'OK. They're going to give me 56 games at this position, or 32 games at this position.' It's unpainted."
USF has welcomed 10 freshmen (11 newcomers) to a roster that still has proven players like pitchers
Georgina Corrick,
Cheyenne Eggens and all-conference senior infielder
Lindsey Devitt "back in the corner of the canvas." Fresh off a conference regular season title in 2018, USF's future is projected to be very bright with the Bulls being selected by league coaches as The American's preseason favorite for 2019.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing how that picture paints itself as we get through the first 10-12 games because that's when you start to find out what your identity is," Eriksen said.
The first stretch to the season will see which Bulls handle high-pressure situations against really good competition. Right out of the gates, the program will begin the USF Opening Weekend Invitational with tests against Illinois State (Thursday, 6:30 p.m.) and No. 7/6 Arizona (Friday, 7:15 p.m.) at USF Softball Stadium.
Opening weekend action continues with USF taking on No. 19/14 Michigan (Saturday, 3:15 p.m.), NC State (Saturday, 8:15 p.m.) and No. 5 Florida (Sunday, 4:15 p.m.) prior to the Bulls' highly anticipated home exhibition game against Team Japan on Monday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. Learn more about that matchup
HERE.
"We have a lot of options, we have a lot of paints, to put on the canvas," Eriksen said. "I don't think we've had that many paints before, so this almost could be a collage this year."
One thing that hasn't change for USF is a tough schedule from start to finish that will put the battle-tested Bulls in position to book the program's 15
th NCAA Regional appearance.
"We're posturing ourselves well with getting great competition, challenging ourselves early and getting some (players) that don't have a lot of game experience right into the fire right away," Eriksen said. "It's what we do. It's the way we've always been."
Pitching Will Be a Strength
Eriksen took time at
team media day to talk about the "intelligent" Bulls' ability to quickly pick up concepts on the field.
Another big strength of the 2019 USF softball team is a pitching staff that will feature five arms this season.
"We're deep," Eriksen said.
Eggens, a senior Vienna, Ohio, has made 94 appearances (48 starts) with the Bulls since posting a 7-0 record as a freshman in 2016. The right-hander went 8-4 last season and her 1.82 ERA through 80.2 innings ranked second on the staff.
"You've got some really good game experience with Eggens," Eriksen said.
Corrick will look to build on a fantastic 2018 season that saw the Sanford, Fla., native earn conference rookie of the year and co-pitcher of the year honors. Corrick led USF with 15 wins, a 1.68 ERA and 164 strikeouts in 171.1 innings of work.
"Corrick gained a lot of great experience last year and she'll continue to learn," Eriksen said.
Experience continues with
Nicole Doyle, who pitched 25 innings during her debut season with the Bulls in 2018. The right-hander from Aurora, Ohio previously played for Southern Illinois and threw the Salukis' first no-hitter since 1997 as a freshman.
"She has a tremendous brain, and in the circle and she's got some really good stuff," Eriksen said. "If she lets it flow, she can be really dangerous for us."
Eriksen also sees a lot of potential in fearless freshmen
Brittany Hook and
Alivia Sinnott.
Hook, a right-hander from Willow Street, Pa., changes speeds well to keep hitters off-balance and has the velocity to put pitches past them.
Sinnott (Louisville, Ky.) earned all-district honors in every season playing for Ballard High School and the right-hander was an all-state selection as a prep senior.
"They've taken the ball in scrimmages against upperclassmen and gone right at them," Eriksen said. "That's all you can ask for."
Bulls Bits
- SEASON TICKET INFO: Tickets for the 2019 USF softball season can be purchased HERE, or renewed HERE. Season tickets cost $80 ($64 for USF alumni, faculty, or staff), and there will be a Flex Pack option that includes 10 tickets for $30. For single-game pricing, the USF Opening Weekend Invitational will be $15 per day. All other opponent single game tickets will be $7 for ages 12 and over, and $5 for children under the age of 12.
- POSTSEASON TRADITION: 2018 marked USF's 14th NCAA Regional appearance when the Bulls headed to Gainesville, Fla. The program has made 13 NCAA postseason trips during Eriksen's head coaching tenure that included a Women's College World Series appearance in 2012.
- CONFERENCE SUCCESS: USF captured its second AAC title last season by staying atop the league regular season standings through every week of conference play. The Bulls were picked to finish first by the conference coaches in the 2019 preseason poll.
Parking Notice:
Due to Yuengling Center events, softball parking will be limited to the Y Lot on Sycamore on Friday, Feb. 8 and Sunday, Feb. 10.
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 12 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women's College World Series in 2012.
