TAMPA, Fla., April 22, 2025 – The University of South Florida softball team takes to the road for the final non-conference matchup of the season against No. 6/8 Florida on Wednesday, April 23. The Bulls (36-12-1, 15-5-1 AAC) and the Gators (39-10, 11-7 SEC) will battle for the second time this season. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. on SEC Network+ inside Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Earlier this week,
Belle Sardja was named the AAC Pitcher of the Week and earned a spot on the NFCA Top Performances list for the second straight week.
Alexa Galligani earned a spot on the AAC Honor Roll.
Setting The Stage:
The Bulls are riding a six-game winning streak after sweeping the Memphis Tigers. South Florida is 7-5-1 on the road this season. Florida won two of the three games against Alabama over the weekend. The Gators are 18-6 at home this season.
Series History:
USF and UF will meet for the 76th time on Wednesday. The Gators won the previous meeting this season, 8-0 (5), in the opening weekend on Feb. 9. The two squads split the series last season, with USF winning 7-4 in Gainesville on April 10. The Bulls are 9-27 against the Gators in Gainesville.
Note-A-Bull:
Belle Sardja has eight saves on the season and is tied for second in the NCAA and second in the AAC. Her eight saves are tied for the most in a single season in program history. Her 14 career saves are the third most in program history.
Payton Dixon is 16th in the nation with 149.0 innings pitched. Her 36 appearances are tied for 10th in the country.
Kathy Garcia-Soto is tied for 10th in the NCAA and leads the AAC with 113 assists. She is tied for the third-most assists in the country at second base.
Additional Notes:
South Florida is tied for 17th in the NCAA with 78 doubles. The Bulls are sixth in the nation with 47 sacrifice bunts. South Florida is tied for 28th in the NCAA with 399 hits. Defensively, USF is tied for 11th in the country with 25 double plays.
The Bulls are also leading the conference in seven additional statistical categories: batting average (.327), doubles per game (1.59), hit-by-pitch (53), on-base percentage (0.423), RBIs per game (5.61), RBIs (275), and slugging percentage (.522).
USF has hit 44 home runs as a team this season. The Bulls are five home runs shy of tying the program record set in 2016.
Alex Wilkes is tied for the team lead with nine home runs, which is tied for the 10th most in a single season in program history.
Camille Ortiz-Martinez is tied for first on the team with nine home runs. She has 15 home runs for her career and is four away from cracking the top 10.
Josie Foreman is tied for third on the team with seven home runs this season and has 18 home runs in her career. She is one away from tying Carmela Liwag (2002-05) for 10th in program history for career home runs.
Alanah Rivera has 10 doubles this season. She has 31 doubles in her career, six away from tying Kourtney Salvarola (2011-14) for 10th in program history.
Tickets:
Tickets to watch Bulls softball at the USF Softball Stadium may be purchased by calling 1-800-GoBulls or clicking
HERE.
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About USF Softball
The South Florida softball program has been one of the most successful on campus, making 17 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women's College World Series in 2012. Under head coach Ken Eriksen, who enters his 28th season in 2025 and has accumulated 1,117 wins, ranking seventh among active DI head softball coaches, USF has produced 10 NFCA All-Americans, two USA Softball Top 10 Player of the Year, and one NFCA Pitcher of the Year. In 2022, Georgina Corrick became the first player in softball history to earn the NCAA Pitching Triple Crown. She led the nation in ERA (0.51), Victories (37), and total strikeouts (418).
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