TAMPA, Fla. (February 26, 2026) – The University of South Florida softball team hits the road for the first time this season to compete in the T-Mobile Crimson Classic, hosted by No. 5 Alabama. The tournament runs from Friday, February 27, through Sunday, March 1. South Florida will face Kent State, No. 5 Alabama, and St. Thomas. USF opens the tournament on Friday against Kent State at 12 p.m. ET, followed by Alabama at 7:30 p.m. ET. Only the game against Alabama will be streamed on SECN+.
 
Earlier this week, Alex Wilkes was named the American Conference Player of the Week, an NFCA Top Performer, and the NCAA Lineup of the Week as a shortstop. She set a South Florida record with four consecutive games with a home run. She posted a .409 batting average, collecting nine hits for the week. She drove in 13 runs and scored nine. She added three doubles. Defensively, she recorded 10 putouts and 16 assists. Anne Long earned honorable mention on the American Conference weekly accolades and the NFCA Top Performers list. Long was near perfect in her 13 innings for the week. She did not allow an earned run, posting an ERA of 0.00. She went 2-0 and added a save. For the week, she struck out nine batters.
 
Series History vs Kent State:
The Bulls and the Golden Flashes will meet for the seventh time on Friday. USF leads the series 5-1, including an 8-3 win in Tampa last season. The Bulls are on a three-game winning streak against the Golden Flashes. USF is 3-0 in neutral-site games against KSU.
 
Series History vs Alabama:
South Florida and Alabama will meet for the sixth time on Friday. The Crimson Tide leads the series 3-2 and has won the last three meetings. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since February 14, 2020.
 
Series History vs St. Thomas:
The Bulls and the Tommies will meet for the second time on Saturday. St. Thomas won the only meeting on February 22, 2022, in Tampa, 10-4.
 
Note-A-Bulls:
Kathy Garcia-Soto is tied for fourth in the NCAA with three triples, which leads the American. She is tied for 11th in the country with 43 assists. She is tied for 41st in the nation and for third in the conference with six doubles. She is tied for 41st in the country with four hit by pitches, which is tied for fourth in the American.
 
Alex Wilkes is tied for sixth nationally and leads the conference with 44 assists. She is tied for 27th in the NCAA and leads the conference with six home runs. Her 24 RBIs are tied for 13th in the country and lead the American.
 
McKenna Schroding is tied for 14th nationally and leads the American Conference with two shutouts. She is tied for 49th in the NCAA and leads the conference with 4.20 hits allowed per seven innings. Her WHIP of 0.90 leads the conference and ranks 44th nationally.
 
Belle Sardja is tied for second in the NCAA and first in the conference with three saves. She is tied for 14th nationally with 12 appearances, the most in the American.
 
Alexa Galligani is tied for 41st in the country with four hit by pitches, which is tied for fourth in the American. Her two sac flies are tied for 35th in the NCAA and for second in the conference.
 
Kiley Strott tied for 26th nationally and for third in the conference with two triples.  
 
Carley Ernst is tied for 34th nationally and tied for second in the conference with 11 pitching appearances. Her two saves are tied for 13th in the NCAA and third in the American.
 
The Bulls lead the NCAA with 17 double plays turned. With 0.85 double plays per game, USF is second in the nation and leads the conference. South Florida paces the country with 20 sacrifice bunts. The Bulls have been hit by a pitch 18 times, tied for ninth in the NCAA and the most in the conference. USF is tied for sixth in the nation and paces the league with five shutouts.
 
South Florida leads the conference with a team ERA of 2.43. The Bulls are tied for the American Conference lead with 18 stolen bases. The pitching staff has posted a WHIP of 1.33, the best in the league. The Bulls have a .750 win percentage, the best in the league.  
 
Tickets:
Season tickets for the upcoming softball season are now available, starting at $65. Fans may also add a general admission baseball season ticket for an additional $25, providing access to all home baseball games. For more information or to purchase season tickets, visit the official website at gousfbulls.com, contact the ticket office at 1-800-Go-Bulls, or click HERE.
 
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About USF Softball
The South Florida softball program has been one of the most successful on campus, making 18 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women's College World Series in 2012. Under head coach Ken Eriksen, who enters his 29th season in 2026 and has accumulated 1,171 wins, ranking seventh among active DI head softball coaches, USF has produced 10 NFCA All-Americans, two USA Softball Top 10 Players 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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