TAMPA, Fla. (May 13, 2026) – For the first time in a quarter-century, the University of South Florida softball team will begin its postseason by leaving the state of Florida.
 
It's not Gainesville.
 
It's not Tallahassee.
 
It's Fayetteville, Arkansas, of all places, where the American Conference champion Bulls (42-15) will open the NCAA Regionals on Friday night at 8 (ESPNU) against the Big Ten Conference's Washington Huskies (36-18). The host Arkansas Razorbacks (42-11), an SEC powerhouse and the tournament's overall No. 5 seed, will face Fordham (29-26) in the other opening-round matchup.
 
The Fayetteville Regional winner will face the Durham Regional winner in the best-of-three NCAA Super Regionals for a spot in the Women's College World Series, which begins on May 28 in Oklahoma City.
 
"It's always nice if your fans can get in the car and travel," said USF Head Coach Ken Eriksen, whose program has been sent to either Gainesville or Tallahassee every postseason since 2001 (Tuscaloosa, Alabama). "They might have to take the camper this time. Take the Winnebago or whatever and head to Arkansas."
 
"But the bottom line is that we are in the postseason and we have a great opportunity. I think the NCAA is making sure there's an equal distribution of power across the country and across all the regionals. It really didn't matter where or who (the opponent was). This team is eager to keep playing, and we will be ready.''
 
Washington, making its 32nd consecutive NCAA Regional appearance, had six players earn All-Big Ten recognition, including a pair of first-team honorees. The Huskies are paced by sophomore first baseman Alexis DeBoer (daughter of Alabama football head coach Kalen DeBoer) and junior infielder Giselle Alvarez. DeBoer has a team-high 18 home runs and a .731 slugging percentage, while Alvarez has 15 homers and a .692 slugging percentage.
 
Meanwhile, the Huskies also feature sophomore right-hander Morgan Reimer, who is 23-7 (second most victories in the Big Ten) with a 2.75 ERA.
 
Eriksen has a close relationship with Washington head coach Heather Tarr, who served as his assistant coach with the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team, which captured the silver medal. Tarr, who played for the Tampa Bay FireStix of the Women's Professional Softball League in 1997-98, has made eight WCWS appearances with Washington (including the 2009 national title).
 
Meanwhile, Arkansas features first-team All-SEC left-hander Robyn Herron (15-6, 1.98 ERA), who was a Sickles High School teammate of USF third baseman DaNia Brooks.
 
"Washington has good talent, and Arkansas obviously has good talent, but they're all tough this time of year," said Eriksen, who is guiding his 19th NCAA Regional team at USF. "Washington is fundamentally sound and similar to us in how they play. I also know their pitching coach (Brad Kilpatrick) and all his secrets, so it's going to be a fun matchup."
 
"I really like how our team is playing together. You know, I have a great seat right now. Our team is on autopilot. They know how to play the game. They're doing what they do best — staying together, playing the game, keeping it simple, and executing the fundamentals. I believe we have a great opportunity to beat anyone in the country.''
 
USF's strengths are pitching (2.60 team ERA, ranked 14th nationally) and defense (.979 fielding percentage, ranked seventh nationally and on pace to set a program record).
 
Sophomore right-hander Anne Long (21-6, 1.62 ERA), named the American Conference Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, leads the pitching staff. The Bulls also feature senior second baseman Kathy Garcia-Soto, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year in the American Conference.
 
Offensively, the Bulls rely on junior shortstop Alex Wilkes (.339 batting average, team-leading nine homers) and senior center fielder Alexa Galligani (.326), along with sophomore designated player Karhys Pierce (.324), freshman outfielder Toryn Fulton (.321), and senior outfielder Olivia Elliott (.300).
 
"Our team does a really good job of keeping the main thing the main thing," Garcia-Soto said. "We're going to play our (type of) softball, not someone else's. The name (of the opponent) doesn't matter. We're going to do what we do."
 
"This season, we've taken what we've been handed and figured it out or worked through it," Long said. "We've had some struggles at times, but we used those tough times to learn and get better instead of folding. We've gotten better and better."
 
And now it's off to Arkansas. It's a new regional site and a new experience, but the overall goal remains the same.
 
"It will be fun to be sent to a new place, but our softball will stay the same," Galligani said.
 
"Over the past few weeks, our determination and focus have been at a high level," Elliott said. "I really believe we've been playing our best softball, and we're ready to keep that up and do what we need to do to keep winning. The competition and level of play will keep going up, so you just stay one pitch at a time. I believe we'll be ready for the challenge."
 
Tickets:
For more information or to purchase season tickets, visit the official website at gousfbulls.com or contact the ticket office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or click HERE.
 
Follow us:
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF Softball news, follow the Bulls on social media (X / Facebook / Instagram).
 
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).
 
– #GoBulls –