Day Two of the Opening USF Softball Tournament

After an action packed first day, the USF Bulls (2-0) will take on just one opponent in the second day of USF tournament. After facing Maine and Florida Gulf Coast, the ladies will take on Long Island today. USF was scheduled to face Illinois State in the afternoon, but due to weather and rescheduling, they will face them on February 26th at 2:45PM in Clearwater. So let's take a look at what Long Island brings to the field.

USF sweeps double header to open the season

Sam Greiner was dynamic in her first start as a Bulls as the ladies rolled in both games to start 2-0 (Picture: J. Meric)

The USF softball season got off to a great start today as the ladies swept both their games to begin the year with a 2-0 record. 

The ladies won the first game in commanding fashion, rolling Maine 8 to 1.  True freshman Sam Greiner got the start, going 6 innings, allowing just 3 hits, and struck out 8 batters, getting the win in her first start.  The Bulls jumped out to a strong lead in the first inning, scoring 4 runs early.  Gina Kafalas went 2 for 4 on the afternoon.  Kourtney Salvarola went 1 for 1 with 3 walks and drove in an RBI.  Kenshyra Jackson went 1 for 1 and brought home 2 runs.  Jessica Mouse went 1 for 2, walking twice and drove in 3 runs in her debut for USF.  Sara Nevins allowed the lone run after she was called for two illegal pitches, angering Eriksen which led him to getting tossed as he voiced his opinion to the refs. 

The Bulls had more of a battle in the second game as they won 4 to 2 against FGCU.  The ladies managed just 4 hits in the game, but solid starting pitching from Lindsey Richardson, who went 4.1 innings, allowing 3 hits and struck out 5 batters, held the Ospreys in check.  Sara Nevins had a rough relief appearance going 2.2 innings, allowing 6 hits, 2 runs, and struck out 4 as she got the win.  Kafalas went 1 for 4 with an RBI, Stephanie Medina went 1 for 3 with an RBI, and Salvarola went 1 for 2 with another RBI as well. 

The ladies are off to a great start to the season, but facing another tough double header tomorrow.  They play Long Island at 1:45 to start and then face Illinois State at 4PM.  

USF Softball Returns!

The 2012 softball season is here as they open the season with a huge tournament at home, giving them a great chance to get off to a solid start.  First on the schedule is Maine. 

Maine went 18-31 last year, going 7-12 away from home.  The Bulls are hoping to get further this season and into the postseason and have a great chance in the first game to get the year started right.  Here are some of the players to watch for in the first game of the season (first game begins at 1:45 PM). 

USF 2011 Offensive Highlights

While football season is still 200 days away (yeah, it's that far away), it's never too early to take a look back at the 2011 season and look at some of the bright spots from the season.  The USF offense had a solid season under Holtz and Fitch.  Daniels put up career highs and became more consistent than ever before.  Check out the video above from the Youtube Channel, SOUTHFLORIDAVIDEO.  They make incredible videos and this is their recent masterpiece.  With Spring ball coming, football season never takes a day off around here.

Hugh Robertson Locking it Down on Defense

As the Bulls continue their impressive play in league play, going 7-4 so far, a lot of the success has to be given to the defense.  The Bulls defense allows just 59 points per game, second lowest in the league.  Last night, they held the high scoring Pitt offense to just 51 points, nearly 20 points lower than their season average.  A big reason for the success and tenacity on defense is due to the play of senior guard Hugh Robertson.

USF Comes Out Strong, Beats Pitt

Victor Rudd got the crowd to their feet with another highlight dunk as the Bulls put on a strong performance in the win over Pitt (Picture: AP)

The USF Bulls, coming off of a tough loss on the road at Georgetown, were able to come out strong and pulled away in the second half, beating Pitt 63 to 51. USF shot 56% from the floor and made 80% from the free throw line as they took care of the ball and make their shots and held Pitt in check the entire game (held Ashton Gibbs to just 4 points).

USF MBB Takes on Pitt

After a rough loss to Georgetown on Saturday morning, the Bulls are back at home in the Forum as they try to knock off the red-hot Pitt Panthers.

USF, 13-10 (6-4), must find a way to get its offense going in this game if they want to be considered for a postseason tournament (NIT dreams still linger) but the Panthers will prove a tough test. Pitt is 15-9 (4-7) and has won 4-straight conference games after starting the season 0-7.  They are just 3-4 on the road while USF is 11-1 at home this year, so something has to give (game starts at 7PM).

USF Ladies Drop Game to St. John's

The Bulls lost another tough game today, falling to St. John's 57 to 67 in an early start time for both teams.  USF, without star guard Jasmine Wynne (concussion) and rising freshman Shalethia Stringfield (personal reasons) could not muster a comeback in the second half as the Red Storm, who were tied with the Bulls at the half, pulled away.  USF committed 20 turnovers during the game while only dishing out 4 assists as the offense fizzled at the end.

USF WBB Takes on St. John's

Caitlin Rowe and company need this win today (Picture: www.gousfbulls.com)

After a tough road loss to Syracuse on Saturday, the USF ladies, 12-12 (4-6) are back on the road as they travel back to New York to face St. John's.  SJU is 15-8 (7-3) on the season (10-3 at home) and are coming off of a dominating 55 to 25 win over Seton Hall.  The USF ladies, who had a hard time finding their range against Syracuse, need to come out firing in this game (game scheduled to start at 11:30AM, once again, another early start for USF).  The Bulls will also be without Jasmine Wynne, who suffered a concussion vs. Syracuse and without Shalethia Stringfield, who is away due to a family emergency.

Memphis to Join the Big East?

From Brett McMurphy (CBS) - According to sources, Memphis and the Big East are in the final stages of negotiations that would make them an all-sports member starting in 2013. Memphis would be the 3rd Conference USA member, joining SMU, Houston, and UCF, to join the Big East. Big East is also adding Boise State and San Diego State as football-only in 2013 and Navy in 2015.