USF HEADS TO GAINESVILLE FOR NCAA REGIONAL
MATCHUP: USF (38-21) vs. Ohio State (34-14)DATES: Friday, May 18, 5 p.m.WATCH: ESPNULISTEN: Bulls Unlimited RadioFOLLOW: Live stats | TwitterTICKETS: http://www.floridagators.com/ticketsGAME NOTES (PDF)TAMPA (May 17, 2018) – USF sets its sights to Gainesville this weekend to continue its postseason journey. After earning an at-large bid to the tournament, the Bulls will take on Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA Regional on Friday at 5 p.m. at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.USF finished its regular season with an American title in tow after dominating all seven weeks of conference play, remaining at the top of the league standings. The Bulls entered The American tournament as the top seed and worked an incredible pair of walk-off wins in the quarterfinal and semifinal games against UConn and Memphis. USF fell to three-time champion Tulsa in the final on May 12, finishing the tournament as the American Athletic Conference Tournament runner-up. On Sunday night, the Bulls awaited their fate as selections began, and learned they would be traveling to Gainesville with an at-large bid. This season marks the 14th NCAA appearance in program history, and13th under the leadership of head coach Ken Eriksen. Of those appearances, six have started in Gainesville including the Bulls' 2012 berth that led to USF's historic Women's College World Series appearance. "What a great opportunity for us and our fans to head to Gainesville for the NCAA tournament," said Eriksen. "To have the opportunity early in the tournament to face quality teams like Ohio State, Bethune-Cookman and No. 2 Florida is fantastic. We can't wait to get to work at practice this week." Friday's game will air live on ESPNU, and fans can listen to Bulls Unlimited Radio for audio coverage. Scouting the Opponent
Ohio State(rv): The Buckeyes are 34-14 heading into their third straight NCAA appearance, 10th overall. Ohio State is receiving votes in the NCAA poll. The Buckeyes fell to Iowa in the first round of the single-elimination Big 10 tournament but received an at-large bid to the tournament. They are led by Lilli Piper who bats .417 with an impressive .921 slugging percentage. She has 49 runs, 63 hits and 57 RBI. The combined team average is .272. They are led by pitchers Morgan Ray anad Shelby McCombs. Ray stands at the top of the stats with a 2.38 ERA and 17-7 record. McCombs has a 16-6 record in the circle with a 2.94 ERA.
Bethune Cookman: The Wildcats (31-24) are the MEAC tournament champions, and enter the tournament with a seven-game win streak. They are led by sophomore Ryan Jackson, who bats .351 with 54 runs, 59 hits, 52 RBI and a .750 slugging percentage. Bethune Cookman is led in the circle by Alexis Bermudez with a 3.11 ERA and a 13-9 record.
#2 Florida: The Gators are 50-8, and will host their 14th consecutive regional. It is their 11th straight season as a top 5 seed. Amanda Lorenz leads Florida hitting .418 with 66 runs, 66 hits, 55 RBI and a .766 slugging percentage.
Notables
USF is receiving votes in the NFCA/USA Today poll and the ESPN.com/USA Poll
Junior Lindsey Devitt leads the Bulls at the plate, averaging .386 with 34 runs, 69 hits and 39 RBI. She has recorded 16 multi-hit games this season.
Senior Astin Donovan is also a top hitter for USF, batting .371 with 32 runs, 66 hits and 26 RBI.
Freshman Georgina Corrick and junior Cheyenne Eggens have been staples in the circle for the Bulls. Corrick leads the team with a 1.61 ERA and a 15-8 record. Eggens is in second with a 1.86 ERA and an 8-3 record.
Corrick ranks second in the conference in ERA and first in hits allowed per seven innings (5.17).
Eggens leads the conference and ranks 14th nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.22). She ranks fifth nationally, and first in the conference in walks allowed per seven inngs (.84).