Nevins, Bulls sink Gators en route to Super Regionals berth

Source: The Oracle

GAINESVILLE — All weekend, it seemed like the little things went the Bulls’ way: a few extra inches on a game-saving leap, a key hit to break a game open, a little extra hustle to beat out a throw and get the winning run across the plate. In the end, t...

Big East in flux as spring meetings begin

Source: The Tampa Tribune

There are questions galore for the Big East Conference when the league begins its spring meetings today at Ponte Vedra Beach.

Big East in flux as spring meetings begin

Source: The Tampa Tribune

There are questions galore for the Big East Conference when the league begins its spring meetings today at Ponte Vedra Beach.

USF softball to host Super Regionals

Source: USF Sports Bulletin by Greg Auman

As if winning an NCAA regional for the second time in school history wasn't enough good news for USF softball, the Bulls will have the advantage of their home field for this week's Super Regionals, with Hofstra coming to play a best-of-three series at USF Softball Stadium starting on Thursday or Friday.

Both USF and Hofstra knocked off seeded teams in their regionals, and the NCAA selection committee then chose the Bulls -- who with an RPI of 17 were close to being one of 16 teams hosting a regional in the first place -- rather than Hofstra, whose RPI entering the weekend was 49.

The Bulls got a pair of 1-0 wins on the way to winning the regional, opening with a 1-0 victory against Central Florida, finding their bats in an 8-3 win against Florida Gulf Coast, then beating the No. 5 Gators in Gainesville for the second time this season, with Sara Nevins striking out 12 in a complete-game shutout.

TO: SB Nation development team FROM: Voodoo Five Please see suggested temporary site logo...

Source: Voodoo Five by Jamie DeVriend

TO: SB Nation development team
FROM: Voodoo Five

Please see suggested temporary site logo above.

- Mgmt.

USF softball beats UF, advances to NCAA Super Regionals

Source: The Tampa Tribune

In the biggest moment of the season, University of South Florida softball coach Ken Eriksen put all his trust in sophomore pitcher Sara Nevins.

#NEVINSANITY! Bulls Softball Advances To Super Regionals

Source: Voodoo Five by Collin Sherwin

We've covered this before: USF has never made it to the ultimate championship of any team sport (defined as the Final Four in basketball or volleyball, the College Cup in soccer, or the College World Series in baseball and softball). But next weekend they'll have the best chance in school history. Sara Nevins, who is THE Boss, struck out 12 in a 1-0 shutout of Team Turmoil to win the Gainesville Regional today.

Tonight

Nevins throws gem as USF wins NCAA regional, 1-0

Source: USF Sports Bulletin by Greg Auman

USF softball got a complete-game shutout and 12 strikeouts from ace Sara Nevins, and the Bulls eliminated host Florida with a huge 1-0 win Sunday to win an NCAA regional for just the second time in school history.

The Bulls (48-11) are now in strong position to host a Super Regional in Tampa this week against the winner of today's Hofstra-San Diego State final in Los Angeles. The NCAA selection committee will choose which team hosts the best-of-three Super Regional series, but USF's RPI rating is 17, well ahead of SDSU (45) and Hofstra (49).

The Bulls got their lone run in the fourth, when Stephanie Medina led off with a double and Kenshyra Jackson brought home the run by beating out the throw on an infield single. Florida (48-13) threatened in the sixth wih the bases loaded and no outs, but Nevins got two strikeouts and a groundout to end the inning, then retired the side in order in the seventh.

USF has made the Super Regional just one other time under coach Ken Eriksen, doing so in 2006. Stay tuned for news tonight on whether the Bulls will host and when the games will be played.

USF beats Florida, advancing to the super regional

Source: The Bull Rush by USF Matt

Sara Nevins = BOSS

They did it.  The USF Bulls completed the Gainesville regional beating host UF 1 to 0 today, advancing to the super regional of the NCAA tournament (strong chance to host it as well).  The Bulls, now 48-11 on the season, fought hard and behind the arm of Sara Nevins were able to get through the bracket with a perfect record.
Nevins was in complete boss mode again.  She worked the entire game, allowing just 5 hits, 3 walks and struck out 12 batters.  The Gators loaded the bases in the bottom of the 6th inning, but Nevins did Nevins things and got out of the trouble.  The offense did just enough.  Gina Kafalas went 2 for 3.  Kenshyra Jackson went 1 for 3 and drove in the lone run of the game.
Awesome win, simply awesome win for the team that now advances to the super regional.  USF will wait to find out their next opponent and if they could be the host for that.  

USF softball advances to NCAA regional championship

Source: The Tampa Tribune

After weeks of offensive struggles for the University of South Florida softball team, the Bulls' bats produced 12 hits in an 8-3 win over Florida Gulf Coast in the winner's bracket game of the NCAA tournament Gainesville Regional on Saturday.

USF takes on the Gators needing one more win to advance

Source: The Bull Rush by USF Matt

The Bulls enter the game with a 47-11 record and are 2-0 in the Gainesville region, meaning they need just one more win to advance to the super regionals (would be for the second time in program history).  The road there won't be easy as the 5th seeded Gators, who batted 6 home runs in their two elimination games yesterday, are the team that stands in the way (48-12 overall this season).  The Bull beat the Gators this season in their home stadium and need to do it one more time to keep the season rolling (if they have to play a second game it would begin at 3:30PM).

The Gators (who are without the Fagan sisters and Coyle in their batting order) are led by senior centerfielder Michell Moultrie (5-4) who batted .376 during the regular season with 10 home runs, 29 RBIs, and had 21 steals on the season.  Junior utility player/catcher Kelsey Horton (5-10) batted .310 with 11 home runs, 9 doubles, and had 40 RBIs on the season.  Freshman Lauren Haeger (5-11) batted .303 with 11 home runs and had 47 RBIs when she was not pitching.  Katie Medina batted .245 with 8 RBIs as well.  Even without the Fagan sisters and Coyle in their batting order, UF is loaded with firepower that will pressure Nevins and the USF defense to keep them off the bases.
The Gator pitching staff is anchored by sophomore RHP Hannah Rogers (5-10) who was 27-6 during the regular season with a 1.25 ERA.  She worked 207 innings, allowing 136 hits, 62 walks, and struck out 183 batters.  Lauren Haeger (who knocked a few home runs yesterday) was 14-5 with a 1.78 ERA during the season.  She worked 117.2 innings, allowing 89 hits, 56 walks, and struck out 126 batters.  The Bulls bats came to life yesterday in the 8 to 3 win over FGCU and will need to do the same again today. 
This is a huge today for the team.  Just one more win can take them to the super regional and to the final 16 teams in the tournament.  It won't be easy, the Gators are the host team and have a powerful lineup, but this team has shown they are always up for the big game and today's games are the biggest yet.

BATS: USF Rolls Against FGCU, to Face Florida in Regional Finals

Source: Voodoo Five by Andrew P.

The Bulls finally got their bats in gear, winning 8-3 over Florida Gulf Coast in the NCAA Softball Regionals on Saturday. They got things going early, as the four runs they scored in the second inning were all that was needed. The loss sent the Eagles to the losers' bracket.

Kenshyra Jackson led the hitting, going 4-4 with an RBI. But it was a team effort, as five Bulls had at least one RBI (led by Gina Kalafas' two RBI on a second-inning triple), seven Bulls had at least one of the twelve hits, and seven scored at least one run.

For comedic relief, in the video to the right, leave it to coach Ken Ericksen:

USF softball advances to NCAA regional championship

Source: The Tampa Tribune

After weeks of offensive struggles for the University of South Florida softball team, the Bulls' bats produced 12 hits in an 8-3 win over Florida Gulf Coast in the winner's bracket game of the NCAA tournament Gainesville Regional on Saturday.

USF baseball avoids sweep, takes No. 4 seed

Source: USF Sports Bulletin by Greg Auman

USF baseball avoided a sweep with a 5-4 win in 12 innings at West Virginia in the final Big East event the Mountaineers will host -- and despite finishing just a game out of first place, the Bulls will have the No. 4 seed in the Big East tournament this week in Clearwater.

USF (34-20, 17-10) will open the tournament Wednesday at 8 p.m. against fifth-seeded Connecticut -- a team the Bulls sweep just a week ago in their final home series. Had the Bulls won more than one game against West Virginia, they would have earned a share of the Big East crown, though USF would have taken the No. 3 seed with tiebreakers going to Louisville and St. John's.

The Bulls prevailed in 12 innings on Saturday after an RBI groundout by freshman Buddy Putnam, scoring Jimmy Falla, who had walked and advanced on a single by Kyle Teaf. USF got 4.2 innings of scoreless relief from Austin Adams and Steven Leasure.

Louisville and St. John's shared the Big East regular-season title, but the Cards have the top seed in Clearwater because they won the head-to-head series. Pittsburgh earned the final spot in the tournament field, directly thanks to USF's win at West Virginia. A West Virginia win would have created a four-way tie for eighth place, putting Georgetown in after a lengthy tiebreaker.

Bulls avoid sweep, beat WVU in 12 innings to close out regular season

Source: The Bull Rush by USF Matt

The Bulls needed 12 innings, but were able to close out the regular season with a strong win against WVU 5 to 4, ending the season with a win as they head to Clearwater for the Big East tournament (team ends the year at 34-20  and 17-10 in conference play). 
Matt Reed got the start for the Bulls and worked 7 strong innings, allowing 7 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, and struck out 2 batters.  Austin Adams replaced him and went 3 innings, allowing 1  walk and fanned 2 batters.  Steven Leasure went 2 innings after him and allowed just 1 hit and closed out the game with a 1-2-3 inning in the 12th. 
The offense continued to swing the hot bat in this game.  Alex Mendez went 2 for 6 with a run scored.  James Ramsay went 2 for 6 with a double.  Blake Sydeski went 3 for 6 with a double and drove in one run.  Luis Llerena went 2 for 6.  Anthony Diaz was 1 for 4 and drove in 2 runs. 
This is a strong win for the team after dropping the first two games of the series and a great way to end the regular season with a win.  The Bulls will now return to Florida and head across the bay to take on the Big East tournament as they look to make some noise there and keep the season alive.

This Is Not Your Father's Sun Dome (Or Your Brother's, Or Probably Yours)

Source: Voodoo Five by Jamie DeVriend

I'm in Tampa for a few days, so I made sure to visit the Sun Dome open house this morning with Collin. (Mark at Big East Coast Bias was there too -- his own take is posted over there.) Everything you've heard about the Sun Dome, about how it feels like a completely new building, is true. It is a massive step forward as a facility.

Before we get into the new arena, let's talk about the Sun Dome I used to know. When I got to campus in 1998 (news flash: I'm old), the roof was held up by air pressure. The lighting was terrible. The sound was awful and no one wanted to hold concerts there. There were almost zero

USF softball rolls again, beating FGCU 8 to 3

Source: The Bull Rush by USF Matt

After holding on to beat UCF the other day, USF brought out the bats in their 8 to 3 win over FGCU, running their record to 47-11 on the year and more importantly, 2-0 in the Gainesvill regional.  The Bulls need one more win to advance to the super regional. 
The bats came out in this game.  Gina Kafalas went 2 for 4 with a two RBI triple.  Jessica Mouse was 2 for 4 with a run scored.  Kenshyra Jackson went 4 for 4 with a double and drove in another run as the Bulls put pressure on the the Eagles in each inning, never letting up.
Lindsey Richardson got the start and did a solid job working 3.1 innings, allowing 3 hits, 2 walks, and struck out 7 batters.  Sara Nevins came in after her, working 3.2 innings, allowing 4 hits 2 runs, 1 walk, and struck out 5 batters. 
The Bulls will now have to wait for their next foe, as FGCU has to face the winner of the UCF vs. UF game tonight.  Having two wins is huge for the team and puts them in great position to advance if they can get one win tomorrow. 

USF softball wins, advances to Sunday finals

Source: USF Sports Bulletin by Greg Auman

USF softball has put itself in strong position to advance from this weekend's NCAA regionals, advancing to Sunday's finals with an 8-3 win Saturday against Florida Gulf Coast in Gainesville.

USF (47-11) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first on a two-run, two-out triple by Gina Kafalas, and Lindsey Richardson and Sara Nevins combined to keep FGCU's bats in check; Kenshyra Jackson drove in USF's first run and finished with a season-high four hits. The Bulls now have the rest of the day off, while FGCU plays tonight against the winner of today's Florida-Central Florida elimination game.

What's more, USF gets two chances at a clinching win on Sunday -- Saturday's surviving team would have to beat the Bulls twice in a row to claim the regional title. The Bulls have only advanced to Super Regionals once in their history, doing so in 2006.

There's a chance that USF could even host a Super Regional -- if UCLA doesn't win its regional, then the NCAA will decide Sunday night which unseeded team would host the Super Regional between the Gainesville and Los Angeles winners.

USF softball takes on FGCU in the second game of the NCAA regional tournament

Source: The Bull Rush by USF Matt

After some clutch defense and timely hitting yesterday, the Bulls 46-11 face Florida Gulf Coast University (38-22) in the second game of the regional tournament.  FGCU surprised everyone yesterday by beating host Florida 2 to 1.  The Bulls beat FGCU earlier this season 4 to 2, but it will be another close game (game begins at 1PM).

FGCU is led by sophomore catcher Chelsea Zgrabik (5-11) who batted .340 during the regular season with 13 home runs and drove in 53 RBIs.  Sophomore outfielder Jessica Barnes (5-8) batted .331 with 8 doubles,  7 home runs, drove in 29 runs, and stole 25 bases (speed and power threat).  Sophomore catcher/1B Emily Lanier (5-10) batted .309 with 5 home runs and 26 RBIs.  Sophomore 3B Kirsten Bembnowski (5-6) batted .291 with 5 home runs and 26 RBIs.  Junior outfielder Mariah Fernandez (5-7) batted .226 with 8 home runs and 25 RBIs as well.  During the regular season, FGCU could put up runs on anyone and in the game against USF, got 6 hits, including a two-run home run against Nevins, so the pitching staff of the Bulls has to be ready against this loaded lineup.
The FGCU pitching staff is led by freshman RHP Shelby Morgan who is now 23-6 on the season after pitching a complete game yesterday.  During the regular season, Morgan worked 187.2 innings (had a 1.38 ERA) while allowing 152 hits, 50 walks, and struck out 189 batters (opponents hit .217 against her).  Sophomore RHP Amanda Josie was 10-5 during the regular season with a 2.16 ERA.  She worked 123.1 innings, allowing 128 hits, 22 walks, and struck out 38 batters.  USF struggled to get a hit until the 5th inning, but should be able to keep the pressure up and get runners on base.  USF needs to score first to take the pressure off of Nevins, Greiner, and Richardson. 
This is a big game for the ladies as they look to go up 2-0 in the regional and for a chance to move into the championship game to get to the super regional (would be first since 2006).  The Bulls expected to face UF here, but FGCU has the momentum after shocking the Gators (who might have 3 starters gone from their program, strange to read  that) and will be a huge challenge.

Gators' NCAA loss sets path for USF softball

Source: USF Sports Bulletin by Greg Auman

USF softball's path at the NCAA regionals in Gainesville took a surprising turn Friday night, as the host Gators, seeded fifth nationally, lost 2-1 to Florida Gulf Coast, meaning the Bulls will face the Eagles today at 1 p.m. for a spot in Sunday's regional finals.

USF (46-11) beat Florida and FGCU in the regular season, but the possibility of not having to face the Gators on their home field is a promising one -- FGCU's RPI, by comparison, is 81 as opposed to 7 for UF. The USF-FGCU winner advances to Sunday, while the loser has to play again tonight against the winner of the UF-Central Florida game at 3:30.

USF and FGCU met on the opening day of the season, Feb. 10, with the Bulls prevailing 4-2 in Tampa. FGCU outhit USF 8-5, with Lindsey Richardson keeping their bats in check in 4.1 scoreless innings. Sara Nevins came on in relief and gave up six hits, including a two-run home run in the seventh, but she got a strikeout to end the game with the tying run at the plate.

USF could turn to Nevins or Richardson today, and they'll likely face FGCU ace Shelby Morgan, who threw a complete game against the Gators and is now 23-6, with a 1.38 ERA entering the weekend. FGCU got a solo home run Friday from East Lake's Kristen Bembnowski, but the bat to watch out for is Chelsea Zgrabik, who hit .340 with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs this season.

Today's USF-FGCU winner would be in strong position Sunday, having two chances to win against tonight's surviving team to advance to Super Regionals. USF has made the NCAA's round of 16 just once in its history, in 2006.

USF sending West Virginia out as winners, again

Source: USF Sports Bulletin by Greg Auman

USF has had the odd luck of being West Virginia's final Big East opponent in several sports, but the Bulls haven't been able to deliver a proper goodbye as the Mountaineers move on to the Big 12.

It happened in football, when West Virginia rallied to win in the final minute in Tampa in December, and again in men's basketball, when USF closed out its regular season with a rare home loss to the Mountaineers. And now in baseball, where USF entered the weekend with a chance at a Big East title, but has taken two disappointing losses in West Virginia's farewell series.

The Bulls (33-20, 16-10) lost 10-8 on Friday night, dropping to a tie for third in the Big East standings and assuring themselves of no better than a No. 3 seed in next week's Big East tournament. The Bulls dug a big hole early, with starter Derrick Stultz lasting just 1.2 innings and giving up six runs on five hits. Down 8-3, the Bulls ralllied with five runs in the fifth, only to see the offense stop there and West Virginia pull out the win.

Entering the final day of the regular season, the Bulls are tied with Seton Hall at 16-10, and only one game ahead of Rutgers and Connecticut at 15-11. The Bulls swept UConn last week so they'd win the tiebreaker there, but didn't play Rutgers, leaving a complicated tiebreaker. There's only two games separating second and sixth place in the standings, so seed in the conference tournament only matters significantly on the opening day of the tournament. USF will likely face a UConn team they just swept, or a Seton Hall or Rutgers team they haven't faced.

With two losses to a team that entered the weekend 22-31, USF has hurt its position as an NCAA bubble team, but the Bulls can help themselves in Clearwater. The Bulls and Mountaineers finish their series today at 1 p.m. ET.

Mouse's defense aids USF's win

Source: The Tampa Tribune

All season, the University of South Florida has had one defensive mantra: "Feed the Mouse," referencing senior third baseman Jessica Mouse, in her first season at USF since transferring from LSU.

Bulls drop second straight to WVU in offensive slug match

Source: The Bull Rush by USF Matt

The Bulls battled WVU in a huge offensive performance by each team, but failed to get the win in the second game of the series, falling 8 to 10 and dropping their record to 33-20 (16-10) on the season. 
Derrick Stultz was chased early in this game.  He went 1.2 innings, allowing 5 hits, 6 runs, striking out 2.  Joey Lovecchio replaced him, working 3.2 innings, allowing 5 hits, 2 runs, and struck out 2.  Nick Gonzalez went 2 innings, allowing 1 hit, 1 run, 1 walk, and struck out 1.  Steven Leasure got two outs and walked one batter.
The offense had a strong performance, rebounding after the bad start by Stultz to tie the game up late.  Kyle Teaf went 1 for 5 with his first career home run.  Jimmy Falla went 2 for 3 with 3 RBI.  Alex Mendez went 3 for 4 with a double and scored 2 runs.  Luis Llerena went 2 for 4 with a double and scored a run.  James Ramsay went 2 for 4 and scored 2 runs.
The Bulls play tomorrow at 1PM as they look to avoid the sweep heading into the Big East tournament (yeah, avoiding the sweep to one of the lower teams in the conference, yikes).

Nevins, Mouse Leads USF To 1-0 Win Over UCF In NCAA Regional

Source: Voodoo Five by Ken DeCelles

In a classic pitchers duel in the Gainesville Regional of the NCAA Tournament, Jessica Mouse's glove saved the day as the USF Bulls defeated the UCF Knights 1-0.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Mouse made a leaping catch that would have easily plated two runs. Mouse was at it again in the 7th, as her double play with runners on 1st and 2nd ended the game. You can watch both plays on the video sidebar to the right.

Sara Nevins, who is a boss, was dominant in the circle again for Ken Eriksen, giving up 4 hits and striking out 10 Knights in 6-2/3 innings of work. Lindsey Richardson recorded one out in the 6th before Nevins came back into the game.

The only run of the game occurred in the 3rd inning, when CF Janine

Mouse helps Bulls close out 1-0 win vs. UCF

Source: USF Sports Bulletin by Greg Auman

USF senior third baseman Jessica Mouse came up with key defensive plays to end the sixth and seventh innings as the Bulls held on for a huge 1-0 win against Central Florida in the NCAA regional in Gainesville on Friday.

Mouse, who also had one of USF's two hits, made a leaping grab with the bases loaded to end the sixth, preserving USF's one-run lead, and with two on and one out in the seventh, Mouse fielded a ground ball, stepped on third and threw to first for the game-ending double play. USF's Sara Nevins struck out 10 in a nearly complete game, with reliever Lindsey Richardson retiring one batter in the sixth before Nevins re-entered.

USF got its lone run without a hit, on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Janine Richardson in the third inning. The Bulls (46-11) now face the winner of tonight's game between host Florida and Florida Gulf Coast.

USF beats UCF behind the arm of Nevins and defense of Mouse

Source: The Bull Rush by USF Matt

The Bulls were able to beat UCF in the first game of the NCAA regional tournament with just 2 hits, but it was the defense of Jessica Mouse and the pitching of Sara Nevins that proved to be the difference in this game (team is now 46-11 after the great win). 
Sara Nevins battled a tough UCF batting order that constantly had runners on base against her.  She worked 6.2 innings, allowing 4 hits, 2 walks, and struck out 10 batters.  Lindsey Richardson got one out and walked 2 batters in a quick relief appearance. 
The real story of the game was the big third inning for the Bulls and the defense of Mouse.  The Bulls got runners on in the third.  Ashli Goff started the inning getting a walk, Gina Kafalas was then hit by a pitch.  The Knights walked Medina to get to Janine Richardson who hit the ball to the right foul ground, allowing Goff to score.  Mouse was 1 for 1 in the game and Richardson finished the game 1 for 2 with the RBI.  The defense of the Bulls though saved the game for the team.  In the 6th inning, the Knights loaded the bases and Mouse made a game saving catch to end the threat.  After that, Mouse helped turn a double play to end the 7th inning for the Bulls. 
This was an incredible win for the ladies.  They will face the winner of the UF/FGCU game tomorrow at 3:30PM as they look to keep the season going.

Big East mailblog

Source: Big East Football Blog

Time to close out the week with a final installment of the Big East mailblog. It was a busy week at the ACC meetings. There will be plenty more next week with the Big East meetings in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Stay tuned for updates, and a few more notes from Pitt and Syracuse. Now who has some questions? Paul in New Jersey writes: AA, If there is no agreement with any of the new BCS proposals, is it possible the conference commissioners would just throw up their arms and continue to operate the BCS under the current rules in 2014?

USF softball opens NCAA regional vs. UCF at 3:30

Source: USF Sports Bulletin by Greg Auman

USF softball is back in the NCAA regionals for the first time in four years this afternoon, with a 3:30 first pitch in Gainesville against Central Florida. (You can follow the game online through free live video from UF's official site.)

The Bulls (45-11) will face a tough Knights team that went 39-17 and also beat the host Gators, as USF did in March. UCF will throw freshman Mackenzie Audas -- from Plant City -- who had a 1.21 ERA and struck out 261 batters. USF's Ken Eriksen wouldn't confirm a starter on Wednesday in interviews with the media, but he's expected to throw sophomore Sara Nevins, who has a 1.06 ERA, a 26-5 record and 273 strikeouts this season.

USF comes in with more experience and success against top-tier competition -- the Bulls are 25-9 this season against teams in the current RPI top 100, while UCF has a 13-15 record in such games. The Bulls and Knights last met in the 2008 NCAA regionals, where UCF got a 3-2 in Gainesville.

It's a double-elimination, four-team tournament, with the host Gators, seeded fifth nationally, playing Florida Gulf Coast at 6 tonight and today's winners meeting on Friday. The Bulls have eight previous NCAA regional appearances under Eriksen, but they've only advanced to Super Regionals once, in 2006.

Notes: Busy summer for USF soccer players

Source: USF Sports Bulletin by Greg Auman

USF's soccer players are keeping busy this summer, with many participating in national developmental leagues that allow them to play at a high level of competition and travel around the country while maintaining their amateur status as college athletes.

USF women's coach Denise Schilte-Brown has at least seven current players and a few alums playing in the United Soccer Leagues' W-League, which has a local team in the Tampa Flames, who next play on May 25 at the Atlanta Silverbacks. The Flames' men's and women's teams play their home games in Brandon at the J.C. Handley Park, on Kings Avenue just north of Bloomingdale Avenue.

The Tampa Flames team in the W-League has five current Bulls -- midfielders Alexandra "Boo" Eagle, Kayla Bala and Daniela Andrade, forward Alexa Hosey and defender Sarah Miller -- as well as Bulls alums Noelle Pineiro, Yvonne George and Autumn Browning. Two more of USF's top returning players, leading scorer Demi Stokes and Taylor Patterson, are playing in the same league for the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The Flames also have a men's team in the USL's Premier Development League (PDL), with four current Bulls on roster -- goalkeeper Eric Osswald, midfielder Kyle Nichols, defenders Ashani Fairclough and Ben Sweat -- along with former Bulls Sebastien Thuriere and Shane Wixted.  The league's Bradenton team includes midfielder Brandon Curriston.

-- This can't count as news because it's literally 15 months old, but as we talk about USF soccer, it's important to note that Schilte-Brown is now under contract through the 2014 season. She signed a new contract in February 2011 but USF never announced the extension -- we just found it after asking for updated coaches contracts from USF. The deal gave her a 31 percent raise to an initial salary of $80,000, with a $5,000 raise each year up to $95,000 in fall 2014. Schilte-Brown's contract includes buyout clauses -- it would have cost her $80,000 to leave USF in 2011, though that figure dropped to $32,000 this year and to $24,000 in 2013. USF gave men's coach George Kiefer a four-year extension in 2010, so both coaches are now signed to longterm contracts.

-- Other nuggets from coaches' contracts ... USF's four head coaches in golf and tennis -- Chris Malloy, Marci Kornegay, Agustin Moreno and Don Barr -- all have contracts expiring at the end of June, so expect extensions coming there. Kornegay triggered two bonus clauses in the Bulls' strong season this spring, earning an extra $2,500 for USF's Big East championship and another $2,500 for being named Big East Coach of the Year. Kornegay is close to triggering another incentive -- she's due $2,500 if USF can finish in the top 50 of either the Golfstat or Golfweek college team rankings, and the Bulls are 51st in Golfstat and 53rd in Golfweek. Perhaps another team can play poorly enough in the NCAA championships to bump USF up a single spot into the top 50.

Football champs from Big 12, SEC will play in bowl game

Source: The Tampa Tribune

The Southeastern and Big 12 conferences have announced a deal that will pit their football regular-season champions against each other in a New Year's Day bowl game for five years beginning in 2014, positioning themselves for the expected switch to a four-team playoff.

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Source: Yahoo! NCAAB

Go behind the scenes at Rutgers' spring

Source: Big East Football Blog

Sports fans cannot get enough of their teams -- particularly behind-the-scenes looks at their teams. That is one reason why "Hard Knocks" is so popular. Rutgers has decided to delve into behind-the-scenes territory with a 90-minute documentary airing Saturday called “RFootball: 15 Days of Spring.” New coach Kyle Flood gave Mind Over Media total access to the program as it focused on telling the story of his first spring as head coach.

USF softball takes on UCF in first game of NCAA Regional

Source: The Bull Rush by USF Matt

The Bulls, 45-11, hit the road to Gainesville in the regional round of the NCAA tournament (double elimination style. This means two losses and you go home). USF will face UCF in the first game of the regional bracket.
UCF is 39-17 on the season, including a 4-4 record at neutral sites. The two sides have not faced each other in several years, so it should make for a very exciting opening round (game slated to start at 3:30PM).
The Knights are led by senior short stop Natalie Land (5-6) who is batting .314 with 6 home runs, 5 doubles, 27 RBIs, and leads the team with 36 steals, displaying power and great speed. Senior centerfielder Vanessa Perez (5-4) is batting .298 with 6 doubles and has 20 RBIs on the year. Senior right fielder Tawny Swan (6-0) is batting .285 with 6 doubles and has 16 RBIs. Freshman 2B/LF Kahley Novak (5-3) is batting .282 with 16 RBIs and has 16 steals (another threat on the bases). Freshman 1B/3B Farrah Sullivan (5-9) is batting .278 with 5 home runs, 10 doubles, and has 31 RBIs to round out their batting order. The biggest threat in their batting order is Land, who has power and speed, getting everything rolling for the Knights. USF struggled down the stretch in the Big East, going 5-5 and in the last game, Syracuse was able to chase Sara Nevins in the 4th inning. She will need to be at her best and Richardson and Griener have to be ready when called upon.
The Knights pitching staff is anchored by freshman RHP Mackenzie Audas (5-5) who is 19-7 (1.09 ERA) on the year. She has pitched 185.2 innings, allowing 115 hits, 60 walks, and has struck out 226 batters. Senior RHP Ali Schmidt (5-5) is 11-3 (1.62 ERA) while working 112.2 innings, allowing 103 hits, 44 walks, and has struck out 75 batters. The Bulls were no-hit in their last game and have struggled down the stretch to get runs on the board. They will have to contend with Audas who attacks the strike zone early and often. The top of the bottom (Salvarola, Goff, and others) have to set the table and get on base early in the game to put pressure on the freshman and get runs across.
This is going to be a very interesting game. USF has the deep team and the experience with the senior class to come away with a strong win, but it will be up to Nevins to pitch well and for the offense to wake up that will get the Bulls the win.

Big East post-spring power rankings

Source: Big East Football Blog

Time for my long-awaited post-spring power rankings. I only made a few changes from the pre-spring rankings. Here goes ... 1. Louisville: Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater looked better than ever this spring, giving me renewed confidence the Cardinals are going to be the preseason favorite in the league. The secondary should be exceptionally strong, and the offensive line should be better. Questions remain at running back and with depth in the front seven.

USF shortstop Salvarola in right place at right time

Source: The Tampa Tribune

On one point, there is clarity. Sophomore shortstop Kourtney Salvarola is undoubtedly a major reason the University of South Florida earned its first NCAA Softball Regionals berth since 2008.

USF shortstop Salvarola in right place at right time

Source: The Tampa Tribune

On one point, there is clarity. Sophomore shortstop Kourtney Salvarola is undoubtedly a major reason the University of South Florida earned its first NCAA Softball Regionals berth since 2008.

NCAA softball regionals

Source: The Tampa Tribune

NCAA Softball Regionals

USF shortstop Salvarola in right place at right time

Source: The Tampa Tribune

On one point, there is clarity. Sophomore shortstop Kourtney Salvarola is undoubtedly a major reason the University of South Florida earned its first NCAA Softball Regionals berth since 2008.

Baseball takes costly 6-3 loss at West Virginia

Source: USF Sports Bulletin by Greg Auman

Winning on the road is never an easy thing, but USF baseball missed an opportunity to move into a tie for first place in the Big East standings on Thursday night, falling 6-3 at West Virginia to open its final series of the regular season.

USF (33-19, 16-9 in Big East) faced a Mountaineers team that came in just 2-13 against the top seven teams in the league standings, and facing the pitching staff with the league's worst team ERA at 6.31, was outhit 13-6. The bottom six batters in USF's lineup went a combined 1-for-18, and starter Andrew Barbosa gave up nine hits in five innings.

To make matters worse, first-place St. John's lost to Seton Hall, so a Bulls win would have put USF in a three-way tie for first with two games left in the regular season. Louisville outlasted Pittsburgh 6-5 in 12 innings, so the Cardinals and Red Storm are now tied for first at 17-8, while USF and Seton Hall are tied for third at 16-9, one game back.

USF could still earn a share of the Big East regular-season title, and it's unlikely they'll be seeded any lower than fourth in next week's Big East tournament in Clearwater. But as a team on the national bubble for an NCAA at-large berth, USF needs every win it can get, or else the Bulls may have to win that tournament to make their first NCAA appearance in 10 years.

The three-game series with West Virginia continues Friday night and wraps up Saturday afternoon, with tournament play starting Wednesday in Clearwater.

Bulls drop bad game to WVU

Source: The Bull Rush by USF Matt

Not exactly the team wanted to start this final regular season series.  The Bulls dropped the first game to WVU 3 to 6, dropping their overall record to 33-19 (16-9), dropping them 2 games back for the regular season title. 
Andrew Barbosa was not as sharp as he has been all season.  He worked just 5 innings, allowing 9 hits, 4 runs, 1 walk and struck out 5 batters.  Adrian Puig went 1.2 innings, allowing 3 hits 1 run, and struck out 1 batter.  Janick Serrallonga got one out and allowed one hit.  Andrew Loynaz went 1 inning, allowing a walk and struck out 1 batter. 
The offense was quiet for the most part.  Alex Mendez went 2 for 5 with a double and scored a run.  Luis Llerena went 1 for 3 with an RBI and scored 2 runs.  James Ramsay went 2 for 4 with an RBI as well. 
The team will try to rebound tomorrow night when they take the field at 7:05.

#ALLTHETRANSFERS NC State F Tyler Harris To Visit USF

Source: Voodoo Five by Ken DeCelles

With one scholarship remaining, Coach Heath is trying to bring in former NC State F Tyler Harris for an official visit according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. Auman spoke with Harris' father Torrell, who told Greg that Tyler is also considering offers from UAB, Providence, and Temple

The 6'8 Harris played in 19 games for the Wolfpack this season, starting 3 of them and averaged 1.8 points and 1.2 rebounds in 6.9 minutes a game.

Harris was a 3-star recruit coming out of St. Benedict's HS by both

College Football 411: Spring's best

Source: Big East Football Blog

Cassidy Hubbarth and the college football bloggers bring you the best from the spring and what that means for the games in the fall.

Ultimate Big East road trip: Week 9

Source: Big East Football Blog

Time to move along to Week 9 in my ultimate Big East road trip. For those just tuning in, I am selecting the games I would choose to see each and every week this season. My editors usually do that for me. But if the scheduling were up to me, this is where I would want to go. Here is the Week 9 schedule: Fri., Oct. 26 Cincinnati at Louisville Sat., Oct. 27 Temple at Pitt Kent State at Rutgers Syracuse at USF My choice: Cincinnati at Louisville.

USF in mix for 6-8 N.C. State transfer Harris

Source: USF Sports Bulletin by Greg Auman

USF coach Stan Heath, who has had great success with transfers from other top-tier programs, may have another coming this summer, as the Bulls are in the mix for Tyler Harris, a 6-foot-8 forward who is leaving N.C. State after one season.

Harris, rated as the nation's No. 135 recruit in 2011 by Rivals, has already visited Temple, UAB and Providence, and intends to make an official visit to USF before making his decision early next month, his father Torrel said Thursday.

"We're interested in South Florida. I can tell you we're going to visit South Florida," said Harris, who has an older son, Tobias, who starred at Tennessee and is now with the Milwaukee Bucks. "They have a great interest in Tyler, and they just had a heck of a year. We're trying to go to a school that gives him a chance to get back to the NCAAs."

Harris, still just 18 years old, played sparingly as a freshman at N.C. State -- he had 20 points in the first four games, averaging 16 minutes per game, then saw his playing time drop off considerably, totaling just 15 points the rest of the year. He considered USF coming out of high school after starring at St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, N.J., after playing with his brother Tobias at Half Hollow Hills West in Dix Hills, N.Y. Tyler Harris is best suited as a small forward at the college level, though his father said he's comfortable guarding anyone from guards to power forwards.

USF has had great luck with transfers under Heath, with three starters last year -- Ron Anderson, Augustus Gilchrist and Victor Rudd -- who started their college careers elsewhere. The Bulls had forward Martino Brock sit out last season after transferring from South Alabama, and added another transfer this month in Florida Atlantic forward Kore White, who will play this fall as a graduate transfer. Harris would have three years of eligibility after sitting out the 2012-13 season.

The Harris family has its share of college basketball players -- sister Tesia just finished her playing career at St. John's, and younger brother Terry, a 6-foot-5 forward just finishing his sophomore year, is already drawing offers from Tennessee and Miami. Torrel said USF is aware of Terry as well -- the two brothers would have two years of overlapping eligibility in college.

Watch for these rule changes in 2012

Source: Big East Football Blog

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- Every year, there are new rules to pay attention to, for coaches, players, officials and viewers watching games. Here are several of particular note that could impact teams this season. ACC coordinator of officials Doug Rhoads spent time going over these changes with coaches during the spring meetings, and took some time to explain them for this post. These changes were made to help create more player safety. 1. Helmet comes off.

Big East Lunch Links

Source: Big East Football Blog

Filling in for some lunchtime reading … Colleague Ivan Maisel says spring football ushers in a fresh start. The Tampa Bay Times' Greg Auman catches up with UCF coach George O'Leary, who talks about the move to the Big East. Tyler Provo's father says Syracuse is getting a smaller, meaner version of older brother Nick, Nolan Weidner writes in The Post-Standard. Former Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu is on the upswing with the Bengals, Joe Reedy writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

USF takes on WVU in the final regular season series

Source: The Bull Rush by USF Matt

The USF Bulls, 33-18 (16-8), were rained out of their Thursday game against UNF and now finish the regular season on the road at Morgantown as the team looks to end the season on a high note heading into the Big East tournament.  The Bulls still have a chance at the regular season title, but have to take it one game at a time and WVU stands in the way.
WVU is 21-31 (7-17) on the season, including 13-10 at home.  They have a solid batting order and can look to derail the Bulls in the final series (game begins tonight at 7:05, the Friday game begins at 7:05, and the Saturday game begins at 1PM).

WVU is led by junior short stop John Polonius (6-0 190-pounds) who is batting .321 with 2 home runs and 19 RBIs on the season.  Freshman outfielder Bobby Boyd (5-9 160-pounds) is batting .318 with 2 home runs, 7 doubles, and has 18 RBIs on the season. He also has 22 steals to lead the team, adding a major speed threat on the bases  Freshman short stop Billy Fleming (6-0 190-pounds) is batting .306 with 20 RBIs.  Sophomore left fielder Matt Frazer (6-5 253-pounds) is batting .291 with 6 home runs and has 28 RBIs.  Sophomore 1B Ryan McBroom (6-3 215-pounds) is batting .292 with 5 home runs and 39 RBIs to round out a solid batting order for the Mountaineers.  Top to bottom, WVU has a solid batting order that lives on contact and moving runners over.  McBroom and Frazer are the power threats and Body is the speed threat that gets it going on offense.  The Bulls pitching staff, led by Barbosa and Stultz, have to continue attacking the strike zone like they have all season long and get WVU batters to swing and miss.
The WVU pitching staff is led by sophomore RHP Corey Walter (6-3 210-pounds) who is 5-5 on the year with a 4.65 ERA.  Walter has worked 91 innings, allowing 103 hits, 27 walks, and has 38 strike outs (opponents hitting .292 against him).  Junior RHP Dan Dierdorff (6-0 190-pounds) is 4-6 (5.50 ERA) while working 76 innings, allowing 87 hits, 37 walks and has 57 strike outs (opponents hitting .297 against him).  Sophomore RHP Ryan Tezak (6-3 215-pounds) is 3-2 (1.45 ERA) with 2 saves out of the bullpen.  He has worked 18.2 innings, allowing 14 hits, 14 walks, and has 17 strike outs.  Sophomore RHP Josh Harlow (6-0 195-pounds) is 2-2 with 2 saves on the year with 34 innings of work, allowing 47 hits, 11 walks, and has 22 strike outs.  The WVU pitching staff has been shaky at times this season.  Their starters have very high ERAs and the innings pitched vs. the number of hits allowed shows that they tend to leave a few pitches over the plate.  The Bulls, who have been hitting a lot better late in the year, should be able to take advantage during the series and string along some strong innings to put themselves ahead and take pressure off the pitching staff.
This is a big series for the Bulls.  The Big East title and upcoming tournament are ahead of the team, but they have to take it one game at a time, like they have been all season.  USF should be able to take 2 out of 3 or even complete the sweep of WVU, but they must be cautious and keep the focus they have had all season in these final games.