DATE: May 16, 2019
GAME 1 MATCHUP: USF vs. No. 21 South Carolina
LOCATION: Tallahassee, Fla. | JoAnne Graf Field
WATCH: SEC Network
TAMPA, May 16, 2019 – USF will head to Tallahassee, Fla., for its 15th NCAA regional appearance where it will take on South Carolina in the opening game Friday at noon. The matchup will air live on SEC Network.
The Bulls will be back in action on Friday after their longest stretch without a game since the season started due to the cancellation of The American tournament last week. The Bulls picked up their 40th win of the season in the American Athletic Conference Championship Quarterfinals on May 9 but weren’t able to continue the competition due to repeated patterns of inclement weather. As the top seed in the tournament and the regular season champion, USF was awarded the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
USF (40-17) will face the No. 21 Gamecocks in a rematch of the earlier contest during the USF-Clearwater Parks and Recreation Invitational Tournament. Then-ranked No. 13 South Carolina took down USF, 8-1.
Other possible opponents in the four-team, double-elimination regional include reigning national champion, No. 4 FSU and Bethune Cookman. The Noles and the Wildcats will face off at 2:30 p.m. Friday in game two of the regional.
Scouting the Opponents
- No. 21 South Carolina (36-17): The Gamecocks’ top hitter, Kennedy Clark, is batting .384 with 58 hits this season. She has scored 41 runs and batted in 30. South Carolina’s Karly Heath is undefeated in the circle, 8-0, with a 2.48 ERA. Dixie Raley (2.77 ERA) and Cayla Drotar (2.80 ERA) each have 11 wins this season and combine for 10 saves.
- No. 4 FSU (51-8-0): Sydney Sherrill has started all 59 games for FSU with a .426 average, 72-for-169. Sherrill has a .793 slugging percentage, 55 RBI and 58 runs. She has also hit 17 doubles and 15 home runs. Meghan King is a leader in the circle for the Noles, 29-5, with nine shutouts, 16 complete games and two saves. She has amassed 185.2 innings and has a 1.36 ERA.
- Bethune Cookman (26-29): Jacki Smith leads the Wildcats at-bat with a .336 average. Smith has recorded 16 runs. Brianna Paysinger leads the team in RBI with 35, and Cheyenne Smith has the most runs on the squad with 37. Bethune Cookman depends on Destiny Enriquez (9-6) and Alexis Bermudez (15-20) in the circle. Bermudez has recorded nine shutouts, one save and 16 complete games in 203 innings with 165 strikeouts.
Regional Schedule
Tallahassee Regional – May 17-19 at Tallahassee, Florida
Game 1: South Carolina (36-17) vs. South Fla. (40-17) | 12 p.m. Friday | SEC Network
Game 2: Bethune-Cookman (26-29) vs. No. 4 seed Florida St.* (51-8) | 2:30 p.m. | ESPNU
Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner | 12 p.m. Saturday
Game 4 : Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser | 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Game 5 : Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner | 5 p.m. Saturday
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner | 12 p.m. Sunday
Game 7 (if necessary): Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser | 2:30 p.m. Sunday
About USF Softball
Be sure to follow USF softball on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. The USF softball program has been one of the most successful on campus, making 12 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women’s College World Series in 2012.
– #GoBulls –
Erin Beck // USF Athletics
Assistant Director of Communications
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