USF Sports Bulletin Feed

Ex-Bulls QB Grothe released by Storm

Greg Auman — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 02:00:28 +0000

Former USF quarterback Matt Grothe, who has played sparingly this season, has been released by the Tampa Bay Storm, the Times' Brandon Wright reports. Grothe had gone 12-for-21 for 161 yards and three touchdowns in limited action this season -- before the season, the team foresaw a big enough role for him he was featured in advertising for the team.

Bulls keep it light, prepare for challenge vs. LSU

Greg Auman — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 22:14:13 +0000

NORMAN, Okla. -- Having delivered batting practice to all of USF's softball players Friday afternoon, assistant coach Monica Triner looked to the plate, eyed up the next batter, smiled and knocked the protective screen in front of her to the ground as if she didn't really need it.

Working out at Oklahoma University's stadium, the Bulls closed their final practice before today's College World Series game against LSU on a light-hearted note, allowing the team's managers, trainers and staff to take their swings, with head coach Ken Eriksen finishing the session with a home-run shot to right field.

The message: When you've played long enough to be alive in June, keeping a positive attitude is as important as any fundamentals you can brush up on in practice.

"This is a team that you trust will take that mantel of responsibility, even when you're not overcoaching them," said Eriksen, whose team faces the Tigers at noon ET Saturday in an elimination game at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

USF had Friday off after taking a 5-1 loss to fourth-seeded Oklahoma on Thursday afternoon, leading 1-0 in the fourth before giving up a two-run home run to All-American Lauren Chamberlain. LSU and USF are the only unseeded teams in the CWS field, and the Bulls want to clear another hurdle with their first College World Series win, which would advance them to another elimination game Saturday night.

"We said in regionals that we're in it for the long haul. I don't think we're done yet," senior outfielder Gina Kafalas said. "We want to play our best softball and win, and we're really excited to play again. Not a lot of teams have the opportunity to be playing right now."

In facing LSU ace Rachele Fico and her NCAA-best 0.92 ERA today, the Bulls will have faced the nation's three lowest ERAs in consecutive games, having beaten Hofstra's Olivia Galati last weekend, then lost to Oklahoma's Keilani Ricketts on Thursday. One reason for their confidence? Fourth on that same list is USF sophomore Sara Nevins, who takes the mound today against an LSU lineup that ranked 267th out of 283 teams in Division I with a team batting average of just .221; they also ranked 262nd with 13 total home runs, and 218th in scoring.

LSU is especially familiar for USF senior Jessica Mouse, who was a three-year starter for the Tigers before missing last season with a foot injury and opting to transfer to USF for her final college season. She's remained close friends with her former teammates, but said it shouldn't distract her from the team's goal of extending its season as long as possible.

The Bulls are enjoying their first trip to Oklahoma City, knowing the experience will forever reset the bar for what constitutes success for the team. In one week, they go from a program that's never been here, to one that wants to come back for more every year.

"We've got mint chocolate chip ice cream on the tongue right now," Eriksen said. "Everybody likes mint chocolate chip ice cream. They don't like the other flavors as much. When you get that flavor, you aspire to have that every single time. They also know to get that flavor, it's a lot of hard work."

Video: USF's Eriksen keeps it light before LSU game

Greg Auman — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 20:33:55 +0000

Here's video from USF softball's afternoon practice in Norman today, a light workout in every sense, with the team's coaches, trainers and staff taking part in batting practice at the end of drills. Here's what coach Ken Eriksen had to say as he prepares for Saturday's game against LSU.

USF hoops hosts Georgia in Big East-SEC Challenge

Greg Auman — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:19:14 +0000

USF men's basketball, coming off the best season in its history, has landed a home game in this year's Big East-SEC Challenge, as the Bulls will play host to Georgia on Nov. 30 as part of the 12-game event.

It should make for a big weekend for the Bulls -- the game is the night before the regular-season finale for football, a home game against Pittsburgh. The Bulls last played in the Big East-SEC Challenge in 2009, losing to Vanderbilt in Nashville. It's another big home date for USF as it opens the newly renovated Sun Dome for basketball this fall.

With 12 teams playing in the event, three Big East teams are sitting out this season -- Louisville, Connecticut and outgoing Pittsburgh. The SEC's two newest members, Texas A&M and Missouri, are sitting out this year, with the league's traditional 12 teams filling their side.

Here's the full lineup: Nov. 29 -- Kentucky at Notre Dame, Marquette at Florida, South Carolina at St. John's, Seton Hall at LSU; Nov. 30 -- Syracuse at Arkansas, Tennessee at Georgetown, DePaul at Auburn, Georgia at USF; Dec. 1 -- Alabama at Cincinnati, Villanova at Vanderbilt, Mississippi State at Providence, Rutgers at Mississippi.

Video: Eriksen talks after Bulls' loss to Oklahoma

Greg Auman — Thu, 31 May 2012 21:52:06 +0000

Here's some video from Thursday afternoon after USF's 5-1 loss to Oklahoma on the opening day of the College World Series in Oklahoma City -- here's Bulls coach Ken Eriksen's opening comments after losing to the Sooners.

Bulls fall 5-1 to Sooners' power bats in CWS opener

Greg Auman — Thu, 31 May 2012 19:33:31 +0000

OKLAHOMA CITY -- USF softball was the unseeded surprise team making its College World Series debut Thursday, while Oklahoma was the national powerhouse back for its seventh appearance a half-hour from campus at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

And yet midway through the fourth inning, USF had a 1-0 lead on the Sooners, with ace Sara Nevins throwing a no-hitter, running through a loaded lineup with five strikeouts in her first eight outs.

That all changed with one swing, as Oklahoma freshman Lauren Chamberlain crushed a two-run home run to straightaway center for a 2-1 lead, and the Sooners pulled away to a 5-1 victory, sending the Bulls into the losers' bracket.

"The margin of error becomes smaller at this level against a great hitting team like that," said USF coach Ken Eriksen of a Sooners lineup that took the national lead with its 96th home run of the season; the Bulls hit 27 this year. "I thought their team took advantage of a couple of mistakes we made, pitching-wise ... You've got to play flawless softball to move on into the winners' bracket."

Instead, the Bulls (50-13) get today off, then play an elimination game Saturday at noon ET against LSU, which lost 5-3 to top-seeded Cal on Thursday. Win there, the Bulls have to play again Saturday night, then would have to beat Friday's Oklahoma-Cal winner twice Sunday to advance to the best-of-three championship series.

USF was outnumbered in the capacity crowd, but one section of Bulls fans proudly wore neon-green T-shirts that said "Feed the Mouse," Eriksen's phrase for sending grounders to the steady glove of senior third baseman Jessica Mouse.

"I'm so thankful our fans were able to make it out to Oklahoma City," Mouse said. "It's definitely nice to have people cheering for you in (your) corner, especially when you're going up against a team that's 20 miles down the road. They've got the whole state behind them, but we're very thankful."

USF was the aggressive team early, getting a runner in scoring position with one out in the first and third. Then, in the fourth, Mouse reached on an error, and pinch-runner Courtney Goff scored from second on a two-out single by shortstop Kourtney Salvarola for a 1-0 lead.

"That's a tough place to play. You're playing in front of a lot of hometown people. ... My team just showed me what they're made of, because they didn't show any type of nervousness whatsoever," Eriksen said. "I was very proud of what they did today."

USF trailed just 2-1 in the sixth inning, but Chamberlain hit a double, and fellow All-American Keilani Ricketts -- who had 11 strikeouts against the Bulls -- hit an RBI triple, later scoring on a two-out single. Oklahoma (51-8) closed its scoring with a bases-loaded walk, reaching the five-run mark for a 14th game in a row.

Nevins, a Pinellas Park graduate, came in with a 0.79 ERA in the postseason but gave up five earned runs, though she had the respect of Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso.

"Sara Nevins is a tough, tough lefty. Very, very good pitcher," she said. "I wouldn't want to face her again. I hope we don't."

Live blog: USF softball vs. Oklahoma in CWS

Greg Auman — Thu, 31 May 2012 16:41:16 +0000

Greetings from Oklahoma City! We're here and live-blogging from USF softball's opening game in the College World Series against fourth-seeded Oklahoma. Check in for updates and notes throughout the game, which is being shown on ESPN2.

USF softball vs. Oklahoma in CWS

USF, OKC, CWS: Bulls softball faces Sooners

Greg Auman — Thu, 31 May 2012 16:21:29 +0000

Greetings from Oklahoma City, where USF softball is less than an hour away from opening the College World Series against mighty Oklahoma here at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. We're here covering the Bulls and will be live-blogging throughout the game -- fun to see a small section of Bulls fans behind the first-base dugout, many wearing neon-green "Feed the Mouse" T-shirts for USF senior third baseman Jessica Mouse.

There's a strong wind blowing in here, gusting at 30 mph and more, which could work in USF's favor, facing a Sooners lineup that tied for the national led with 95 home runs this season. The fences here are just 200 feet in the corners and 220 in straightaway center, so the wind could help the Bulls stay in a low-scoring pitching duel like what they had in Gainesville and Tampa.

More twitpics: Here's view of the stadium and from the outfield bleachers, as well as the official USF shirt sold here at the championships.

Woolard: Positive attitude has carried Bulls to OKC

Greg Auman — Thu, 31 May 2012 12:02:39 +0000

Here in Atlanta for a quick change of flights as I head into Oklahoma City, and something that didn't get into today's Ken Eriksen story was athletic director Doug Woolard's take on why the Bulls have put together such a strong postseason run in the last two weeks.

Eriksen had USF in an NCAA regional in Gainesville when Woolard first became USF's athletic director in 2004, and he said the coach's vision for the future of the program was much like what the Bulls are enjoying this week in the College World Series.

"He never quit believing. It's something he's been positive about every day, and he's believed it every day," Woolard said Wednesday night. "He pays a lot of attention to details, and I think he's been real consistent with his team. When you keep a positive attitude and you stay consistent and steady, those things really help you toward the end of the year."

USF opens play in the CSW at 1 p.m. ET at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium against Oklahoma. We'll be live-blogging throughout the game. ...

Rock on: Eriksen leads USF into Oklahoma City

Greg Auman — Thu, 31 May 2012 03:20:05 +0000

I've got a very early flight out to Oklahoma City, and to preview Thursday's big College World Series opener between USF and Oklahoma, we're profiling Bulls coach Ken Eriksen, who is nearly obsessive in his pursuit of any advantage he can come up with for his team. With the help of Led Zeppelin, even. Here's a closer look at the man whose wife calls him the "idiot savant of softball."