Seasons begin with hope for every NCAA softball team, but each of them, except for one, will end with a loss. So it was Saturday night for USF, which fell 7-5 in eight innings to Auburn in the Tallahassee Regional.
That was after top-seeded Florida State beat the Bulls 8-0 earlier in the day.
It’s disappointing in the moment when players realize the season is over. It’s melancholy for those seniors who face the end of their college careers.
But for the Bulls, those feelings will eventually give way to the realization that they accomplished something special along the way. This season will be remembered as one of the best in program history.
USF won the American Athletic Conference tournament for the first time in program history. The Bulls compiled a 44-16-1 record. They accomplished their largest NCAA tournament come-from-behind win on Friday after overcoming a five-run deficit in a 12-7 win over Auburn.
But the season wasn’t just about numbers.
Ken Eriksen has been USF’s head coach since 1996 and he has said this group stood out for its cohesion and grit. The Bulls were among the national leaders in comeback wins.
And he described that as only he can.
“This team was like an epi-pen for me,” he texted me after the game. “I can’t wait to see where we are headed as our recruiting has stepped up. Our recruiting has stepped up and our level of athleticism has increased to a national standard again. See you in August!”
While Josie Foreman, who had 13 home runs this season, and pitcher Belle Sardja have used up their eligibility, the bulk of this team returns next season.
As always, Eriksen will book a challenging non-conference schedule for 2026. And with programs like Florida Atlantic and North Texas, the AAC will continue to be a challenging conference.
But the success this season was a strong bounce-back after the Bulls missed an NCAA invitation the last two seasons.
It was a statement that USF softball is back and the best is yet to come.