Fresh off their American Conference tournament championship,, the USF softball team could relax a little bit Sunday knowing the Bulls didn't have to sweat out being on the bubble.
They earned that right with a second consecutive American Conference tournament championship.
That patience was rewarded when USF learned it would be headed to Fayetville, Ark. to face 7th-seeded Washington on Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN-U.
The Bulls will be joined by 2nd-seeded Arkansas and Fordham. That's a surprise, considering that the NCAA usually likes regional assignments to ease travel issues on fans. Guess not in this case this time.
It is the 19th NCAA bid in program history, 18 of which have come since Ken Eriksen took over as the head coach in 1997. Included was a trip to the College World Series in 2012.
BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPS HAS A NICE RING TO IT! 😎 🏆#BuiltToRise x @USFSoftball pic.twitter.com/NogLZHYztJ
— The American (@American_Conf) May 9, 2026
The Bulls were sent to Tallahassee last year, seeded third in a region that included top-seeded Florida State and Auburn of the SEC.
USF opened with a 12-7 win over Auburn in nine innings, but fell the next day to the Seminoles. The Bulls had to come back later in the day, also against Auburn. Things didn't go USF's way in the rematch as the Bulls fell 7-5 in eight innings, ending their season.
Several of the players from that USF team returned this season and should benefit from the experience of playing in the post-season. Outfielders Olivia Elliott and Alexa Gallgani and infielders DaNia Brooks and Kathy Garcia-Soto were all part of last year's tournament run. They will know what to expect.
The Bulls also have one of the hottest pitchers in the tournament in sophomore Anne Long. After starting the season 1-2, Long won 20 of her next 23 decisions, including both games in the American Conference tournament.
Opponents are hitting just .207 against her.
USF also comes in on a 10-game winning streak where the Bulls have outscored their opponents 54-20.
Add us as a preferred source on Google