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It has been an exciting year for winter sports at the University of South Florida. As mentioned, the lacrosse team, in their first official year, made it to the conference championship and lost to James Madison. Along with lacrosse, the baseball team had a new head coach. Athletic director Michael Kelly has made some great decisions on who he has brought in to coach these programs. Lacrosse was not only a program that reached the championship and win. Both the softball and baseball teams did well. So, let’s dive into how their respective seasons came to an end.
The USF Bulls softball team did something for the first time in program history when they won a conference championship against the North Texas Mean Green. This game had it all, from weather delays to many comebacks, as the Bulls would go on to win, 5-4. The final out came from pitcher Belle Sardja. As the ball was hit back at her, she fumbled it just for a little bit, and she tossed it to the first baseman. Once the umpire made the call, the players in the dugout and on the field charged near Sardja to begin the celebration. Bella was named the most outstanding player for the tournament. In round 1 of the tournament, they played the Auburn Tigers. This was a big game for USF as they won 12-7, which meant the next matchup was against the Florida State Seminoles.
That game did not go well for the USF Bulls as they would fall in a shortened game in six innings, 8-0. That would set up a game on the same day versus their first-round opponent, the Auburn Tigers. This is where the tournament came to an end for them as they fell to the Tigers in eight innings, 7-5, ending their season. Josie Forman had a special moment with her final at-bat in the postseason, a home run, and she is the only player in program history to do that. The game was tied at four before it went to extras, and in the top of the eighth, the game turned for the Bulls as they gave up three runs to the Tigers. Foreman hit her 13th homer and is now tied for fourth in program history.
The USF Bulls baseball team is under new head coach Mitch Hannahs. Many thought they would not have such a great season, which was wrong. For the first time since 2018, they finished with a regular and conference record above .500. With that, they earned a spot in the AAC Baseball Championship. They were the third seed, and their first-round opponent was the East Carolina Pirates. The Pirates dominated right from the first hitter and would go on to win 9-4. That meant the next day they would play the Wichita State Shockers, who lost to the Charlotte 49ers. The biggest hit in the game came off the bat of Matt Rose, hitting a game-winning home run, taking the game 4-3. The next game was against the 49ers, and the Bulls won, which meant they would play in the semi-finals.
The opponent was once again the East Carolina Pirates. The Bulls jumped out to a big lead, but in the end, the Bulls would fall to the Pirates. With that, the Pirates would go on to beat the Tulane Green Wave in the championship game and win the AAC. This was a great first season for the Bulls under Hannahs coaching, a team that reached the semifinals and in 2024 did not even make the tournament. This is the right step for the program, and the future looks bright for the baseball program. All three programs had a good year. Now, they have to capitalize on that for next season.
What is your opinion on all three programs in 2025? Leave a comment below.
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Author Profile
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Bradley Walker serves as the Director of Operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a co-host on the P&W Sports Report and hosting The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
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[…] of the college football season starting for most colleges in the nation. One of those teams is the USF Bulls and their athletic director and vice president of athletics Michael Kelly is moving on. Kelly has […]