Eight NCAA Regional squads, three Super Regional opponents and one Women’s College World Series team were all included in USF Softball’s 2019 schedule that was officially announced on Thursday afternoon.

Ken Eriksen, entering his 23rd year at the helm, will lead the Bulls into the annual USF Opening Weekend Invitational on Thursday, February 7.

The Bulls will host several ranked opponents throughout the opening weekend including No. 10 Arizona, No. 17 Michigan and No. 2 Florida as well as Illinois State and N.C. State.

From a GoUSFBulls.com release,

Each year we challenge our program everyday with great competition, and simultaneously bring the best softball teams nationwide to Tampa,” said Eriksen. “This season we will continue that standard. If you would rank the non-conference line-up of teams, USF Softball is among the nation’s elite. Opening weekend we will give Tampa Bay one of the best softball tournaments, with the talent of a six-team NCAA regional.”

Following the first week of action, USF will head west to participate in Arizona’s opening tournament where the Bulls will again face the Wildcats as well as Alabama, University of Illinois-Chicago, Cal State Fullerton and New Mexico.

The Bulls will return home on February 22 to kickoff the USF-Rawlings Invitational that includes visits from Virginia Tech, Georgia State and No. 22 Texas State.

The 16th annual USF Series will feature three separate tournaments this season, the USF-Clearwater Parks and Recreation Invitational on March 1-3, the USF-Clearwater Parks and Recreation Showcase on March 8-9 and the USF-Michele Smith Pediatric Cancer Spring Invitational on March 14-17.

South Carolina, Ball State, Middle Tennessee, Iowa, Western Michigan, Wisconsin, UMass, Indiana, Minnesota, Purdue and Butler are among the 13 total teams USF will face.

USF will look to defend its regular season title when American Athletic Conference play begins on March 22 with a three-game series at home versus Tulsa.

Following the Tulsa series, USF’s only non-conference tilt comes April 10 when the Bulls visit Gainesville to take on the second-ranked Gators.

The War on I-4 this season takes place in Oviedo, when the Bulls visit the C. Knights for three crucial contests April 12-14.

The Bulls final home series is against Memphis, April 26-28 and the regular season slate concludes on the road at Wichita State, May 3-5.

Houston will host the AAC Tournament May 9-11.

You can check out the entire 2019 schedule here.