Super softballers earn All-American honors

USF’s best season in softball history may not have translated to major success in the NCAA tournament, but it did land two record-setting players a few more notches on a belt filling up with honors.

Seniors Holly Groves and Leigh Ann Ellis became only the fifth and sixth Bulls ever named to an NCAA All-American team when they landed on the Louisville Slugger All-American squad.

Groves and Ellis, who were also recently named to the NCAA All-Regional team, were the standouts that led this season’s squad to the best record in USF history. Groves led the nation with 82 RBI in a year that saw her set six Bull bests in the record books, while Ellis won a record-setting 43 games and garnered the Conference USA Pitcher of the Year award.

Soccer teams sign slew of recruits

Men’s soccer coach George Keifer kept with the international flavor of his 2004 recruiting class, announcing the signing of Mitchum Ford, a defender from South Africa.

Earlier this recruiting season, Keifer nabbed Simon Schoendorf, a midfielder from Germany and Freddy Hall, a keeper from Bermuda.

Not to be outdone on the recruiting horizon is women’s coach Logan Fleck, who announced the signing of four new recruits, including three transfer students.

One of those transfers was Erica Lewis, FSU’s fifth-leading scorer as a freshman.

Leavitt’s Bulls building Habitat for Humanity

Jim Leavitt’s bunch has been working on building a football powerhouse. But, for now, they’ll settle on building houses.

On Saturday, 25 Bulls players will pick up the power tools for a good cause, building homes all day for Habitat for Humanity.

Leavitt, who will also be donning the hardhat, hopes the project will help build team unity as well as a roof over a family’s heads.

“I know our players will gain a lot personally from seeing their efforts result in a new home for a deserving Habitat family,” Leavitt said. “And what they learn from this experience will add to the lessons in team work and reaching for big goals that we teach on the field.”