For athletes, the number they wear is more than the added fabric on the back of their jersey.

It often tells a deeper story about the players — who they are and where they come from.    

Here’s why these three USF softball players chose their respective jersey numbers.

Related: USF softball is gaining momentum during season’s final stretch

Senior outfielder Marissa Trivelpiece — No. 2

Senior utility Marissa Trivelpiece is in her second season with USF after transferring from Michigan State in 2023.

Trivelpiece wore the No. 15 with the Spartans and wore the No. 46 last season.

This year she’s wearing the No. 2 – the reason why is threefold.

Trivelpiece is an avid Yankees fan. She bonded with her father, Vince, by watching Yankees games on television. 

Trivelpiece wears the same number as her favorite athlete, Derek Jeter, the MLB Hall of Famer who played 20 seasons with the Yankees from 1995-2014. His No. 2 was retired in 2017 and he was inaugurated into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2020. 

These early memories of watching Jeter and the Yankees-inspired Trivelpiece when she began playing softball around age 5. She was inspired by Jeter’s fielding hitting and approach to the game.

Her primary position, shortstop, is also the same as Jeter’s.

“It’s your job, but it’s also a sport,” Trivelpiece said. “You have to have fun, and you can’t be successful if you’re not having fun.”

Along with honoring her favorite player, the number represents her birthday Nov. 2. It also represents her two older sisters, Megan and Maria.

 Sophomore infielder Kathy Garcia-Soto — No. 21 

Sophomore infielder Kathy Garcia-Soto wears the number No. 21 to honor her mom, Eve.

“I look back at it like, [ No. 12] was my mom and then [No. 21] is my own version of it,” Garcia-Soto said. “But it’s like she’s still in my jersey in some way because the numbers are flipped.”

Eve wore the No.12 when she played softball for the Puerto Rico national team in 1996, and Kathy wore the same number when she began playing as a child.

Related: ‘Like I’m back home’: Three Bulls play for Puerto Rico in preseason match 

Around age 11, another player on her travel team had the number so Garcia-Soto flipped it.

The two have a tight-knit bond. Eve coached Garcia-Soto throughout her high school career. Garcia-Soto recalled that could never say “Mom” on the field or during practice referring to Eve as “coach.”

Garcia Soto’s favorite lesson from her mom is to always have your team’s back even during life’s ups and downs.

“Even though you might be going through something in [or out of] softball,” Garcia-Soto said. “You always have your team’s back, and they always have yours.”

Senior outfielder Jordyn Kadlub — No. 72

Senior outfielder Jordyn Kadlub, in her sixth season with USF, is the longest-tenured Bull on the roster. She’s worn the No. 72 for “as long as she can remember.”

Kadlub recalled that during her official visit to USF before her freshman season, the coaches didn’t ask her what number she wanted to wear. 

“They’re like: ‘Jordyn, we know you’re 72,’” Kadlub said.

Kadlub said she is often asked about her jersey number because it’s not a typical choice.

Her father, Scott, inspired the choice. Though Kadlub was born and raised in Florida, Scott lived in Chicago before she was born. 

Kadlub and her dad are Chicago sports fans because of this. She wears the number of one of the Bears’ most iconic players — William “The Fridge” Perry.  

Perry played with the Bears from 1985-1994 and helped them win Super Bowl XX.

Scott also encouraged Kadlub to pick up softball and was her coach during her early years playing in rec leagues.

“He always tells me If it were easy, everyone would do it,” Kadlub said. “Even though you are gonna fail and it’s going to be hard, you’re here…and you deserve to be here.”

 USF Softball will travel to Greenville to start a three-game series against Eastern Carolina. The first game, which will be broadcast on ESPN+, is on Friday at 5 p.m.