Floridians Mourn ‘Courageous’ 22-Year-Old Softball Player Who Died of Brain Cancer

Community members are mourning the loss of a former University of South Florida softball player from Tampa who died at home Thursday while battling brain cancer.

Alexis Buchman was 22 years old when she passed away, Fox 13 reported, noting she was diagnosed in late 2021. However, the dedicated young woman kept working with the softball team in the role of student manager throughout the 2023 season, even while she underwent treatment.

In a social media post, USF Softball called her a “courageous friend and teammate” who would remain forever in the hearts of those who loved her:

A courageous friend & teammate.

Alexis Buchman will always be in our hearts.

Our thoughts & prayers are with the entire Buchman family, her friends & everyone in our Tampa Bay community that she left a lasting impact on.#BucStrong pic.twitter.com/IbTbnN9Dtp

— USF Softball (@USFSoftball) February 15, 2024

USF Softball head coach Ken Eriksen said in a statement:

It is devastating to lose a teammate, friend, and beloved member of our Bulls family. Alexis was a light in all the lives she touched and was truly courageous and inspiring in her fight. Our thoughts and prayers are with her parents, Steven and Kris, and family. We were blessed to have Alexis in our lives and to learn from her example of grace and determination. Her memory will long live within our program.

The Bulls press release announcing the loss said Buchman became part of the university’s softball program in 2020. She participated in seven games, “scoring two runs in her first season while displaying quickness on the bases, stealing bases in two out of three attempts. In her second season of 2021, she appeared in four games and scored three runs.”

The young woman’s friend and teammate said it was a privilege and blessing to know her:

“She wore bravery & selflessness better than anybody I’ve ever known. We carry on her legacy. Thank you for being you #33.”

A touching tribute to Alexis Buchman from her friend & teammate, @georgecorrick.#BucStrong pic.twitter.com/BozcbOrOij

— USF Softball (@USFSoftball) February 16, 2024

“She was effortlessly kind and funny. She walked into a room and it lit up. Her diagnosis changed absolutely nothing about her and instead only served to highlight her natural strength and bravery in the face of something no one should ever have to experience so young,” the young woman stated.

She also noted the one thing she remembered most about Buchman was the smile she constantly wore.

“She inspired an army of people to fight alongside her as she continued to graduate college, killed it at her own bingo nights, and loved with absolutely everything that she had. She is carried in small pieces inside of us,” the friend said.

Social media users also shared their thoughts about the loss, one person writing, “So sad to see someone so young and vibrant have to fight this awful disease. Be free and fly, Alexis – many prayers lifted for her friends, teammates, family and community.”