GAMEDAY INFORMATION
University of South Florida Bulls (4-3) at UCF Knights (6-0)
SCHEDULE: Friday, March 1 – 6 p.m. | Saturday, March 2 – 6 p.m. | Sunday, March 3 – 1 p.m.
BALLPARK: John Euliano Park | Orlando, Fla.
ALL-TIME SERIES: South Florida leads, 85-81
TV: ESPN+ (Friday & Sunday Only)
LIVE STATS: Here
TWITTER UPDATES: @USFBaseball
GAME NOTES: USF | UCF
TAMPA (February 29, 2024) – The University of South Florida Bulls continue a six-game road swing with a three-game weekend series at UCF on March 1-3. The Bulls' current stretch of games features stops in Tallahassee, Orlando and Jacksonville with the team on the road for eight of nine days from Feb. 27-March 6.The Bulls are seeking back-to-back series wins in Orlando, which would mark a first in program history.
Following a historic four-game sweep of Marist College last weekend, where the Bulls won all four games by 10 or more runs, USF suffered a 12-4 setback at FSU in its first midweek game of the season to begin the current road swing. The Seminoles got to freshman Adan Longoria for five runs in the first inning and scored seven of their runs off free passes in the game (six walks/one HBP).
Two Bulls shined out of the bullpen on Tuesday in Tallahassee – Chandler Dorsey and Joey Volini. Dorsey logged a scoreless inning of work, his third clean inning in four outings on the young season. Volini blanked the Seminoles for two innings before finally surrendering one run. The left-hander, coming off Tommy John Surgery, was making his first appearance since May 25, 2022.
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUP
Friday – RHP Hunter Mink (1-1, 2.70 ERA) vs. RHP Ben Vespi (1-0, 4.00 ERA)
Saturday – RHP Jack Cebert (1-1, 0.90 ERA) vs. RHP Tyler Nesbitt (0-0, 7.71 ERA)
Sunday – TBA vs. RHP Dom Stagliano (0-0, 1.93 ERA)
WE MEET AGAIN
The Bulls and Knights renew their rivalry this weekend in Orlando. South Florida holds the edge in the tightly-contested all-time series, 85-81. Last season, the Bulls secured their first-ever series win in Orlando since the teams began meeting annually in 2014. Hunter Mink tossed 6.1 shutout innings at the Knights in the Saturday game to secure the series win. UCF returned the favor in Tampa by winning two of three games later in the year, but USF delivered the final blow of 2023, a 15-4 run-rule victory in the AAC Tournament.
SEEING RED
Prior to Tuesday's setback, the Bulls were riding high off a four-game sweep (all four games run-rule wins) of Marist College in Tampa on Feb. 23-25. It marked the first time in program history that USF won four straight games by 10 or more runs. The Bulls outscored the Red Foxes, 49-6. South Florida collectively hit .395, slugged .647 and posted a .516 OBP with 18 extra-base hits, 23 walks, 10 HBP and went 12-for-14 in stolen base attempts. The pitching staff tallied a 1.93 ERA over the four-game set.
BASH & DASH
The Bulls belted 74 home runs in 2023, the most since 1996 (91 HR) and return 60 of those longball hitters to the 2024 lineup. USF also struck out 535 times, the most in over two decades. Associate head coach Alan Kunkel has returned to the staff (2020-21) along with Chris Cates (2015-19). Kunkel works directly with the hitters and Cates the running game. The "co-offensive coordinators" are employing a more balanced attack of power, speed and small ball. USF hasn't stolen more than 50 bases in a season since 2019 (Cates on staff) and is averaging just 35 stolen bases over the past three years. USF's 13 steals entering the weekend are already a third of the way to last year's total of 39.
RAFI RAKES
Sophom*ore Rafael Betancourt was named to the AAC Honor Roll on Monday after batting .533 with a .667 OBP. His biggest game of the week was a 4-for-4 effort with a homer and seven RBI (the most by a Bull since Buddy Putnam in 2015) against Marist on Feb. 23. It was the eighth time in his young career recording at least three hits in a game.
A breakout star as a freshman in 2023, Betancourt made his debut 16 games into the season and he never left the lineup - starting in the final 44 games. Betancourt ranked second on the team, only to Eric Snow, in multi-hit games last year (18).
ONE LAST DANCE
Senior Drew Brutcher returns in Green & Gold for his final season in 2024. The slugger moved into sole possession of sixth-place on the all-time USF home run list (35) with a titanic 430-foot homer last Saturday. Brutcher launched a career-best 13 dingers in 2023, including two stretches where he homered in three straight games. Brutcher was a 2021 Freshman All-American and a 2023 All-AAC First Team recipient. He was the only Bull to start in all 60 games a year ago.
BOBBY BOMBS
aka Bobby Ballplayer as Coach Mohl calls him. Boser opened the 2023 season with a two-homer game against No. 13 Maryland to kick off a sensational sophom*ore campaign and was named First Team All-AAC for his efforts. He also homered on Opening Night in 2024.
Boser's 15 homers last season were the most by a Bull since 2018 (Joe Genord) and tied for ninth all-time in USF single-season history. He parlayed that great season into being named a Cape Cod League All-Star last summer. A super utility player, who played four positions for the Bulls in 2023 and six positions over the summer in the Cape, Boser enters the season ranked as the No. 18 second baseman in the country by D1Baseball.com.
POCKET PRESENCE
Right-handed pitcher Bryce Archie was added to the official USF Baseball roster the day before Opening Day. Archie, a Costal Carolina transfer and backup quarterback for the Bulls, proceeded to make his collegiate debut on Feb. 25 with a scoreless inning while lighting up the radar gun between 95-96 MPH.
Double Play Passes, which include one ticket to every home baseball and softball game, can be purchased now for $99. Group and single game tickets are also on sale and can be purchased here or by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls.
About USF Baseball
The USF Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and is entering its 59th season in 2024 under head coach Billy Mohl (seventh season). The Bulls have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, including four since 2015, and earned their first-ever Super Regional berth in 2021. USF was ranked in the Top 25 by five different publications in the final 2021 polls, checking in as high as No. 16. The Bulls have won five conference tournament titles (3 Sun Belt, 1 Metro and 1 American) and six regular season championships (3 Sun Belt, 2 Metro and 1 C-USA). USF baseball players have been recognized with All-America honors 12 times, most recently with third baseman David Villar in 2018, and 19 have earned Freshman All-America accolades, most recently Eric Snow in 2023. Four Bulls were selected in the 2022 MLB Draft. Former 2018 first-round selection, Shane McClanahan, became the program's first-ever MLB All-Star in 2022 and was the starting pitcher for the American League.
–#GoBulls–
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