The University of South Florida baseball team (19-11, 7-2 AAC) starts a four-game road stand with a series against the Rice Owls (7-28, 1-8 AAC) in Houston, Texas this Friday through Sunday. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+.
South Florida is looking to continue its best conference start in 10 years. If the Bulls sweep, they will match the best conference start since 2012. If the Bulls win the series against Rice, it would be the first time they have won the first four conference series since 2012 under head coach Lelo Prado.
Setting The Stage:
The Bulls are coming off a midweek loss to the Stetson Hatters on Tuesday. Lance Trippel extended his hit streak to a season-high nine games. Rafael Betancourt and Marcus Brodil produced a multi-hit game. For Betancourt, it was his eighth. Brodil has produced a team-leading 15 multi-hit performances.
LHP Corey Braun and 1B Sebastian Greico were named to this week’s American Athletic Conference Honor Roll. Braun pitched his second-longest outing in game one on Friday against the Memphis Tigers. He went 8.0 innings, allowed one run, and struck out six batters. Greico started in all four games last week, batting .556 at the plate and hitting three home runs.
Series History:
The Bulls and Owls have met four times, with Rice taking all four meetings. South Florida and Rice last met in Houston on February 23, 2002. The Owls won 6-2.
Note-A-Bull:
- In conference play, LHP Corey Braun and RHP Jack Nedrow have struck out 10+ batters. Braun leads with 19, while Nedrow follows with 13.
- OF Marcus Brodil has reached base in a team-leading 12 straight games. He started the season with a 14-game reached base streak, which still stands as the longest of any Bull this season.
- 1B Sebastian Greico and INF Bradke Lohry have reached base in 10 straight games. It is the highest this season for both.
- In conference play, the Bulls are outscoring opponents 68-44. South Florida scored most of its runs in the ninth inning, 14, and the second most was 13 in the first inning.
- INF Matt Rose has produced a hit in five of his last seven games. Three of the five games have been a multi-hit performance.
Hannahs at the Helm:
Mitch Hannahs was named South Florida’s eighth head coach in program history on June 8, 2024, after compiling 355 wins over 11 seasons at Indiana State. The 2023 ABCA NCAA DI Midwest Region Coach of the Year guided the Sycamores to six conference titles and five NCAA Regionals, guiding ISU to a spot in the 2023 NCAA Super Regional. He takes over a USF team that went 26-29 last year and features 24 new players.
60th Year of USF Baseball:
The South Florida Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and will enter its 60th campaign in 2025. The Bulls have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and earned their first-ever Super Regional berth in 2021. USF has won 11 conference titles – five tournament titles (3 Sun Belt, 1 Metro, and 1 American) and six regular season championships (3 Sun Belt, 2 Metro, and 1 C-USA). Bulls baseball players have been recognized with All-America honors 12 times, and 19 Bulls have earned Freshman All-America accolades.
Tickets:
Tickets to watch Bulls baseball at the USF Baseball Stadium may be purchased by calling 1-800-GoBulls or clicking HERE.
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