By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, FEB. 19, 2016 - It didn't take long for head coach Mark Kingston to find out something very important about his new-look Bulls – they don't quit.
Luke Maglich was mobbed by his teammates after coming up with the big hit in USF's wild 11-10 walk-off win over Liberty in the season opener Friday night.
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Despite being ahead 6-0 after two innings, USF was on the comeback trail twice and tied the game on a bases-loaded loaded walk by freshman Coco Montes with two outs in the ninth. That set the stage for Maglich, who drove in the winning run by ripping a 3-2 pitch down the right field line.
“I thought you saw a really talented team tonight and you saw a team that plays to win,” Kingston said.
USF's bats made a lot of noise with 18 hits and members of the program's consensus top-10 recruiting class produced right away.
Freshman David Villar went 4-for-5 and hit a two-run homer in his first at-bat during USF's five-run second inning. Montes and fellow freshman Garrett Zech each drove in a run while sophomore Duke Stunkel had two hits and scored twice.
“It's a long season, but you saw a glimpse of why everybody is so excited,” Kingston said.
Maglich, a senior, powered the middle of the lineup, going 3-for-6 with three RBIs and USF's core of returning players also stepped up to the plate. Kevin Merrell went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Luke Borders also drove in a pair of runs as each batter in the lineup finished with at least one hit.
“When you have an offense that doesn't give away pitches, doesn't give away at-bats, you have a chance at the end and that's what we did,” Kingston said.
USF set the tone for an impressive night at the plate by making Liberty pitchers work in the first two innings.
Merrell (Odessa, Fla.) led the Bulls with a .346 batting average as a freshman and picked up right where he left off with a leadoff single in the first inning. Merrell stole second and came all the way home on an RBI single by Maglich.
Liberty starter Carson Herndon's night was over in the second inning after the Bulls scored five runs off the senior right-hander with two outs.
Villar made his first collegiate at-bat a memorable one by crushing a 2-0 pitch over the wall in left field to give the Bulls a 3-0 lead. The Pembroke Pines, Fla., native hit 17 home runs in his career at American Heritage High School.
Maglich (Sarasota) came up with his second RBI single three batters later and Borders knocked Herndon out of the game with a two-run single to left field.
Liberty got on the scoreboard with two runs in the fourth and tied things up at 6-6 in the fifth. USF's second fielding error loaded the bases with two outs and Andrew Yacyk hit a grand slam over the left field wall.
“With a new team like this, it's a big moment to see what this team is all about,” Kingston said. “… Nobody panicked and that's how you have games like this.”
The Bulls regained the lead with a two-run fifth inning that featured more production from its talented signing class.
Zech (Naples, Fla.) started the scoring with a two-run double down the right field line. Zech got the start in center field after being named preseason American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year by D1Baseball.com. Merrell extended the lead to 8-6 with an RBI single to left field.
Liberty answered back with a three-run seventh inning and took a 9-8 lead on a two-out single by Dalton Britt off reliever Ryan Valdes (Tampa).
USF starter Phoenix Sanders (Gainesville) was in line to get the win after striking out seven in six innings. The junior right-hander allowed six runs (one earned) on seven hits in his Bulls debut.
Merrell tied the score back up at 9-9 with an RBI single in the seventh before Liberty jumped back ahead with a solo homer by Yacyk in the top of the ninth. Stunkel started the final rally with a leadoff single and the Bulls sent seven batters to the plate in a ninth inning Kingston won't forget anytime soon.
“They earned my confidence tonight with how they were approaching their at-bats,” Kingston said. “At that point, I just said keep swinging the bats, trust the hitters and great things will happen for us.”
The Bulls will look to secure the series victory Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at USF Baseball Stadium. Redshirt junior right-hander Brad Labozzetta is set to make his USF debut after going 5-2 with a 2.76 ERA for Polk State College last season. Reserve your seats at USFBullsTix.com.
The University of South Florida baseball team is one of the fastest rising programs in the country. Under the guidance of first year head coach Mark Kingston, the Bulls reached the NCAA Regionals last season for the first time in 13 years and USF followed that success with a consensus Top 10 recruiting class. The team returns outfielder Kevin Merrell, who was named an NCBWA Freshmen All-American last season after leading the Bulls in batting average (.346), runs (45), hits (83) and stolen bases (21). Senior catcher Levi Borders and senior outfielder Luke Maglich were both named to the 2016 Preseason All-Conference Team in the AAC. The USF Baseball program has won five conference titles and the Bulls have made 11 NCAA appearances. Follow the baseball team on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.
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