Baseball March 19, 2016 USF

USF Drops Series Opener to No. 25 Michigan State

TAMPA (MARCH 18, 2016) – The University of South Florida baseball team (10-9) lost the series opener against No. 25 Michigan State (14-1) by a final score of 11-1 on Friday evening. The series continues on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

“We have made progress and we have been playing really well against good teams but that is a top 25 team, justifiably so, and we couldn't compete with them tonight,” said USF head baseball coach Mark Kingston.

MSU opened the game with a two-run first inning.

USF nearly cut the deficit down in the third. Infielder Coco Montes (Miami, Fla.) hit a one-out double to left field and moved to third on a passed ball but MSU pitcher Cam Vieaux escaped the jam unscathed.

The Bulls also threatened in the fourth. USF put the first two hitters on base, but once again, Vieaux weaved around trouble without allowing a run.

Michigan State extended the lead in the fifth, capitalizing on three defensive errors, for a seven run advantage.

The Bulls scored their lone run in the fifth on a Kevin Merrell (Odessa, Fla.) double and an MSU throwing error.

Montes posted two hits in the game for USF, tying a career high. He also recorded a run scored as well.

USF starting pitcher Phoenix Sanders (Gainesville, Fla.) takes the defeat, yielding five earned runs in 6.0 innings.

Pitchers Daniel Portales (Tampa, Fla.) and Hayden Kelley (Tampa, Fla.) both made their season debuts on the mound.

The Bulls will look to even up the series on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. USF will have right-hander Brandon Lawson (Brooksville, Fla.) on the mound against MSU righty Ethan Landon (1-0, 2.49). 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 selected 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.