Bulls Travel to Daytona Beach for a Midweek Bout at Bethune-Cookman
Matchup: USF (3-4) at Bethune-Cookman (3-5)
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 28
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Daytona Beach, Fla., | Jackie Robinson Ballpark (4,200)
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TAMPA, FEB. 27, 2018 – The University of South Florida baseball team will take on Bethune-Cookman for the first time since June's NCAA Regional matchup Wednesday in Daytona Beach at 6 p.m.
The Bulls (3-4) dropped the series opener against Fordham last Friday, 2-0. The offense then began to click, erupting for a combined 16 runs and 23 hits Saturday and Sunday to win the series. USF posted season highs with 13 runs and 13 hits in Sunday's rubber match.
Junior catcher
Tyler Dietrich (Naples, Fla.) came alive offensively last week, leading the Bulls with a .500 average and a .714 slugging percentage. He began the week with a double and a run scored at No. 5 Florida State. He then hit .545 in the series against Fordham with three RBI and two doubles.
Dietrich had a career day on Saturday with a 4-for-4 effort. The four hits were a career-best, as were his three RBI and his two doubles tied a career mark. He was named to The American Weekly Honor Roll on Monday.
Junior outfielder
Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.) had a stout week as well, hitting .429 in the four games with two doubles, three runs and two RBI.
Redshirt sophomore left-hander
Shane McClanahan (Cape Coral, Fla.) struck out nine across 6.0 innings on Friday, while not allowing a walk or an earned run. Redshirt senior
Peter Strzelecki (Lake Worth, Fla.) bounced back with 5.0 innings, surrendering five hits and one run with nine K's on Saturday.
SERIES HISTORY
The Bulls and Wildcats will meet for the 67th time on Wednesday, the first regular-season matchup since 2016. The Bulls own a 59-17 edge in the series, but things have been fairly even since 2011. USF is 9-7 against Bethune-Cookman in the last 16 contests. Both teams split in the 2017 Gainesville Regional. USF defeated the Wildcats, 9-1, to open postseason play, but Bethune defeated the Bulls, 6-4, in the elimination game.
SCOUTING REPORT
The Wildcats are 3-5 heading into their Tuesday night matchup against UCF. Bethune-Cookman is led by a pair of .300 hitters on offense. Junior infielder Joseph Fernando leads the Wildcats with a .394 average, five doubles and seven RBI. Senior outfielder Kyle Corbin is hitting .391.
Righty Brandon Wilkes has been the top reliever with a 3.00 ERA and five strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work. Junior righty Tyler Krull will likely pitch for Bethune-Cookman Wednesday. He has made one start in three appearances and has a 5.40 ERA.
NOTA-BULLS
- Chatfield leads the Bulls with a .375 average through the first seven games.
- Dietrich is hitting .360 on the season. Both he and Chatfield have a team-high three doubles.
- Coco Montes (Miami) had a career day in Sunday's 13-4 win with a 4-for-4 day. He is batting .308 on the year.
- Junior righty Richie Cruz (Miami) logged 3.2 innings over the weekend, did not allow a run and surrendered just one walk with five strikeouts.
About USF Baseball
The University of South Florida baseball team is one of the fastest rising programs in the country. The Bulls reached the NCAA Regionals in 2015 for the first time in 13 years and followed that success with a 42-19 record and second NCAA regional trip in three years in 2017. The Bulls earned just their second and third wins over top-five ranked teams with victories against then-No. 3 Florida State and at then-No. 5 Florida during the 2017 season. During the 2017 season, USF reached the 40-win mark for the first time since 1996 and entered the top-25 in the major collegiate baseball polls for the first time since 2013. The USF Baseball program has won five conference titles and the Bulls have made 12 NCAA appearances.
– #GoBulls –
