DAYTONA BEACH, FLA., Feb. 28, 2018 – The University of South Florida baseball team scored 16 runs for the first time since 2014 and collected a season-high 14 hits on its way to a 16-1 rout of Bethune-Cookman Wednesday night.

The Bulls (4-4) had a lead in the first inning for the first time this season thanks to three hits and two runs. Junior Alec Wisely (Jacksonville) wasted no time generating offense, as he smashed a leadoff double to right center, then classmate David Villar (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) did the same to score him. Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.) singled in the next at-bat to bring home Villar, making it 2-0 in the first.

The Bulls blew the game open in the third with six runs. After loading the bags with two outs, Tyler Dietrich (Naples, Fla.) delivered his second bases-clearing double in the last three games to make it 5-0. Following a walk, an error at first in the next at-bat brought home Dietrich and Coco Montes (Miami) from first. USF added one more in the frame to make it 8-0.

The Bulls weren't finished, as Villar belted his second homer of the year to deep center leading off the fourth, making it 9-0. It was plenty of run support for freshman righty
Baron Stuart (Okeechobee, Fla.), making his first collegiate start. After allowing a pair of base runners in the first, Stuart retired Bethune-Cookman in order in the second and third before allowing a run in the fourth.

A Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.) triple and Kyle Phillips (Orlando) solo homer highlighted a two-run frame, putting USF ahead 11-1. The Bulls added five more in the ninth and finished things off in the bottom half.

Key Stats

2 – Dietrich now has three doubles in his last three games. Two of those doubles were with the bases loaded.
4 – Four Bulls had a multi-hit game.
3 – Zech went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, two RBI and two triples. He's the first Bull since May 29, 2015 to record two triples in a game.
6 – Six Bulls had extra-base hits. USF combined for nine as a team.
9 – All nine USF starting hitters scored a run.
2/21/14 – In addition to setting a season high with 14 hits, the Bulls scored 16 runs in a game for the first time since 2014. USF's 15-run win was it's largest margin of victory since Feb. 21, 2014.
29 – The 29 runs scored over the last two games are the most since Feb. 21-22 of 2014, when USF scored 30 runs in the first two games of a sweep of Penn State.

Quotables

Head coach Billy Mohl talking about his freshman starter going five strong:
"I thought Baron had a really good outing coming out as a true freshman. He pounded the strike zone, executing his pitches and forced a lot of ground balls."

Head coach Billy Mohl on the offensive explosion:
"It was great to see us put up the runs we did. We had a lot of quality at-bats and a lot of hard hit balls even when guys weren't getting on base. Everyone did a nice job of locking in and capitalizing on mistakes."

Notables

• Stuart went 5.0 innings allowing just one run to earn his first career win.
• Villar was just a triple shy of the cycle. He went 3-for-6 with two runs and two RBI.
• Chatfield went 2-for-4 with a run and a RBI, upping his team-high average to .393.  
• This marked the third-straight game the Bulls recorded double-digit hits.
• The Bulls bullpen went 4.0 innings, allowing no runs and three hits with five strikeouts.

Up Next
USF is back home Friday at 7 p.m. for the start of a four-game series against Columbia.     

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.