Bulls Host Gators for First Time Since 2015
MATCHUP: No. 5 Florida at USF, Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
LOCATION: USF Baseball Stadium, Tampa
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RADIO: GOUSFBulls.com
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TICKETS: USFBullsTix.com
GAME NOTES
TAMPA, FEB. 18, 2019 – The USF baseball team will look to capitalize on an early test, as it hosts No. 5 Florida for the first time since 2015.
Head coach
Billy Mohl began his second season in the dugout with an impressive 7-4 win over preseason favorites in the SOCON Samford last Friday night. Junior righty
Collin Sullivan (Randolph, Mass.) tossed 6.0 innings with a career high 10 strikeouts in the win. The offense was led by the two freshmen infielders,
Nick Gonzalez (Tampa) and
Dylan Buck (Lakewood Ranch, Fla.), who each homered in their first collegiate at-bats.
Gonzalez batted .500 (7-for-14) over the weekend with three RBI and four runs. He was named the American Athletic Conference
Player of the Week on Monday, capping his inaugural weekend series with a 3-for-5 effort in Sunday's 4-1 win, giving USF a series victory.
Another new face, junior transfer and former Gator
Austin Bodrato (Northvale, N.J.) had a big weekend as well. The 6-foot-2 outfielder began his career at Florida, then played at Santa Fe Community College before transferring to USF. Bodrato hit .667 with a homer and a double over the weekend. He went 2-for-3 with a solo shot to center in his first start as a Bull on Saturday.
The bullpen was lights out on Sunday, as junior transfer
Ben Koff (Gainesville, Fla.) and sophomore righty
Graham Hoffman (Tampa) combined for seven scoreless frames allowing just one hit with 13 strikeouts. Koff entered in the third inning Sunday with two runners on and no outs. The bases were then loaded with one away, as Koff turned a 1-2-3 inning ending double play. He finished with seven strikeouts in 4.2 innings.
Hoffman provided some magic of his own. He entered with two men on in the seventh inning and one out, immediately recording a strikeout. In the eighth inning, Samford loaded the bases with nobody out. Hoffman proceeded to strikeout the side on just 13 pitches. He shut the door in the ninth, striking out two more.
The Matchup
The in-state rivalry continues Tuesday, as it marks the 88
th meeting between the programs. Florida holds a 62-25 edge in the all-time series, but just a 22-16 advantage in Tampa. The last three meetings have been extremely competitive. Florida has narrowly outscored the Bulls, 26-24, but USF has outhit the Gators, 34-33.
USF defeated Florida on the road in 2017, 15-10. It was the second-most runs that the Bulls had scored against the Gators, and the most since 1989. The two sides met in the 2017 Gainesville Regional as the top two seeds, but UF got past the Bulls in a 12-inning battle, 5-1. USF has not hosted Florida since 2015, also the last time the Bulls welcomed a top-five team into Tampa.
It'll be a battle of sophomore right-handers on Tuesday.
Baron Stuart (Okeechobee, Fla.) will make his 2019 debut for USF. Stuart went 2-2 last season as the Bulls' midweek starter, striking out 27 in 10 starts.
Florida will throw Hunter McCmullen, who appeared in 17 games last year with two starts. He posted a 4.76 ERA in 22.2 innings.
Know the Foe
The Gators enter Tuesday ranked in the top-five in most of the major polls. Florida swept Long Beach State over the weekend, as its pitching led the way. The UF arms had a 1.33 ERA and limited the Dirtbags to a .187 average.
Sophomore infielder Brady McConnell led a talented lineup in the opening series, hitting .417. Blake Reese hit .333 with two runs, and senior Nelson Maldonado had a team high four runs.
Freshman righty Nolan Crisp picked up two saves over the weekend, tossing two innings allowing just one hit.
Bulls Bits
- GATOR-AID: In addition to the familiarity with one another on the field over the years, USF now has a member of its staff who knows the Florida program better than most. Volunteer assistant coach Brian Jeroloman was a three-year starting catcher for the Gators (2004-06). He was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team in 2004 and his team was the College World Series national runner-up in 2005. Baseball America named him as the best defensive catcher and the best arm in college baseball in 2006. He was the starting catcher for the USA National Team in 2005 and was named a preseason All-American in 2006.
- DID YOU KNOW?: USF has the only Division I coaching staff in the state of Florida in which every member was selected in the MLB Draft – head coach Billy Mohl (2006, Philadelphia); assistants Chuck Jeroloman (2004, Boston), Chris Cates (2007, Minnesota), Brian Jeroloman (2006, Toronto). The Bulls' coaching staff has a combined 25 years of playing experience in pro baseball.
- TICKET INFO: For the Florida matchup, the single-game ticket price will be $10. All other single-game tickets will be $7 for ages 12 and over, and $5 for children under the age of 12. Make purchases at USFBullsTix.com or by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls.
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 continued the success under first-year head coach Billy Mohl in 2018, reaching 36 wins and advancing to the semifinals of the conference tournament for the first time since 2012, while being ranked in multiple polls for the final two months. USF earned its third NCAA Regional berth in the last four seasons and had six all-conference selections in 2018. The team had four players drafted in the 2018 MLB Draft, including the program's fourth first rounder, Shane McClanahan. Junior third baseman David Villar was taken in the 11th round after tallying 24 doubles and hitting better than .370, being named first team all-conference and an All-American. The USF Baseball program has won five conference titles and the Bulls have made 13 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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