USF Athletics

Bulls Play at Jacksonville and Bethune-Cookman In Midweek Contests

March 11, 2019

MATCHUPS: USF at Jacksonville | USF at Bethune-Cookman
SCHEDULE: Tuesday, 7 p.m. | Wednesday, 6 p.m.
LOCATIONS: Jacksonville, John Sessions Stadium | Daytona Beach, Jackie Robinson Park
FOLLOW: Live Stats – Tuesday | Wednesday, Twitter updates @USFBaseball
RADIO LINKS: BullsUnlimited (Both games)
WATCH: ESPN+ (Tuesday)
GAME NOTES

TAMPA, March 11, 2019 – The USF baseball team gets ready for a pair of midweek road games, first at Jacksonville at Tuesday followed by Bethune-Cookman on Wednesday.

The Bulls (7-6) dropped a tough series to an 11-3 Liberty team over the weekend. The Flames had already defeat ranked programs like South Carolina and Wake Forest earlier in the season. Senior righty Alec Wisely (Jacksonville) had his best start in the second game against Liberty, tossing 7.0 innings to match a career high in a USF uniform.

Wisely allowed just five hits and two runs (one earned), while striking out a pair. He was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll on Monday. Junior Austin Bodrato (Northvale, N.J.) hit .444 with a homer, a double, two runs and two RBI.  

Junior right hander Ben Koff (Gainesville, Fla.) is making the start against the Dolphins Tuesday. He leads the team with a 1.38 ERA in 13.0 innings. Redshirt junior righty Dylan Burns (Vero Beach, Fla.) will make his second start of the year on Wednesday in Daytona Beach.  

The Matchup
The Bulls and Dolphins have a long history going back to 1966, and Tuesday marks the 111th meeting. The Dolphins hold a slim 57-55 edge in the series. USF and JU split last season's series, both winning at home. The Bulls are seeking their first win in Jacksonville since 2007.

USF is 60-17 against Bethune-Cookman all-time, having won 6-of-7. The two teams met in the Gainesville Regional in 2017 and split a pair of NCAA tournament games. The Bulls drubbed the Wildcats in Daytona Beach last season, 16-1.    

Know the Foe
The Dolphins are 9-6 and on a five-game winning streak after sweeping Brown in a four-game series over the weekend.

Senior infielder Angel Camacho is 14^th nationally with a .462 average. He leads the team with five homers, 14 RBI and 14 runs. Junior infielder Dakota Julylia is second on the team with a .333 average, 12 RBI and 13 runs.

The pitching staff in 19^th in the country with a 3.33 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Nota-Bulls

• Senior Joe Genord (Lake worth, Fla.) leads the Bulls with four homers and is now fifth in program history with 35 career long balls.
• The Bulls are 24^th nationally with 1.15 home runs per game.
• Junior Jordan Santos (Tampa) is 11^th in the country with 1.25 walks per game, leading the team and conference with 15.

Bulls Bits

• 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.

 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 11^th 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.
 
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