Bulls Head to Fort Myers For Wednesday Matchup at FGCU
MATCHUP: USF at FGCU
SCHEDULE: Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Fort Myers, Fla., Swanson Stadium
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TAMPA, April 23, 2019 – The USF baseball team travels to FGCU for a Wednesday night contest.
The Bulls (18-20) gained some momentum over the weekend with a sweep of The Citadel. The offense was in full command, totaling 28 runs on 35 hits, batting .340 as a team. Senior
Kyle Phillips (Orlando) batted .455 over the weekend with eight runs scored. Classmate
Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) had 10 RBI in the three games, batting .417 with a homer and two doubles.
Nota-Bulls
- Genord's third on USF's all-time list with 43 career home runs. He's hitting a team best .346 with 12 home runs and 44 RBI. He had a career high six RBI against The Citadel on Saturday.
- Phillips has a 10 game hitting streak, batting .356 over the time.
- USF has been bashing during midweek games this year, hitting .313 as a team in eight contests.
- Genord is clubbing .585 in those games and Phillips is hitting .472.
- Redshirt sophomore Jake Sullivan (Tampa) is batting .324 over the last 10 games and .310 on the year. Junior Jordan Santos (Tampa) is batting .342 over the last 10 and senior Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.) is hitting .344 during the stretch.
The Matchup
Wednesday will be the 18
th all-time meeting in the series between the Bulls and Eagles. The Bulls trounced FGCU on April 2, 15-4, tallying 20 hits in a game for the first time since Feb. 16, 2013 vs. Purdue. In total, 10 different Bulls recorded a hit and 12 guys reached base safely. Genord had three hits with a grand slam in the win. Phillips and junior
Austin Bodrato (Northvale, N.J.) also had three hits. The series is tied in Fort Myers, 4-4. USF hasn't played the Eagles on the road since 2017.
Know the Foe
The Eagles (27-13, 9-3 ASUN) are coming off of a sweep against Jacksonville and enter Wednesday leading the ASUN in hitting (.285), home runs (33), hits (387) and scoring (7.1). Alex Brait leads five Eagles hitting above .300 at .347 on the year with 39 runs. Jay Hayes is hitting .343 with a league best 15 doubles and is second in the ASUN with 40 RBI.
Righty Sebastian Gruszecki will start Wednesday. He's 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA, making one start in 16 appearances. Closer Hunter McGarry has eight saves on the year and a 2.64 ERA.
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 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.
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