Bulls and Gators Meet In Gainesville Tuesday
MATCHUP: USF at Florida
SCHEDULE: Tuesday, 6 p.m.
LOCATION: Gainesville, Fla., Alfred A. McKethan Stadium
FOLLOW: Live stats |Twitter updates
@USFBaseball
RADIO LINK: BullsUnlimited
WATCH: SECN+
TAMPA, May 6, 2019 – The USF baseball team travels to Florida for a meeting with the Gators Tuesday night.
The Bulls (23-23, 5-13 The American) went 2-2 last week, falling in both games of a doubleheader Sunday at Memphis. The Bulls are looking to sweep the season series against the Gators for the first time since 2005 and just the fourth time overall.
Nota-Bulls
- Senior first baseman Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) is third on USF's all-time list with 44 career home runs. He's hitting a team best .349 with 50 RBI.
- Classmate Kyle Phillips (Orlando) is batting .325 on the year with 11 doubles, three triples and 35 runs.
- Redshirt sophomore Jake Sullivan (Tampa) is batting .375 over the last 10 games.
- Freshman Julio Cortez (Miami) has played in the last 17 games at either catcher or DH. He's batting .533 over the last five games and tallied six RBI with a grand slam Friday at Memphis.
- USF is hitting .311 in 10 midweek games this season. Genord is batting .541 in those contests with five homers and 15 RBI. Phillips is hitting .444.
The Matchup
Tuesday's contest is the 89
th all-time meeting between the Bulls and Gators. The sides have split the last four meetings, as USF has outscored Florida, 30-27. The Bulls defeated then-No. 5 Florida, 6-1, in Tampa on Feb. 19. It marked the first win over the Gators in Tampa since 2005. The Bulls limited Florida to just one run on two hits in the win, as it matched the fewest hits that UF totaled all of last year. The one run allowed was the fewest that USF surrendered to their Gainesville nemesis since 1994.
Know the Foe
The Gators (28-21, 9-15 SEC) are led by Brady McConnell on the offensive side with a .354 average, 12 home runs and 40 RBI. Nelson Maldonado is hitting .345 and Jacob Young is batting .340. The Gators are 24-9 at home this year.
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.
- RETURN TO THE SWAMP: Volunteer assistant Brian Jeroloman was one of the best catchers in Florida's history during his time in Gainesville from 2004-2006. He was the starting catcher from his freshman-junior seasons, catching every game in his sophomore and junior year. 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.
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.
– #GoBulls –
