USF Athletics

Bulls Receive ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award

July 29, 2020

ABCA RELEASE

TAMPA, JULY 29, 2020 – After registering a program record 3.12 cumulative grade-point average for the 2019-20 academic year, the USF baseball team received an American Baseball Coaches Association Team Academic Excellence Award, announced by the ABCA on Tuesday.

Teams from every level of college and high school baseball were honored with this year's award, which highlights programs coached by ABCA members that posted a GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale for the entire 2019-20 academic year.

 "I'm really proud of our guys and their efforts in the classroom all year," head coach Billy Mohl said. "Even after having their season canceled on them, they continued to work hard to pursue their education and were model student-athletes. This is a resilient bunch and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for them moving forward in the classroom and on the field."

The Bulls were one of 420 programs from all levels of collegiate and high school baseball to earn an award. The achievement marked the first time that USF has received the Academic Excellence Award from the ABCA. The Bulls were one of five American Athletic Conference programs to earn the recognition, along with Cincinnati, East Carolina, Memphis, and Tulane.

"In light of the challenges faced by so many programs across the country, we are humbled to be able to honor a record number of teams for their outstanding academic achievements," said ABCA Executive Director Craig Keilitz. "It is a testament to the leadership of our member coaches and the commitment of their student-athletes who persevered during an unprecedented academic year."

The American Baseball Coaches Association has a long tradition of recognizing the achievements of baseball coaches and student-athletes. The ABCA/Rawlings All-America Teams are the nation's oldest, founded in 1949, and the ABCA's awards program also includes the ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Awards, the ABCA/Diamond Regional & National Coaches of the Year and several other major awards such as the ABCA Hall of Fame and the Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award.

About USF Baseball
The University of South Florida baseball program is one of the fastest rising programs in the country. The Bulls earned their third NCAA Regional berth in the last four seasons and had six all-conference selections in 2018. Four players were selected in the 2018 MLB Draft, including the program's fourth first rounder, pitcher Shane McClanahan. Third baseman David Villar was taken in the 11th round after being named first team all-conference and an All-American. 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 in head coach Billy Mohl first season 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 of the season. The USF Baseball program has won five conference titles and the Bulls have made 13 NCAA appearances.