SCHEDULE: Friday, February 17 – 6:30 p.m. | Saturday, February 18 – 2 p.m. | Sunday, February 19 – 1 p.m.

BALLPARK: USF Baseball Stadium | Tampa, Fla.

ALL-TIME SERIES: First meeting

TV: ESPN+

RADIO: Bulls Unlimited (TuneIn app) | Saturday on 102.5 HD-2 The Strike

TICKETS: Purchase

TWITTER UPDATES: @USFBaseball

GAME NOTES: View

2023 MEDIA GUIDE: View

The memories remain fresh from USF baseball's magical run to the 2021 NCAA Super Regionals. But for Bulls junior first baseman/outfielder Daniel Cantu, one of the primary catalysts, there's also a sad irony.

"There are only just a few of us left,'' Cantu said.

Six players to be exact.

Cantu said it's time to make some new memories. He believes USF's talent — whether it's experienced or young — will give the Bulls an opportunity to contend in the American Athletic Conference. When the season begins Friday night at home against the defending Big Ten Conference champions and No. 13-nationally ranked Maryland Terrapins, Cantu is only looking ahead, hopefully to bigger and better moments.

Bulls coach Billy Mohl said he expects Cantu to be in the middle of whatever positives the Bulls can accomplish.

"He knows what it takes to get to the top and he does all the little things that make a difference for our baseball program,'' Mohl said. "You never see the kid without a smile on his face. He's going to set the right example for all of our younger players. You can't help but love the way Daniel works and the way he produces.''

Cantu has primarily been an outfielder, but now he's expected to move to first base, opening opportunities for others to break into the lineup. That decision says it all about Cantu, who was recruited as an infielder, shifted to the outfield and now returns to the infield. He'll do anything to help the team.

"He's definitely a leader,'' Bulls sophomore outfielder Jackson Mayo said. "He's never late to a practice or a weightlifting workout. He takes care of his business and he's going to hold you accountable. If he ever comes up short, he's the first one to admit he's wrong.

"As a younger guy myself, he's someone I look up to. You want to hang around him off the field because you know he does all the right stuff. He's just a great teammate.''

Mohl said he noticed Cantu's intangibles right away. Cantu's statistical contributions are obvious, but he brings value in all areas.

"In sports, people always want to surround themselves with people who had success,'' Mohl said. "There's a reason why so many people idolize Tom Brady or LeBron James or Kobe Bryant. Those guys are focused on winning and doing the right things and people pick up on that.

"When you have a guy like Daniel and he says something to the younger players, it means something. It's impactful because everyone respects him and knows he puts in the work. He knows what it takes to be successful, so he has great credibility. It's just great to have him in our program.''

Cantu thrived as a redshirt freshman, batting .255 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2021 AAC Tournament, when he hit .316 with four extra-base hits, five runs and five RBIs over the five games, including a first inning homer and three RBI in the championship final over UCF.

Last season, he batted .263 with six homers and 30 RBIs, along with a .437 slugging percentage and a .416 on-base percentage (adding up to an .853 OPS). He reached base in 19 straight games at one point and matched a program record with five walks in a game at FIU. Over the last two seasons, Cantu has missed only one game. 

And, of course, he'll never forget winning the NCAA Gainesville Regional and earning a spot in the Super Regional at Texas — with a spot in the College World Series so close, you could almost taste it. In Game 1 of the Austin Super Regional, Cantu's ninth inning solo home run sparked an improbable rally that eventually saw the Bulls tie the game against Texas in their final at-bats.

The entire sequence showed Cantu how difficult it is to reach those heights. In time, he has learned to never take for granted such accomplishments. Last season, amid soaring expectations, the Bulls got out to an 18-7 start, before injuries plagued the roster, the team finished with a 28-29 record and was eliminated in the first two games of the AAC Tournament.

"We obviously did not meet expectations,'' Cantu said. "We probably were a little bit too confident and cocky. Maybe you think, 'Oh, we got on that run before. We can easily do it again.' But it doesn't work that way. We definitely got complacent. And that's definitely not going to be something that happens to us this year. I think we learned a valuable lesson.''

For that reason, Cantu expects a more humble, hard-working version of the Bulls this season. By moving to first base, it will accommodate a surplus of outfield talent and allow more left-handed batters to be stacked in the USF lineup.

Cantu grew up in Jacksonville and USF became his dream school the minute it reached out during the recruiting process. He has loved being part of the program, but now he's driven to help guide the Bulls back into postseason contention.

"Once you get to a place like the Super Regional and you win your conference, all you want to do is get back to those places,'' said Cantu, whose father, Darin, played baseball at Eckerd College. "I feel like we've performed on the big stage before. I've played well individually in those situations, so I want to do it again.

"Baseball is a game of failure. You fail seven out of 10 times at the plate, and you're probably in the Hall of Fame. You have to get used to that and learn some patience, know when it's your time. Up and down the lineup, we just need to do our jobs. Individually, I just need to be myself.''

Being Daniel Cantu has been enough for the Bulls.

Just ask Mohl.

"We're super glad he's in our program,'' Mohl said. "He has done a lot of great things already. But I feel like the best is yet to come.''