GAMEDAY INFORMATION
University of South Florida Bulls (16-22, 5-4 AAC) vs. UCF Knights (21-16, 3-6 AAC)
SCHEDULE: Friday, April 21 – 6:30 p.m. | Saturday, April 22 – 2 p.m. | Sunday, April 23 – 1 p.m.
BALLPARK: Red McEwen Field at USF Baseball Stadium | Tampa, Fla.
ALL-TIME SERIES: USF leads, 83-79
TV: ESPN+
RADIO: Bulls Unlimited (TuneIn app)
LIVE STATS: Here
TICKETS: Purchase
TWITTER UPDATES: @USFBaseball
GAME NOTES: USF | UCF
2023 MEDIA GUIDE: View
By Joey Johnston
For USF junior second baseman John Montes, every day is beautiful. That's because every day is mostly spent at the ballpark. He brings a steady bat and a reliable glove — along with a 10,000-megawatt smile — to the Bulls.
"I think it's my responsibility to bring a lot of energy — good energy — and that's why I'm always smiling and always hustling,'' Montes said. "Every time I'm out there, it's an important moment.''
This weekend looks especially important for USF.
The Bulls (16-22, 5-4 American Athletic Conference) play host to the "War On I-4'' rival UCF Knights (21-16, 3-6) in a three-game series that begins Friday night.
USF has 18 regular-season games remaining (15 in the AAC) before the league tournament begins in Clearwater. There's still time to kick things into a higher gear and a jump-start against the Knights, who the Bulls took two of three from in Orlando, would be ideal.
Montes, who played his first two college seasons at UCF, loves that possibility.
"Honestly, at this point, I treat UCF like another opponent, the enemy,'' said Montes, who is batting .310 with six home runs, including a walk-off shot against Army. "I have good relationships (with former teammates). But I want to beat them and I'm sure they want to beat us. That's how it should be. It will be very competitive.''
Montes, from Toa Alto, Puerto Rico, started 44 games as a UCF freshman, batting .275, but his role was reduced drastically last season (21 games, 4-for-22 at the plate). Montes entered the transfer portal and his priority was landing at USF. Once he batted .340 in a college summer league, the Bulls cinched the transaction.
"We did our homework on him, but I think he has given us more than we anticipated, so he has gone above and beyond my expectations,'' USF coach Billy Mohl said. "He has just been outstanding. Solid second baseman. Offensive spark-plug. Puts the ball in play and gives you great at-bats. Great for our team chemistry. We couldn't be happier with him.''
Bulls catcher Nelson Rivera, who grew up in the same Puerto Rico town as Montes, agreed with Mohl's assessment.
"He's a leader and a really good ballplayer who has brought some good vibes to our team,'' Rivera said. "I think I've known him since we were 6 or 7. I've played against him and I've played with him. I really prefer playing with him because you want a guy like that on your side. He's solid.''
Montes, a communications major, has had a solid reputation through his young life. When Montes was 12, his father Johnny, a former baseball player at Rider University, died suddenly from a heart ailment. Just as suddenly, Montes was the man of the house, looking after his grieving mother and younger brother.
"It was hard, obviously, but I'm not sure I was able to fully acknowledge what had happened because I had some (family) responsibilities and I had to be strong,'' said Montes, 21. "I think baseball started meaning something more to me and it has always been the goal to be the best player I could be and play professionally. I want to be the kind of player you can count on.''
Montes, who's a big fan of Francisco Lindor, will remain a key cog in the Bulls' lineup. It was always his dream to play college baseball and he has transitioned well to the Florida life. Montes grew up speaking Spanish, but his mother mandated that he speak all English one day a week so he could become fluent.
"I told her I was hungry in Spanish and I didn't know how to say it in English,'' Montes said. "I couldn't eat until I asked in English, so I had to figure it out. It's a big advantage to speak two languages, so I'm grateful for it. It makes me more valuable and versatile for things in my future.''
Right now, Montes and his teammates are focused on the present and the three-game opportunity against UCF.
"We're on the home stretch, the last third of our season,'' Mohl said. "We need to keep positive things happening in our conference games and keep the momentum going. Let's give this thing a run.''
"Any time USF and UCF play, it's going to be big,'' Montes said. "We need it. We're ready for it. I can't wait to get it going.''
For tickets, please visit usfbullstix.com or call 1-800-Go-Bulls.
About USF Baseball
The USF Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and is entering its 58th season in 2023 under head coach Billy Mohl (sixth season). The Bulls have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, including four since 2015, and earned their first-ever Super Regional berth in 2021. USF was ranked in the Top 25 by five different publications in the final 2021 polls, checking in as high as No. 16. The Bulls have won five conference tournament titles (3 Sun Belt, 1 Metro and 1 American) and six regular season championships (3 Sun Belt, 2 Metro and 1 C-USA). USF baseball players have been recognized with All-America honors 12 times, most recently with third baseman David Villar in 2018, and 18 have earned Freshman All-America accolades, most recently Drew Brutcher and Carmine Lane in 2021. Four Bulls were selected in the 2022 MLB Draft. Former 2018 first-round selection, Shane McClanahan, became the program's first-ever MLB All-Star in 2022 and was the starting pitcher for the American League.
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