GAMEDAY INFORMATION
University of South Florida Bulls (4-2) at Florida State Seminoles (5-0)
SCHEDULE: Tuesday, February 27 – 5 p.m.
BALLPARK: Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium | Tallahassee, Fla.
ALL-TIME SERIES: FSU leads, 72-17
TV: ACC Network Extra
RADIO: Bulls Unlimited (TuneIn app)
LIVE STATS: Here
TWITTER UPDATES: @USFBaseball
GAME NOTES: USF | FSU
TAMPA (February 26, 2024) – The University of South Florida Bulls embark on a six-game road swing beginning on Tuesday, March 27 at Florida State University for a 5 p.m. first pitch with the Seminoles.
Following the midweek tilt, the Bulls travel to Orlando for a three-game series at UCF on March 1-3. The string of road games will conclude with ballgames at UNF and Jacksonville on March 5-6, respectively.
South Florida is coming off a historic four-game sweep of Marist where the Bulls won four games in a row by 10 or more runs for the first time in program history. USF collectively batted .395, slugged .647 and posted a .516 OBP in the series with 18 extra-base hits, 23 walks, 10 HP and went 12-for-14 in stolen base attempts. On the mound, the pitching staff posted a 1.93 ERA over the four-game set.
USF enters the week ranked sixth in the country with a 1.96 ERA.
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUP
RHP Adan Longoria (0-0, 9.00 ERA) vs. RHP Conner Whittaker (0-0, 3.38 ERA)
THE BULLS & THE NOLES
Florida State holds a commanding lead in the all-time series, including a heartbreaking 7-6 loss (13 inn.) by the Bulls in Tallahassee last season. USF erased a 3-0 deficit in that game and later tied the game again at 4-4 in the eighth inning. The Bulls took a 6-4 lead in the top of the 13th, only to see FSU plate three for a walk three for a walk-off win on a bloop hit to center field.
HELLO, OLD FRIEND
Tuesday's game will feature a familiar face in the FSU dugout - Daniel Cantu, who played for the Bulls from 2000-03. A staple in the lineup all four years, Cantu played in 178 games (163 stars) for the Bulls. He batted .271 with 37 doubles, 25 homers (just outside the Top 10) and 108 RBI. Cantu holds the
USF record for walks in a game (5 at FIU 3/15/22) and the dubious honor of ranking sixth all-time in HBP (38). He was named the 2021 AAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player as the Bulls' historic postseason run later culminated in the program's first-ever NCAA Super Regional.
RAFI RAKES
Sophomore Rafael Betancourt was named to the AAC Honor Roll on Monday after batting .533 with a .667 OBP. His biggest game of the week was a 4-for-4 effort with a homer and seven RBI (the most by a Bull since Buddy Putnam in 2015) against Marist on Feb. 23. It was the eighth time in his young career recording at least three hits in a game. The switch-hitter has logged at least one hit in all six games this season.
BOBBY BOMBS
aka Bobby Ballplayer as Coach Mohl calls him. Boser opened the 2023 season with a two-homer game
against No. 13 Maryland to kick off a sensational sophomore campaign and was named First Team All-AAC for his efforts. He also homered on Opening Night in 2024.
Boser's 15 homers last season were the most by a Bull since 2018 (Joe Genord) and tied for ninth all-time in USF single-season history. He parlayed that great season into being named a Cape Cod League All-Star last summer. A super utility player, who played four positions for the Bulls in 2023 and six positions over the summer in the Cape, Boser enters the season ranked as the No. 18 second baseman in the country by D1Baseball.com.
ONE LAST DANCE
Senior Drew Brutcher returns in Green & Gold for his final season in 2024. The slugger moved into sole possession of sixth-place on the all-time USF home run list (35) with a titanic 430-foot homer on Saturday. Brutcher launched a career-best 13 dingers in 2023, including two stretches where he homered in three straight games. Brutcher was a 2021 Freshman All-American and a 2023 All-AAC First Team recipient. He was the only Bull to start in all 60 games a year ago.
Double Play Passes, which include one ticket to every home baseball and softball game, can be purchased now for $99. Group and single game tickets are also on sale and can be purchased here or by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls.
About USF Baseball
The USF Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and is entering its 59th season in 2024 under head coach Billy Mohl (seventh 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 19 have earned Freshman All-America accolades, most recently Eric Snow in 2023. 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.
– #GoBulls –
