GAMEDAY INFORMATION
University of South Florida Bulls (19-13) vs. Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats (17-14)
SCHEDULE: Tuesday, April 9 – 6 p.m.
BALLPARK: Red McEwen Field at USF Baseball Stadium | Tampa, Fla.
ALL-TIME SERIES: USF leads, 67-17
TV: ESPN+
LISTEN: Bulls Unlimited
LIVE STATS: Here
TWITTER UPDATES: @USFBaseball
GAME NOTES: Here
TICKETS: Purchase
TAMPA (April 8, 2024) – The University of South Florida Bull wrap up a four-game homestand on Tuesday with a 6 p.m. tilt against Bethune-Cookman. Following the contest, the Bulls will hit the road for a three-game weekend series at Tulane before returning to Tampa for an eight-game homestand – their longest of the season.
South Florida defeated Bethune-Cookman, 6-5, in Daytona Beach on March 26. Jackson Mayo hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth inning to give the Bulls their eighth straight win over the wildcats.
USF has not lost to Bethune-Cookman in Tampa since 2012 and lead the series at home, 41-9.
Matt Rose was named to the AAC Honor Roll on Monday after batting .583 (7-for-12) with a .643 OBP over four games last week.
John Montes continues to pace the USF offense with a .388 batting average and has reached base safely in 14 straight games. Drew Brutcher, one of the heroes in Sunday's comeback win over Wichita State, leads the team in doubles (13) and ranks sixth in the NCAA in walks (36).
Not only did South Florida record its first AAC sweep over the weekend since May 2017 (ECU), but the Bulls are slowly on the mend physically. Rafael Betancourt returned to the lineup for the first time since March 19, Eric Snow was back after missing the previous four games, and Bobby Boser made appearances as both a defensive replacement and pinch runner. Boser has yet to be cleared to hit since suffering a serious hand injury on March 10.
The USF pitching staff posted a 3.54 ERA (11 ER/28.0 IP) over the weekend against Wichita State while issuing just four walks to go along with 24 strikeouts. The Bulls didn't issue a single walk on Saturday, marking the first time this season.
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUP
RHP Dominick Madonna (0-1, 8.51 ERA) vs. RHP Joel Core (0-2, 4.44 ERA)
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 –
