It's a new era for USF baseball. First-year head coach Mitch Hannahs, who transformed Indiana State University into a consistent winner, has taken the helm.
He's looking ahead to potentially big things.
"The path to Omaha (and the College World Series) is a little cleaner here,'' Hannahs said at his introductory news conference. "I think if you don't have the expectation of getting to Omaha and playing well in Omaha, you probably shouldn't be coaching Division I baseball.''
But as the new era begins, it's also appropriate to pay homage to the program's history. It's the 60th season for USF baseball, an anniversary that will spur memories of all the players and coaches, the great games, plus the wild, weird and wonderful things that have happened along the way.
Hannahs believes in that, too.
"It's important to know the history of our university, of our athletics programs and, in particular, the baseball program,'' Hannahs said. "You have to understand those who came before you, those who put the foundation in place.
"And you have to take yourself to a place where you're playing for those people. You can't just play for me. We play for everybody who came before us and laid this in place. I want them to understand what it was like before the times we are in today. I think it helps develop an appreciation of what they're a part of. And I want everyone to understand as we get to work building those relationships that (the mission) is to make the university, our alumni and the city of Tampa extremely proud of what we're doing.''
To commemorate the 60th season of USF baseball, we present "60 Things To Know About USF Baseball.''
Some are obvious. Some are not. Many facts and trivia have been long-forgotten — until now.
It's a salute to anyone who ever laced up the cleats and wore the green and gold.
It's a reminder to all the coaches and administrators, including the ones who witnessed games in the original primitive stadium (without lights) that was framed by sand spur-infested surrounding fields to haunt all the luckless players chasing down errant foul balls.
Most of all, it's a tribute to the loyal fans who have supported the program through its fascinating evolution.
We will present our memories in three parts.
We already gave you Part I: Players and Coaches.
It's time for Part II: The Games.
We will conclude with Part III: USF Baseball Trivia.
Ready? Play ball!
21. At the 1996 NCAA East Regional in Gainesville, the USF Bulls were close enough to Omaha to taste the steaks at the 801 Chophouse. But USF's bid for the College World Series wasn't meant to be. Needing a victory to close within one game of their coveted destination, the Bulls suffered a heartbreaking 6-4 defeat against the top-seeded Florida Gators in a 13-inning thriller. USF, the designated home team, had the winning run on second base with no outs during the ninth, 10th and 12th innings. But the Bulls couldn't cash in against left-hander Brad Wilkerson. UF got a decisive two-run homer from Chuck Hazzard in the top of the 13th. Gators coach Andy Lopez called it "probably the best game I've ever been involved in. I guess that's what college athletics is supposed to be. The postseason. Two teams playing their hearts out.'' USF coach Eddie Cardieri had a similar appreciation, saying he wished he could've been in the stands to watch with admiration "because that was a whale of a college baseball game.'' The crestfallen Bulls still had hope. But seven hours later, USF was eliminated by Massachusetts 13-12 when a pair of Bulls' throwing errors allowed the Minutemen to score three times in the bottom of the ninth inning. And after all of that, when the USF team bus left the next morning at 6 a.m., it broke down after about an hour, barely making it off the Wildwood exit of Interstate 75. The mechanic got the bus running. He couldn't fix USF's broken hearts.
22. The first game in USF baseball history was March 11, 1966 when the "Brahmans'' of Coach Hubert "Beefy'' Wright were defeated 3-2 by the University of Tampa Spartans at Al Lopez Field. Jerry Trapp was USF's first starting pitcher. Jim Gray and Bob Waladyka drove in the USF runs. USF dropped its first three games before collecting the program's initial victory, a 4-0 decision against Hiram College at Cuscaden Park.
23. USF baseball made history on May 28, 1982 when Coach Robin Roberts' Bulls thumped the Florida Gators 8-0 in the NCAA Atlantic Regional at Coral Gables. The first USF postseason appearance was marked by the brilliant complete-game pitching of Randy Wilson (three hits allowed, 29 batters faced) and a three-run homer by Jim Roberts (the coach's son). USF was dismissed following a 9-4 defeat against the home-standing Miami Hurricanes (the eventual national champions) and a heartbreaking 6-5, 11-inning loss against Stetson. USF finished 45-13. "I've had a lot of accomplishments in my athletic career, but to be a part of this team and what we have accomplished is something I won't ever forget,'' said Roberts, the coach. Jim Roberts, Ken Eriksen, Jeff Bassett and Wilson were named to the NCAA Regional's All-Tournament team.
24. Coach Eddie Cardieri's USF Bulls went from worst to first in the Metro Conference, claiming a final-day 6-5 victory against Virginia Commonwealth University at Red McEwen Field on May 16, 1993. After the final out, with the regular-season title secure, Bulls first baseman Darren Stumberger tossed the game ball into the trees, far beyond the left-field fence. The Bulls had come a long way since their last-place conference finish in 1992. Stumberger's solo homer jump-started a five-run second inning. When the Rams closed within 6-5 in the seventh inning, Don Nestor stranded the tying run at third base, then pitched two more innings of scoreless relief.
25. In an otherwise forgettable non-conference game on March 3, 2013, the USF Bulls scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the Toledo Rockets 9-8, getting a bases-loaded walk-off triple from James Ramsay to win it. There are baseball comebacks, then there are comebacks. This one was special. USF trailed 8-3 entering the ninth and there was nothing doing. Then freshman Levi Borders drove in two runs with a one-out double. Nik Alfonso collected a two-out RBI single. Two more Bulls got singles and the bases were loaded for Ramsay, the ninth USF batter in the inning. Ramsay drilled a long fly ball to center field. Toledo's Ben Hammer dove, missed and the ball rolled to the wall. Three runs scored. Game over. "You kept hearing in the dugout, 'Nobody makes the last out,' and a lot of stuff people might consider corny,'' Bulls coach Lelo Prado said. "We kept battling. They battled their tails off to score six runs. That's hard to do. I don't care if you're hitting it off a tee. That's hard to do.''
26. On Feb. 11, 1986, the USF Bulls defeated a defending national champion for the first time in program history. It was USF 7, Miami 2 before 1,137 frantic fans at Red McEwen Field. Right-hander Mark Rose turned in a complete-game performance, allowing just five hits and striking out 11. "I guess we're not doing a great job because I didn't know you could throw a complete game like that in February,'' said Hurricanes coach Ron Fraser, whose No. 2-ranked squad was coming off a sweep of the top-ranked Texas Longhorns. USF coach Eddie Cardieri said he wasn't surprised because of Rose's superb conditioning and mental toughness. Make no mistake: This wasn't a fluke. When the Bulls and Hurricanes met in Coral Gables on Feb. 21, USF won again 12-4. And again, it was Rose with a complete-game victory (this time with 13 strikeouts).
27. On March 1, 1991, the USF Bulls were beaten 5-3 by the Maine Black Bears in a 10-inning opener to the USF Invitational. The Bulls had a runner thrown out at the plate in the ninth inning, forcing extra frames. Overall, USF pitchers walked seven batters and the Bulls committed four errors. "That's not a winning formula,'' Bulls coach Eddie Cardieri said. Suddenly, the winning formula kicked in like never before. The next day, USF won. The day after that, USF won. The Bulls kept winning … and winning … and winning. It became a program-record 20-game winning streak before it was stopped on March 30 with a 2-1 home defeat against Western Kentucky. "The streak was going to end sooner or later,'' Cardieri said. "It's a hell of a streak to win 20 straight. I don't care who you are playing. The players have a lot to be proud of.'' Coach Mark Kingston's Bulls made a run at the record with a 19-game winning streak before that was halted with a 2-1 road defeat against No. 15-ranked Florida Gulf Coast on March 22, 2017.
28. USF baseball has captured five conference tournament championships (1982 Sun Belt, 1986 Sun Belt, 1990 Sun Belt, 1995 Metro and 2021 American). The most satisfying? The most unexpected? No question, it was beating the UCF Knights 8-7 for the 2021 American Athletic Conference Tournament title. Coach Billy Mohl's Bulls were picked last in the AAC preseason poll and entered the tournament after a 24-26 regular-season record. They built an early 6-0 lead behind a two-run homer in the first inning from Daniel Cantu and a four-run second before holding on in the late innings. UCF had the tying or go-ahead runs in scoring position during the sixth, eighth and ninth innings, but reliever Orion Kerkering shut the door.
29. In a dominant performance, spurred by a deep pitching staff, the USF Bulls swept through five games to capture the 1995 Metro Conference Tournament at Charlotte, N.C. "If you're going to win the whole thing, you have to be prepared to use every pitcher you've got,'' Bulls coach Eddie Cardieri said. "We knew that and prepared for it. What we didn't know was how well those guys were going to pitch. They pitched tremendously.'' USF's staff allowed just eight earned runs in 45 innings as the Bulls defeated Louisville (6-1), Charlotte (12-3), Virginia Tech (3-2), Southern Miss (4-1) and Tulane (5-2). USF relied on stalwarts such as Mark Roberts and Adam Danner. But they also got surprising performances from Steven Boyles, a unanimous selection to the all-tournament team, who recorded two saves in 7 1/3 scoreless innings. Dwayne Dobson got a save in 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Bill Perusek and Scott Glaser picked up their first wins of the season.
30. The only perfect game in USF baseball history was pitched by Mark Reed, a 5-0 decision at the Charlotte 49ers on May 9, 1992, a seven-inning game on the back end of a double-header.
"Mark threw an outstanding game, and he did it without his best stuff,'' Bulls coach Eddie Cardieri said. For Reed, who had four strikeouts, it was 21 men up, 21 men down. The last batter Reed faced was Charlotte third-place hitter Cameron Browder, who hit an 11th-inning two-run homer to beat the Bulls in the opener. This time, Reed went to a 3-and-0 count on Browder, jeopardizing the perfect game, but came back to collect a strikeout.
31. Beyond Reed's perfect game, the USF Bulls have registered a pair of nine-inning no-hitters — and two combined no-hitters — in their previous 59 seasons of baseball. On March 8, 1974, right-hander Steve Ruling, a Brevard Community College transfer, beat visiting Connecticut 6-1. Ruling actually trailed in the game, 1-0, when he forced in a run on a bases-loaded hit batter. Ruling's gem was preserved on a brilliant diving catch by center fielder Bobby Reynolds in the eighth inning. On March 26, 2010, right-hander Randy Fontanez beat visiting Notre Dame 4-0. Fontanez, who had 12 strikeouts, surrendered two walks and the Bulls had two errors, meaning he faced 31 batters. On Feb. 5, 1992, David Blank (two innings), Fred Rath (one), Chris Smith (one), Chad Crossley (one) and Kevin Fine (one) and combined to no-hit visiting Bethune-Cookman 10-0 in six innings. On March 16, 2018, Shane McClanahan (six innings) and Carson Ragsdale (three innings) combined to no-hit visiting Army 12-0 in nine innings. McClanahan (15) and Ragsdale (seven) combined for 22 strikeouts, the most in a single game by USF pitchers.
32. On a breezy afternoon at Red McEwen Field, USF first baseman Todd Waggoner made NCAA history. Waggoner hit two grand slams in the first inning of the Bulls' 23-3 pounding of the UAB Blazers on April 14, 1985. Waggoner was stunned after setting an NCAA record. "It's not very often you get two grand slams in a season, let alone the same inning,'' Waggoner said. "It's just unbelievable.'' The Bulls had six homers in all, including another grand slam from Scott Hemond, a three-run shot from Greg Bullard, plus solo homers from Mark Pike and Tony Alfonso. Each one was hit over the left-field fence, so the left-handed batting Waggoner showed excellent opposite-field power. "Every time our pitchers got the ball up, South Florida would hit a pop-up and it would fly out of here,'' UAB coach Harry Walker said. Waggoner admitted that the wind was helpful, but the Bulls peppered UAB pitching all afternoon with 23 hits — a program record that stood until April 17, 1999, when the Bulls collected 27 hits in a 22-9 victory against the Saint Louis Billikens.
33. It is usually difficult for anyone to defeat the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee. But Coach Eddie Cardieri's USF Bulls made it look easy on Feb. 25, 1989, thrashing the No. 5-ranked Seminoles 10-0. It snapped FSU's NCAA record of 326 consecutive games without being shut out. Bulls pitcher Jim Jimaki tossed a complete-game four-hitter with three walks and seven strikeouts. "I really didn't know anything about it,'' Jimaki said of FSU's scoring streak. In the ninth inning, FSU got a pair of two-out singles, but Brian Gilliland lined out sharply to USF right fielder Gus Vollmer. "I'm sorry the streak ended, but I've got to tip my cap to that pitcher (Jimaki),'' FSU coach Mike Martin said.
34. It was probably the most memorable four-day span in USF baseball history. Coach Billy Mohl's Bulls captured the 2021 NCAA Gainesville Regional by defeating the No. 15-ranked at home-standing Florida Gators (5-3), the Miami Hurricanes (10-2) and the South Alabama Jaguars (6-4) after dropping a 4-0 decision against the Jaguars to set up a do-or-die championship game. Against the Gators, in a game halted midway through by a two-hour, 18-minute rain delay, Jack Jasiak had a four-inning start and got capable relief from Logan Lyle, Dylan Burns and Orion Kerkering, while Carmine Lane crashed a tape-measure solo home run. Against the Hurricanes, Riley Hogan had a two-run double, while Nelson Rivera went 3-for-4 with a career-high three RBIs. After dropping a game against the Jaguars, the Bulls roared back in the championship game with Jarrett Eaton delivering a two-run double, then another RBI single to score Daniel Cantu with the go-ahead run in the sixth inning. Kerkering allowed just one run on two hits during a 4 1/3-inning relief stint. Jake Sullivan was selected as the regional's Most Outstanding Player, while sharing a spot on the All-Tournament team with Matt Ruiz and Rivera.
35. In 1985, Coach Robin Roberts' USF Bulls took two out of three games against the No. 7-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys, elite non-conference competition, at Red McEwen Field. The Bulls rallied for a 12-11 victory on Scott Hemond's two-out, two-run single in the ninth inning. The next day, on the back end of a double-header, the Bulls prevailed 9-8 when Allen Swabek scored the winning run on a ninth-inning wild pitch. Swabek also had a three-run homer, giving him a homer in each of the three games. Oklahoma State's Pete Incaviglia had two homers in the series and finished with an NCAA Division I-record 48 that season (along with 100 for his career, another NCAA D-I record). It's doubtful there was a revenge motive, but No. 5-ranked Oklahoma State returned to the Sunshine State in 1997 to open the season against USF in the Olive Garden Classic at Kissimmee. Coach Eddie Cardieri's Bulls rolled 10-2. USF first baseman Ross Gload was 4-for-4 with a homer, triple and two singles.
36. USF baseball has a handful of victories against teams ranked No. 1 in the nation. One score stands out: USF 16, No. 1-ranked Florida 3 on Feb. 22, 1989. Before the fourth-largest crowd at Red McEwen Field (2,028), Coach Eddie Cardieri's Bulls were aided by four Gator errors, allowing them to score 11 unearned runs in building a 12-0 lead after three innings. Joe Lis had a triple and a single while driving in five runs. Gus Vollmer also had a triple and a single, accounting for four RBIs. Kevin Dattola had four hits, while Scott Henry had three. "We played well and they didn't play as well as they're capable … it happens,'' Cardieri said.
37. When Coach Mark Kingston took over USF baseball in 2015, looking to end a 12-season NCAA Regional drought, he had new players, of course. But he also relied on the holdover Bulls, particularly the seniors. That combination worked all season long and was spotlighted in USF's 5-3 win against Florida Atlantic to open the NCAA Gainesville Regional on May 29, 2015. Senior shortstop Kyle Teaf went 4-for-5. Senior first baseman Buddy Putnam went 3-for-5. Freshman second baseman Kevin Merrell went 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Merrell, the Steinbrenner High School product and a mainstay on Citrus Park's 2008 Little League World Series team, was a welcome addition. "Kevin Merrell plays with a smile on his face,'' Kingston said. "There's not a lot of stress in his life. He loves being out there and he plays like it.'' Following defeats against the Florida Gators and FAU (in a return engagement), Teaf, Putnam and Merrell each made the NCAA Regional's All-Tournament team. Meanwhile, Kingston predicted even better days were ahead. "This team fought so hard,'' Kingston said. "They maximized our ability 99-percent of the time. This team set the standard of how baseball should be played at USF in terms of effort, preparation and commitment. The names will change, but the standard this team set this year is exactly what it will be moving forward.''
38. Florida State right-hander Mike Loynd had one of college baseball's most dominating seasons in 1986 when he went 20-3 (two of the defeats were against national champion Arizona at the College World Series). Loynd's first loss was on March 5, 1986 at Red McEwen Field, when the USF Bulls beat the Seminoles 6-3 behind a two-run homer from catcher Scott Hemond and the pitching of Dave Eiland (three runs allowed in six innings). Loynd got another shot at the Bulls in the NCAA Regionals at Tallahassee — with a College World Series bid on the line — but he knew it wouldn't be easy. "I'm not going to shut out South Florida,'' Loynd said. The Bulls gave the Seminoles all they wanted before FSU hung on 11-7. USF had loaded the bases against Loynd (155 pitches) in the ninth inning with two outs. Richie Lewis was summoned and he struck out Tony Taylor to end the game. USF's 8-7 deficit was widened in the eighth when FSU's Eric Mangham smacked a two-run triple over the leaping attempt of Bulls center fielder Mark Pike. "Man, South Florida was tough on us,'' FSU All-American infielder Luis Alicea said. Despite the difficult defeat, Bulls coach Eddie Cardieri said he was pleased with the effort. "I have never been prouder of any team I've ever been associated with than I was with this club,'' Cardieri said. "We played as hard as we possibly could and battled them right down to the last out.''
39. The 1997 USF Bulls defeated 10 different NCAA Tournament-bound programs during the regular season, when they won nine of their last 11 games down the stretch. But their promising season was defined by a pair of one-run decisions in the NCAA East Regional at Tallahassee. Coach Eddie Cardieri's Bulls opened with a 5-4 victory against UCF, when USF left 11 runners on base. The Bulls got 3-for-5 performances from Jorge DeLeon and Jason Dellaero, but the outcome was in doubt until first baseman Ross Gload fielded a bases-loaded ground ball from UCF's Todd Bellhorn and beat him to the bag by a step. After a 9-0 defeat against Auburn and a 9-4 victory against Western Carolina, the Bulls tried to stave off elimination against the home-standing Florida State Seminoles. FSU prevailed 6-5 with an eighth-inning go-ahead run, but the Bulls made it interesting when Dellaero smashed a two-run homer in the seventh, putting USF up by a run.
40. USF outfielder Mike Kelly tied an NCAA record by hitting three triples in a 15-4 victory against the UAB Blazers on March 20, 1987. Kelly tripled in the second, fourth and seventh innings en route to a 4-for-5, five-RBI night. Three triples? Perspective? There were two MLB players to hit four triples in a game — Philadelphia Athletics second baseman George Strief in 1885 and New York Giants player/manager Bill Joyce in 1897 — and in modern times, there were 25 players with a three-triple game (including Joe DiMaggio, Ernie Banks, Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente). Back to USF and Mr. Kelly … Kelly, a transfer from St. Petersburg Junior College (where he had a 35-game hitting streak to break Tim Teufel's school record), batted .395 (sixth all-time at USF) with 96 hits and nine triples. He was selected USF's Male Athlete of the Year. But when he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 10th round, Kelly was gone. It was just one USF season — but it was memorable.
Coming on Wednesday:
USF Baseball Trivia
About USF Baseball
The South Florida Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and will enter its 60th campaign in 2025. Mitch Hannahs was named South Florida's eighth head coach in program history on June 8, 2024 after compiling 355 wins over 11 seasons at Indiana State. The 2023 ABCA NCAA DI Midwest Region Coach of the Year guided the Sycamores to six conference titles and five NCAA Regionals.
The Bulls have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and earned their first-ever Super Regional berth in 2021. 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 and 19 Bulls have earned Freshman All-America accolades. USF has had 131 MLB Draft Picks. Former 2018 first-round draft pick, Shane McClanahan, is a two-time MLB All-Star.
– #GoBulls –
