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 began with Part I: Players and Coaches.

Then we gave you Part II: The Games.

We will conclude with Part III: USF Baseball Trivia.

Ready? Play ball!

41. Who was Red McEwen? As in USF's Red McEwen Field, the baseball facility that opened in 1977, then the namesake of the USF's baseball stadium that opened in 2010. James Milton "Red'' McEwen, a noted Tampa attorney and sports enthusiast, was instrumental in the formation of USF's athletic program. McEwen, the older brother of Tampa Tribune sports editor Tom McEwen, died of cancer in 1976. On March 30, 1977, USF's $100,000 baseball facility (with lights donated by New York Yankees owner and USF booster George Steinbrenner) was dedicated as "Red McEwen Field.''

42. The early days of USF baseball were challenging. Because of an academic emphasis, the program was limited to weekend-only games. Road trips were made with rental cars/vans and individual player vehicles. The program was endangered during severe athletic-department budget cuts in 1972. USF president Cecil Mackey hinted at dropping the program completely, but concluded that baseball "could gain recognition for the school in the college division.'' Instead, the cross-country program was eliminated. Still, USF baseball temporarily operated with an austere $8,000 annual budget, while cutting travel to in-state opponents and utilizing only one overnight trip per season.

43. Former left-handed pitcher Scott Glaser, the program's career leader in pitching victories (34), has become executive director of Tampa's Gasparilla Bowl after spending 19 years working in USF's athletic department.

44. In 1981, future USF baseball head coach Lelo Prado, then a catcher at Tampa Catholic High School, was selected to the Tampa Tribune's All-Hillsborough County Baseball Team. Prado was part of a group photograph at Tampa's Al Lopez Field. Also in the photo: Jefferson first baseman Fred McGriff (Baseball Hall of Famer with 493 career home runs) and Hillsborough pitcher Dwight Gooden (National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award winner), plus Tampa Catholic pitcher Richard Monteleone and Hillsborough pitcher Vance Lovelace, who became first-round picks and big-leaguers.

45. Every college baseball program knows the angst of securing a high-school player who opts to sign a professional contract after getting drafted. USF baseball is no different. But it's worth noting a trio of pitchers who never made it to campus after being signed by USF. Armwood's Sterling Hitchcock (ninth round, Yankees, 1989) won 74 major-league games and was the 1998 National League Championship Series MVP with the Padres. Jesuit's Brad Radke (eight round, Twins, 1991) won 148 major-league games and finished third for the 1997 American League Cy Young Award (when he was 20-10). Alonso's Jose Fernandez (first round, Marlins, 2011) was the 2013 NL Rookie of the Year and won 38 major-league games in four seasons before his tragic death at age 24.

46. Third baseman Chris Heintz hit three home runs in a 12-3 win against the NC State Wolfpack at the 1996 NCAA East Regional in Gainesville. Heintz became only the third player to hit a trio of homers in an NCAA postseason game, joining Maine's Bill Reynolds (four homers in a 1986 regional) and Florida State's J.D. Drew (three at the 1995 College World Series). Heintz came to bat in the ninth inning with a chance for a fourth homer, but he hit a single to right and completed his 4-for-5, six-RBI performance.

47. When USF earned a spot in the 1982 NCAA Atlantic Regional at Coral Gables, it was the end of a 17-year wait for the program's first postseason appearance. For a while, after a day and night of torrential rains, it looked like that wait might be prolonged. But a University of Miami booster rented a helicopter (at $500 per hour) to help dry the artificial surface at Mark Light Stadium. The game got under way and USF blasted the Florida Gators 8-0.

48. Infielder Kevin Merrell is the only USF player to lead the Bulls in batting during three seasons (.346 in 2015, .320 in 2016, .384 in 2017). There were five two-time USF batting champions — Dave May (.343 in 1976, .316 in 1977); Joe Lis (.357 in 1990, .352 in 1991); Myron Leslie (.366 in 2001, .361 in 2004); James Ramsay (.328 in 2012, .337 in 2013); and Carmine Lane (.306 in 2021, .332 in 2022).

49. First baseman/DH Kris Courier, who started 41 USF games from 2001-02, is the younger brother of Jim Courier, the Dade City native who became the world's No. 1-ranked men's tennis player. The elder Courier won four Grand Slam tournament singles titles (two French Open, two Australian Open), while also reaching the final at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

50. On seven occasions, USF baseball played exhibition games against major-league teams during MLB spring training. Predictably, the Bulls were 0-7, but they produced some interesting highlights. In 2008, USF's Eric Baumann smacked a pinch-hit grand slam off New York Yankees left-hander Kei Igawa. "I was lucky enough to get some good wood on the ball and I was like a kid at Disney World,'' Baumann said. In 1999, the Bulls tangled with Philadelphia Phillies ace Curt Schilling. "You can say, 'I faced Curt Schilling,' '' Bulls outfielder Daniel Boyd said. "Well, I struck out against him, but still a lot of major-leaguers do the same thing.'' In 1985, the Bulls were locked in a 4-4 tie with the Cincinnati Reds when USF reliever Phil Fagnano committed a bases-loaded balk in the ninth inning. In 1983, Chicago White Sox second baseman Tim Hulett (USF 1979) went 3-for-5 with four RBIs against his former program. The best vibes occurred in 1982, when the Yankees visited Red McEwen Field and beat the Bulls 9-1 before a standing-room-only crowd of 6,000-plus. All proceeds ($60,000) were donated to the Gold Shield Foundation, which provided scholarship money for the children of policemen and firemen killed in the line of duty.

51. When the Yankees moved their spring-training and minor-league operations from Fort Lauderdale to Tampa, the organization's Class A Florida State League team spent two seasons (1994-95) at Red McEwen Field during the construction of Legends Field (now Steinbrenner Field). Two of the USF-based Tampa Yankees were future Hall of Famers — shortstop Derek Jeter and pitcher Mariano Rivera.

52. Former USF pitcher Andres Perez (2017-20) unwittingly found himself in a viral video when he rescued a falling cat during a 2021 University of Miami football game at Hard Rock Stadium. Perez, then a second-year UM medical-school student, was attending the UM-Appalachian State football game with his girlfriend. Somehow, a cat got loose in the stadium's upper deck and it panicked. It climbed out on the ledge, trying to escape the crowd, but it went too far and was perilously hanging from a wire, about 40 feet above a concrete surface. Perez retrieved an American flag from a fan (it was the 20th anniversary of 9/11). When the cat finally dropped (after about 10 minutes of suspense), it perfectly hit the American flag target and the crowd roared. Unfortunately, the cat bit down hard on Perez's right middle finger. When Perez went to an urgent-care clinic, the doctor entered the room and asked, "Are you the cat kid from the stadium?'' The video already had taken off.

53. In 1989, Leto High School's Danny Montero arrived as an outfielder at Polk Community College. But his position was well-stocked and coaches suggested Montero switching to pitching. "They said I had a live arm,'' Montero said. At USF in 1991-92, Montero became the closer, utilizing a wide-looping and often befuddling sidearm delivery. As a junior, Montero led the nation in saves (14), then added 11 more as a senior.

54. It was one thing to absorb a 7-6 road defeat at Saint Leo (coached by future USF mentor Eddie Cardieri) in 1980. It was quite another when a Bulls baserunner was picked off second base and victimized by the "hidden-ball trick'' during one of the game's critical junctures. Back at USF, venerable Bulls coach Robin Roberts asked his players to meet him downstairs in the gymnastics room of the old USF Gymnasium. His post-game address was soft and brief. "Boys, we are sending troops to Afghanistan at the moment … they are making computers now that are doing things none of us understand … there are so many things happening in this world that I don't understand,'' Roberts said. "But … but … there is one thing I truly understand. YOU HAVE TO ALWAYS KNOW WHERE THE BALL IS!!!''

55. The longest game in USF baseball history was an 8-2 victory at Notre Dame that required 19 innings on May 3, 2013. Coach Lelo Prado's Bulls entered the ninth inning with a 2-0 deficit and were down to their last out with a runner on first. But Kyle Teaf singled and Alex Mendez smacked a two-run double that tied the game. Then the real fun began. After getting a runner in scoring position in the 10th and 12th innings, the Bulls went quiet. Notre Dame pitchers retired 22 consecutive USF batters in extra innings, including the first two batters in the top of the 19th. But after Teaf struck out, he reached second when the third strike was muffed by Irish catcher Ricky Sanchez, who then committed a throwing error. James Ramsay's RBI single ignited a six-run 19th inning and the Bulls were victorious after a five-hour marathon. After seven innings from starter Jimmy Herget, it was 12 innings of scoreless relief pitching from Lawrence Pardo, Chad Taylor, Janick Serrallonga, Adrian Puig and Steven Leasure.

56. USF old-timers might remember third baseman Don Hogestyn (1975-76) as a scrappy ballplayer who collected three doubles in one game, batted .295 as a senior and became a 25th-round draft pick of the New York Yankees. Everyone else remembers him as Drake Hogestyn (his middle name), an actor best known for his long-running portrayal of John Blake on the NBC-TV daytime drama, "Days Of Our Lives.'' As his short-lived minor-league baseball career wound down, Hogestyn entered a Columbia Pictures talent search that included 75,000 people (he was among 30 to be selected). Hogestyn's first starring role was the prime-time series, "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.'' But his popular daytime soap-opera role stayed intact for more than two decades. Hogestyn died from pancreatic cancer at his home in Malibu, Calif., on Sept. 28, 2024.

57. Three different USF pitchers were consecutively named National Pitchers of the Week by National College Baseball Writers Association during a three-week span in 2010, the first time one program had three in a row recognized since the NCBWA formed in 1962. Teddy Kaufman had 14 strikeouts in a win against UCF. Randy Fontanez beat Notre Dame on a no-hitter. Andrew Barbosa had 16 strikeouts in a win against Cincinnati.

58. Infielder Kevin Elfering (USF 1981-82) was scouting director for the New York Yankees, then became one of the first baseball employees of the Tampa Bay Rays, working in the scouting department and signing long-time major-leaguers such as Alex Cobb and Wade Davis.

59. USF's 1982 Sun Belt Conference champion and NCAA Regional team was paced by two-way sensation Randy Wilson (10-4, 2.80 ERA while also serving as a feared hitter), the SBC Tournament Most Valuable Player and member of the NCAA Atlantic Regional All-Tournament Team. USF's 1986 Sun Belt Conference champion and NCAA Regional team was paced by Randy Wilson, a shutdown reliever who led the nation in saves (17). Quite a guy, that Randy Wilson. Only they were two different people (no relation), assuring that the Randy Wilson name will always be a very important one in USF baseball history.

60. First-year USF coach Mitch Hannahs said his ultimate goal is getting the Bulls to Omaha and the College World Series, while positioning the USF baseball for national-championship contention. If you think that's a pipe dream, know that Hannahs long ago discovered the road map to Omaha at his alma mater, Indiana State. He was a freshman member of the 1986 Indiana State Sycamores, which lost against Florida State 5-3 (after taking a 3-2 lead into the seventh inning) in the Omaha first-rounder before getting eliminated by Oklahoma State 4-0. As a head coach, he guided the Sycamores to five NCAA Tournament berths and the 2023 NCAA Super Regionals, when Indiana State won its first NCAA Regional since that 1986 team in Hannahs' freshman season.

We hope you've enjoyed this look at the history and heritage of USF baseball.

 

Current events matter, too.

 

Mark it down. Opening day: Iowa at USF, Friday, Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m. Yes, it's Valentine's Day. But don't even think about a restaurant reservation. Come to the ballpark. Show some love for the new era.

 

As the 60th anniversary season begins for USF baseball, it's the latest chance to make more memories.


About USF Baseball
The South Florida Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and will enter its 60^th 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 –