USF baseball head coach Mitch Hannahs said he believes the Bulls should one day become annual contenders for NCAA Regional bids, the first step toward the program's ultimate goal, reaching its first College World Series.
Getting to that point?
It's a painstaking process.
Last season was a positive start. Hannahs, in his first USF season after developing Indiana State into a postseason regular, guided the Bulls to a 31-25 finish, a mark of respectability after three consecutive losing seasons.
What will this season bring?
With a core group of position players, a rebuilt pitching staff and a fleet of promising newcomers, the Bulls hope to take the next step and contend for an American Conference championship.
"We've physically gotten better,'' said Hannahs, whose team opens at home against the Big Ten Conference's Illinois Fighting Illini on Friday night (Feb. 13) at Red McEwen Field. "The reality for us now is are we detail-oriented? That's the big thing moving forward. Are we (better) at winning the game within the game?
"We're going to have more pitching depth. We're going to put a team on the field that's better equipped to deal with the variables, such as weather. If the wind is howling in and nobody can get it to the warning track, we've got a group to play the short game. If the wind is blowing out, we've got a group that can play the long game. I think you'll see us to be able to go with more lefties against good righties (pitchers) and more righties against good lefties (pitchers). It's all part of the progression.''
USF's veteran players said they believe the Bulls are poised for another jump in the standings.
"We've added some guys with good talent and a lot of history,'' outfielder/designated hitter Rafael Betancourt said. "Last year was a weird year. You had a new head coach (Hannahs) and a lot of new faces. It could be awkward at times. But there's no excuses now. We're looking to really improve and make a postseason run.''
"I think we're a gritty team,'' catcher Lance Trippel said. "We'll do what it takes to produce some winning baseball. I think we're much better positioned to do that now. In particular, we've got some good arms and much more depth in the bullpen than we had before.''
Last season, the pitching formula was clear.
Get an effective Friday night outing from left-hander Corey Braun (8-4, 3.71 ERA, 15 starts), who became an eighth-round draft selection of the Athletics.
After that, it was mostly hoping for the best.
"I like the arms that we have,'' Hannahs said. "I feel like we've worked hard to make sure we're not flipping coins (over who might start) on Sunday and Tuesday, which was awfully tough. I feel like we've got five or six guys who can be solid starters. Now that doesn't mean every time they go out they're going to be a Corey Braun and pitch us into the seventh inning, but they certainly have that capability.
The Bulls are expected to utilize left-hander Edwin Alicea (Nova Southeastern), left-hander Easton Storey (Purdue) and right-hander Kaden Smith (TCU) in high-profile roles, while also looking to promising freshman pitchers from a highly touted recruiting class.
"Alicea and Storey are going to run it up there in the mid-90s with good secondary stuff,'' Hannahs said. "In terms of the guys who are going out there, I think that's pretty close (over who will earn rotation spots). Then it's how are we going to handle the middle? How are we going to handle the back end? That still has to play out. You really can't simulate that. We've got to see who has the heartbeat for it.''
With James Hill, Jorge DeCardenas and Landon Yorek, the Bulls have a returning trio that combined for 31 appearances and 10 starts.
"I think we'll have at least three good full-time starters,'' Trippel said. "Last year, we had the one starter (Braun) and after that, it really wasn't a set rotation. This year, we have enough arms to do that. It's going to help, especially in the midweek games, when we can throw out a starter instead of having to run a bullpen day.''
Meanwhile, the Bulls return six position players who were regular starters last season — Betancourt (.263), Trippel (.249), shortstop Bradke Lohry (.230), third baseman Matt Rose (.322), first baseman Carter Murphy (.298) and center fielder Ryan Pruitt (.281, 24 stolen bases).
Hannahs said no one was assured of winning a job coming into the season and he's still studying the right combinations.
"I think guys earn their publicity and earn their status,'' Hannahs said. "Even returners, regardless of what happened last year, this is all new.''
Newcomers who have caught everyone's eye include infielder Juan Correa (who's on his fifth school after batting .286 with 16 home runs and 58 RBIs last season at Appalachian State and a former Junior College World Series MVP for the College of Central Florida); infielder Nathan Earley (who batted .250 last season at Louisville after becoming a first-team all-conference player in junior college) and outfielder Jevin Relaford (who set Florida Southern College records with 68 stolen bases in one season and 113 in a career).
By everyone's estimation, the Bulls should be an improved team.
Last season — alternately exhilarating and painful — set the foundation.
"When you come into a new situation, I don't know that you ever feel like you do everything right,'' Hannahs said. "There are so many moving parts. It's balancing the transfer portal and roster design and guys who are returning. I think the entire first year was a learning curve for all of us.
"In Year One, it's very typical with a new staff coming in. You've got every guy on his own island. Getting everybody on the same island is the hard part in coaching. I like the progress. We'll know more when we gert punched in the nose for the first time and see how strong we really are. Overall, I see it getting better.''
By a little?
Or by a lot?
Stay tuned.
