TAMPA, FEB. 15, 2025 – University of South Florida baseball opens the 2026 season with a weekend series win against Illinois. The Bulls won game three 11-10 and the three-game series 2-1.
Scoring didn't take long in today's affair, getting started at the top of the first. Illinois left fielder Nick Groves led off the game with a single up the middle. With one out, third baseman Kyle Schupman singled into center field. He then advanced to second on the throw, and Groves advanced to third base. Jack Zebig was next up to bat, flying out to left field for a sacrifice fly. Groves scored from third, making it 1-0 Illinois. The next batter, Will Johannes, singled through the left side, bringing in Schupman to score. Illinois would lead 2-0 headed to the bottom of the first.
Center fielder
Ryan Pruitt had a lead-off single for the Bulls. Immediately after,
Bradke Lohry hit a home run to left field, equalizing the game at 2-2, going to the second inning.
Fighting Illini first baseman, AJ Putty, opened the top of the third with a lead-off single. With two outs in the inning, Groves doubled to left center, scoring Putty. Then, Michael Farina doubled to right field, scoring Groves from second. Finally, Farina advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a throwing error by Bulls catcher
Lance Trippel. The top of the second would end 5-2, in Illinois' favor.
During the top of the fourth, Fighting Illini center fielder Collin Jennings hit a solo home run to center field. Groves was next up to bat, drawing a walk, followed by a single up the middle by Farina. Schupman was next to bat and flew out to right field, allowing Groves to score on a sacrifice fly. Illinois would end the top of the fourth up 7-2.
With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Bulls freshman designated hitter
Eli Thomas hit a single through the right side, giving him his first career hit. A batter later with two outs, left fielder
Nathan Earley doubled to right center, scoring Thomas. The fourth inning would end with the Fighting Illini leading 7-3.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Bulls continued to fight back. Shortstop
Jevin Relaford hit a lead-off triple off the wall in left-center.
Ryan Pruitt was next to bat and flew out to left field, allowing Relaford to score on a sacrifice fly. The score at the end of the fifth inning was 7-4, Illinois.
South Florida continued to keep the bats going in the bottom of the sixth.
Juan Correa led off the inning with a single up the middle, recording his first hit as a Bull.
Joey Brenczewski then came into the game to pinch run for Correa. Thomas was next up to bat and reached on an error by Zebig, advancing Brenczewski to second. Next up to bat was Trippel, who walked to load the bases for the Bulls. Earley then doubled down the right field line, scoring both Brenczewski and Thomas, leaving Trippel on third and Earley on second for
Jack Lutz. Lutz flew out to center field, allowing Trippel to score on a sacrifice fly, and Earley to advance to third. Relaford then singled up the middle to score Earley, giving the Bulls an 8-7 lead to end the sixth inning.
Illinois fought back after catcher Daniel Contreras hit a solo home run to left center in the top of the seventh. The game would be tied 8-8, headed to the eighth inning.
The Bulls took back the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Earley got the Bulls going with a lead-off walk, followed by a sacrifice bunt from Lutz to advance Earley to second. Green then pinch ran for Earley at second. Relaford walked, followed by Pruitt reaching first on a fielder's choice. Relaford was out at second, and Green advanced to third. Next up to bat was Lohry, who singled to center field, scoring Green and advancing Pruitt to third. Right fielder
Jake Kulikowski doubled to left center, scoring Pruitt and Lohry. The Bulls would lead 11-8, headed to the ninth.
The Fighting Illini fought back in the top of the ninth. Schupman had a one-out walk to get a runner on for Illinois. Then, with two outs and a 2-1 count, Johannes hit a two-run homer to left field. The Bulls would bring in right-handed pitcher
Landon O'Donnell, who got his first batter of Contreras to fly out to right field. South Florida wins the game 11-10 and wins the three-game series, 2-1.
Landon Yorek was awarded the win for the Bulls after pitching five innings, giving up three hits and three runs.
Landon O'Donnell received the save for his final out in the ninth. Reed Gannon received the loss after two innings pitched.
Key Stats:
• USF opens the season 2-1.
•
Ethan Sutton made his first career start, scoring five strikeouts.
•
Eli Thomas hit his first career hit.
•
Bradke Lohry hit the first home run of the season for the Bulls.
• Lohry,
Nathan Earley, and
Jevin Relaford all had two hits on the day.
• The Bulls are now 5-6 all-time against Illinois, 2-4 at home.
Up Next:
USF is set to face North Dakota State at home for a two-game midweek series, with game one on Tuesday, February 17. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Tickets:
Tickets to watch Bulls baseball at the USF Baseball Stadium may be purchased by calling 1-800-GoBulls or clicking
HERE.
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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.
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