Kaden Smith on the mound
Chris Henry / University of South Florida Athletics

South Florida Baseball Heads to Daytona for First Road Game of 2026

South Florida will face Bethune-Cookman for one game

February 23, 2026

By: Clark Stanton
TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 23, 2026) – University of South Florida baseball has started the season rolling with a 7-1 start. This is the best start since 2017, when the team started 20-1.
 
In the series against Georgia Southern, South Florida broke the program record for runs scored in a single game, scoring 29 in Game 2. In games one and two, the Bulls hit grand slams
 
Setting The Stage:
South Florida is 7-1 to start the season and is coming off a three-game sweep of Georgia Southern. Bethune-Cookman has started the year 4-3 and is coming off an 8-3 loss to Yale.
 
Series History:
South Florida is 22-10 all-time against Bethune-Cookman, 9-5 on the road in Daytona. The Bulls are 9-1 in the last 10 matchups, losing the last game at Daytona in 10 innings, 10-9.
 
Note-A-Bull:
  • Ryan Pruitt has started the first eight games of the season on an eight-game hitting streak.
  • South Florida starts the year 7-1, the best start since 2017, when the team started 20-1.
  • The Bulls are currently on a six-game win streak.
  • Freshman Eli Thomas has started the year with a .417 batting average.
  • Landon O'Donnell leads the team with two saves and one win.
  • Nolan Bernard starts the season with two wins.
 
Tickets:
Interested in tickets for the 2026 Bulls baseball season? Click here to learn more.
 
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To stay up-to-date on the latest USF Baseball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
 
About USF Baseball
The University of South Florida baseball program, founded in 1966, enters its 61st season in 2026. Head coach Mitch Hannahs returns for his second year at the helm after leading the Bulls to 32 wins in his debut season—the program's highest win total since 2018. USF also posted 16 victories in American Athletic Conference play, marking its best conference showing since joining the league.
 
Hannahs, a 2023 ABCA NCAA Division I Midwest Region Coach of the Year, was named USF's eighth head coach on June 8, 2024, after an 11-year run at Indiana State, where he tallied 355 wins, six conference titles, and five NCAA Regional appearances.
 
USF has made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, including a historic Super Regional berth in 2021. The Bulls have captured five conference tournament titles (three Sun Belt, one Metro, one American) and six regular season championships (three Sun Belt, two Metro, one C-USA).
 
The program continues to develop top-tier talent with 134 MLB Draft picks all-time, including three selections in 2025. Notable alumni include two-time MLB All-Star and 2018 first-round draft pick Shane McClanahan. Bulls have earned All-America honors 12 times and Freshman All-America recognition 19 times.
– #GoBulls –
 
 
 
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