TAMPA, Fla. (March 17, 2026) – University of South Florida baseball defeated Jacksonville in seven innings and is now 8-0 in games that a Bull has hit a home run. South Florida (18-3) beat the Dolphins (10-11), 13-3.
Jacksonville wasted no time and got on the board during the top of the first. Dolphins second baseman, Roger Vergara, hit a solo home run to right field to give them a 1-0 lead to end the first.
The Bulls fought right back and tied the game in the bottom of the second inning.
Eli Thomas drew a leadoff walk and shortly after stole second. He scored on an RBI single through the right side, hit by
Jack Lutz. The game would be tied at one at the end of the second.
The game wouldn't be tied for long, and the Dolphins would reclaim the lead in the top of the fourth with another solo home run to right field. This time hit by third baseman Logan Baratta, Jacksonville would lead 2-1 heading to the bottom half of the fourth.
In the bottom half of the fourth, South Florida took a three-run lead after a four-run inning.
Jake Kulikowski led off the inning and walked, and
Juan Correa pinch hit for
Nathan Earley, also drawing a walk.
Matt Rose pinch hit for
Eli Thomas and singled through the left side, scoring Kulikowski.
Lance Trippel singled to third base with a bunt and advanced to second on a throwing error. Rose went to third, and Correa scored. Later in the inning,
Jevin Relaford would hit a sacrifice fly to score Rose. After stealing third, Trippel would score on a passed ball. The Bulls would lead 5-2 at the end of the fourth.
South Florida's lead grew larger in the bottom half of the fifth.
Bradke Lohry hit a leadoff single, and Kulikowski followed him with a walk. Correa singled to score Lohry and advance Kulikowski to second, who later advanced to third on a wild pitch. Trippel would walk to load the bases, and Lutz would ground out to first unassisted, allowing all runners to advance and score Kulikowski. Correa would then also score on a wild pitch from third. The lead would now be 8-2 for South Florida, headed to the top of the sixth.
The Dolphins scored their third and final run of the game in top of the sixth, with another solo home run to right field. This time, it was hit by designated hitter Conner Spelman. South Florida remained in the lead, by a score of 8-3.
Scoring never stopped for the Bulls, as they continued to extend the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Relaford walked to start the inning, and later stole second and third, to eventually score on a balk. Kulikowski would then hit a solo home run to right field, making the score 10-3 Bulls.
The game would end in the bottom of the seventh inning when the Bulls scored three more runs to obtain a 10-run lead. Trippel singled to shortstop, and Lutz singled through the right side to advance him to second.
Gabe Graulau reached on a fielder's choice, and Lutz was out on the play at second. A pitch would hit Relaford to load the bases, and
Ryan Pruitt would hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Trippel. Lohry walked to load the bases with Graulau on third and Relaford on second. Kulikowski would chop a ball for a base hit to first base, which scored both Graulau and Relaford. The Bulls win in seven innings via 10-run rule, 13-3.
Will Allen started on the mound for South Florida and threw 3.2 innings. He recorded five strikeouts while giving up two runs on three hits with one walk.
Kaden Smith relieved him and was awarded the win, throwing 2.1 innings.
Lawson Gailey also made an appearance for the Bulls, pitching one inning.
Notables:
• South Florida is now on a nine-game winning streak, and 15-1 at home this season.
• The Bulls are 8-0 in games a South Florida player has hit a home run.
•
Lance Trippel is now on a seven-game hit streak.
• This is the third game this season that the Bulls have 10-run ruled an opponent.
•
Jake Kulikowski hit his second home run of the season, recorded three hits, runs, and RBIs.
•
Kaden Smith earned his second win of the season.
•
Jevin Relaford stole two bases on the day.
Up Next:
South Florida begins conference play this weekend at home against the Rice Owls. The three-game series will start on Friday, March 20th. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., and the game will stream on ESPN+.
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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.
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