TAMPA, Fla. (March 20, 2026) – University of South Florida baseball fell to Rice in the conference opener of the 2026 season. The Bulls (18-4) were defeated by the Owls (14-9) 5-4, despite a late comeback.
 
South Florida struck first in the bottom of the third. Jevin Relaford singled to third and soon after stole second. He scored on a double from Ryan Pruitt, hit to right field. Later in the inning, first baseman Nathan Earley ripped a hard-hit ball through the middle to single and score Pruitt. The Bulls would lead 2-0 headed to the fourth.
 
Rice answered immediately in the top half of the fourth. JC Davis laid down a bunt for a single. Paul Smith then launched a ball to deep center field, over Pruitt's head, scoring himself a triple that scored Davis. Owls first baseman Garet Boehm would single to left field to score Smith and tie the game at two to end the fourth.
 
The runs would continue to come in the top of the fifth for Rice. Lorenzo Rios was hit by a pitch with one out. Cole Green singled, and Hiram Bocachica reached on a fielder's choice to shortstop, and no one was out on the play to load the bases. Rios scored on a passed ball to give the Owls a 3-2 lead to end the fifth.
 
The one-run lead would quickly be extended in the top of the sixth for Rice. Kutter-Gage Webb singled up the middle, and then on his first pitch, Mason Ashlock hit a two-run home run to right field. The Owls led 5-2, ending the sixth inning.
 
The Bulls wouldn't go down without a fight and cut the lead by one in the bottom of the seventh. Pruitt drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second when Lohry singled to left field. Jake Kulikowski would reach on a fielder's choice to load the bases, and Earley would hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Pruitt. South Florida currently leads the nation in sacrifice flies; this one brought the total to 23 on the season. Still, the Bulls would trail 5-3 heading to the eighth.
 
The rally continued in the bottom of the eighth inning for South Florida. Jack Lutz hit a double to right center and advanced to third when Jacob Green grounded out to second. Lutz would soon score on a wild pitch, cutting the lead down to one. That would be all the scoring for the game, and Rice would win 5-4.
 
Edwin Alicea got his typical Friday start on the mound for the Bulls. He threw 6.1 innings and recorded four strikeouts. This was Alicea's first loss of the season. Nolan Bernard threw the final 2.2 innings of the game and recorded five strikeouts and allowed no hits, runs, or walks.
 
Notables:
• South Florida is now 15-2 at home this season, and 0-1 in conference play.
• Jevin Relaford is ranked top 20 nationally in stolen bases, earning his sixteenth base of the year tonight.
• The Bulls lead the nation in sacrifice flies, scoring one more tonight.
• Lance Trippel is now on an eight-game hit streak.
• Edwin Alicea received his first loss of the season and is now 4-1.
 
Up Next:
Game 2 of the three-game series to open conference play against Rice is scheduled for Saturday, March 21st. The game will start at 2:00 p.m. and will be streamed 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.
– #GoBulls –