JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (March 9, 2026) – University of South Florida baseball (14-3) scores eleven in victory over Jacksonville (9-8). The Bulls win 11-6 and improve to 3-2 on the road so far this season.
 
South Florida started scoring immediately at the top of the first. Ryan Pruitt was hit by a pitch to lead off the game, and shortly after, stole second. Jake Kulikowski singled through the right side to score Pruitt. Juan Correa singled to shortstop, and Matt Rose hit a three-run homer to clear the bases. The Bulls would lead 4-0 headed to the bottom of the first.
 
The Dolphins wasted no time and fought right back in the bottom half of the first. Logan Baratta walked, and he was followed by Roger Vergara, who hit a two-run homer. USF led 4-2 to end the first.
 
In the top of the second, Jacob Green hit a one-out double, and he was followed by a Ryan Pruitt fly out to right field that allowed Green to advance to third. Bradke Lohry then singled to left field, scoring Green to give the Bulls a 5-2 lead.
 
Once again, Jacksonville fought back in the bottom half of the inning. Griffen Pomper reached on a fielder's choice and was advanced to second when Blake Edmonds singled to first base. Sammy Mummau singled to shortstop, scoring Pomper and advancing Edmonds to second. A pitch hit Cade Walters to load the bases, and Logan Baratta reached first on an error by Lohry that allowed Edmonds. Finally, Roger Vergara reached on a fielder's choice that would score Mummau. The game would be tied at five at the end of the second.
 
Kulikowski responded in the top of the third with a leadoff triple down the right field line and shortly scored on an RBI sacrifice fly from Correa. Rose singled to center and shortly after scored from a double by catcher Lance Trippel. Next due up would be Jevin Relaford, who singled. Trippel advanced to third on the hit, and Relaford stole second. To finish the scoring for the inning, Joey Brenczewski flew out to right field, which allowed Trippel to score. South Florida would lead 8-5 to end the third.
 
After a high-scoring first three innings, the next runs wouldn't come across until the top of the seventh. Lohry walked to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a passed ball. Kulikowski grounded out to short, which enabled Lohry to move to third. He then scored off a Nathan Earley single up the middle. USF led 9-5 for the seventh inning stretch.
 
The Dolphins scored their sixth and final run of the game in the bottom half of the seventh. Roger Vergara singled to right field and advanced to second when Sam Grunberg singled to third base. He was followed by Abdriel Delgado, who singled to center field, advancing Vergara to third. Vergara would score on a sacrifice fly to right field from Pomper, leaving Jacksonville trailing 9-6, headed to the eighth.
 
Ayden Phillips came into the game to pitch for the Dolphins and gave up two walks to start the inning to Brenczewski and Green. Pruitt doubled to center field to score Brenczewski, giving South Florida a 10-6 lead headed to the ninth.
 
The Bulls refused to stop scoring and tacked on a ninth run in the top of the ninth. Trippel singled to left field and stole second with one out in the inning. Relaford singled and advanced to second on a throwing error by the Dolphins' shortstop. Trippel scored on the play, giving the Bulls the 11-6 lead that would be held for the remainder of the game.
 
Nolan Bernard started on the mound for South Florida, throwing 1.2 innings. Jorge DeCardenas received the win after throwing 3.2 innings, recording two strikeouts on two hits and a walk. Ethan Sutton and Landon O'Donnell both made appearances pitching for the Bulls.
 
Notables:
• Nathan Earley extended his reached base streak to 13, and Jevin Relaford to 12.
• South Florida scored in six innings.
• Jorge DeCardenas earned his second win of the season.
• South Florida is 7-0 in games in which a Bull has hit a home run.
• Relaford stole two bases on the day.
 
Up Next:
South Florida returns to Tampa to host the first and only four-game series of the season. The Bulls welcome Columbia in Game 1 on Friday, March 13th, at 6:00 p.m. Saturday will be a doubleheader, and the series finale will be Sunday. All games 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 –