TAMPA, Fla. (April 2, 2026) – University of South Florida baseball won Game 1 of a three-game series against Memphis. The Bulls (23-7, 4-3 American) defeated the Tigers (9-19, 2-7 American) 10-1.
 
Scoring got started early on, with a run coming across for Memphis in the top of the first. Freddy Rodriguez started the game off with a leadoff single through the right side. He advanced to second on a failed pick-off attempt, throwing error from Bulls pitcher Edwin Alicea. Shane Cox hit second for the Tigers and singled to right field to score Rodriguez. Memphis would lead 1-0 at the end of the first.
 
The Bulls fought back and tied the game in the bottom of the third. Jacob Green hit a triple to right field and scored on an RBI groundout from Jevin Relaford. The 1-1 tie game wouldn't last long entering the fourth inning.
 
South Florida took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth. Jake Kulikowski doubled to right field with one out. Lance Trippel advanced him to third on a single to left field. The Bulls lead the nation in sacrifice flies, and Nathan Earley contributed to that ranking with an RBI flyout to center field, scoring Kulikowski. The score would be 2-1 Bulls, headed to the fifth.
 
Pruitt led off the sixth inning with a single to shortstop and later stole second. He would score from second when Bradke Lohry hit a hard-hit ball off the pitcher and through the right side of the infield for an RBI single. South Florida would lead 3-1, headed to the seventh.
 
Another run would come across for the Bulls in the bottom half of the seventh. Nathan Earley would hit a leadoff double and score on an RBI single up the middle from Joey Brenczewski. South Florida led 4-1 headed to the eighth.
 
The Bulls had their first inning, scoring multiple runs in the bottom of the eighth. Pruitt drew a leadoff walk, and Lohry singled on a bunt to advance him to second. Kulikowski laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners to second and third, and Trippel was then hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Matt Rose entered the game to pinch hit for Nathan Earley and hit a double down the right field line to clear the bases and earn himself three RBIs. Jack Lutz would be hit by a pitch, and then Green hit his second triple of the game, this time to right center. He cleared the bases, scoring Rose and Lutz. Finally, Relaford hit an RBI single to left field to score Green. The inning and game would end with a final score of 10-1, Bulls.
 
The last time a Bull hit two triples in a game was in 2018, when Chris Chatfield did it against Columbia at home. South Florida won that game 13-1.
 
Edwin Alicea got his eighth start of the season on the mound for South Florida. He earned himself a quality start, throwing seven innings and recording two strikeouts while allowing one unearned run on five hits. He received the win and is now 5-2 on the season.
 
Notables:
• Jacob Green hit two triples; the last time a Bull hit two triples in a game was in 2018.
• Edwin Alicea earned his third quality start of the season and is now 5-2 on the year.
• Lance Trippel is currently on a 15-game streak.
• The Bulls are 18-0 when scoring six or more runs.
• South Florida is outscoring its opponents 224-116 so far this season.
 
Up Next:
Game 2 of the three-game series will be played on Friday, April 3. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
Tickets:
Interested in tickets for the 2026 Bulls baseball season? Click here to learn more.
 
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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 –