TAMPA, Fla. (April 20, 2026) – South Florida baseball faces its second battle with Stetson this year, this time on the road. The Bulls (27-12, 7-8 American) are set to face the Hatters (15-24, 6-11 ASUN) in a midweek rematch on Tuesday, April 21st.
 
Game 1 was played in Tampa back in March, with South Florida emerging victorious, 12-4. Matt Rose and Nathan Earley both had two hits and an RBI, and Ryan Pruitt and Jevin Relaford both had two RBIs and a hit. Relaford also stole two bases and is now at 26 on the season.
 
Brisen Tweedy started the first 2.1 innings on the mound, as Dominic Pontbriant got his first win of the season in relief of him. Nolan Bernard and Jorge DeCardenas also made appearances that game, as the four of them totaled five strikeouts on the night.
 
Setting The Stage:
South Florida fell in a three-game series to UAB at home over the weekend. The Bulls took Game 3 1-0 in a pitching battle.  Starting pitcher Kaden Smith was named the American Conference Pitcher of the Week as a result.
 
Stetson is also coming off a 2-1 conference series loss in which they won the last game. They faced North Florida, which is currently first in the Graphite Division of the ASUN. Stetson is in last.
 
Series History:
Stetson holds the all-time series record by just three wins, 95-92, dating back to the 60's. In DeLand, the Bulls are 40-53 and haven't won on the road there since 2023. Prior to South Florida's win over the Hatters earlier this season, the Bulls were on a five-game losing streak against Stetson.
 
Note-A-Bull:

• Kaden Smith was named the American Conference Pitcher of the Week.
• Lance Trippel hit a home run in back-to-back games in the UAB series and is now on a 23-game reached base streak, the longest for any Bull this season.
• The Bulls are tied with App State for the national lead in sacrifice flies with 32.
• South Florida is 19-0 when scoring seven or more runs.
• Jevin Relaford has 26 stolen bases on the year.

 
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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 –