TAMPA, Fla. (April 23, 2026) – South Florida baseball heads up north to face the team that eliminated them from the American Conference tournament last year, East Carolina. The Bulls (27-12, 7-8 American) are set to face the Pirates (15-24, 6-11 ASUN) in a three-game weekend series starting Friday, April 24th.
 
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. Then, the Bulls beat Stetson on the road in a midweek matchup.
 
East Carolina is coming off a midweek 10-run-rule win against Old Dominion on the road. They also beat Wichita State 2-1 in a three-game American Conference series over the weekend.
 
Series History:
ECU owns the all-time record between the two squads, 36-19. The Bulls are 6-12 on the road against them in Greenville. Last year, South Florida won the regular-season series 2-1 but fell to the Pirates in the American Conference tournament, ending the Bulls' season.
 
Note-A-Bull:

• Ethan Sutton has nine saves on the season and is on the NCBWA Midseason Stopper of the Year Watch List.
• 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 24-game reached base streak, the longest for any Bull this season.
• The Bulls lead the nation in sacrifice flies with 33.
• South Florida is 19-0 when scoring seven or more runs.
• Jevin Relaford has 26 stolen bases on the year.

 
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 –