GREENVILLE, N.C. (April 24, 2026) – University of South Florida baseball dropped Game 1 of a three-game series up north against ECU. The Bulls (28-13, 7-9 American) fell to the Pirates (26-16-1, 10-6 American), 11-1 in six and a half innings.
 
In the first inning, ECU struck and scored one. Braden Burress singled to lead off the inning for East Carolina. Davin Whitaker singled up the middle to advance him to third. Jack Herring would earn an RBI and score Whitaker from third when he reached on an error. The Pirates led 1-0 at the end of the first.
 
A three-home run inning came for ECU in the bottom half of the third. Burress was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Whitaker would then hit a home run to right field, 416 feet. Later in the inning, Jeff Sabater singled up the middle, and Austin Irby singled to center field to push him to third. Walker Barron would then hit the second homer of the inning, this one down the left field line, 346 feet. Next due up was Michael Kalinich, who would hit a solo home run to right center, 380 feet. East Carolina led 7-0 at the end of the third.
 
The Pirates continued to rack up runs in the fourth, after South Florida starter Michael Senay was relieved by Jorge DeCardenas. Whitaker singled through the right side of the infield, and Jack Herring followed him with a walk. Colby Wallace would be next up and singled to right field to load the bases. All runners advanced, and Whitaker scored on a passed ball. Sabater then hit a single to center to score both Wallace and Herring. ECU would lead 10-0, headed to the fifth.
 
An eleventh run came across for East Carolina in the bottom of the sixth. Whitaker hit his second home run of the game, this time 410 feet to right center.
 
South Florida's sole run of the evening came in the bottom half of the seventh. Joey Brenczewski singled up the middle to start the inning. Jack Lutz advanced him to second when a pitch hit him. Jackson Geiger advanced Brenczewski to third when he reached on a fielder's choice. Jackson Mirza earned an RBI when he hit a single to right field, scoring Brenczewski. The final score would be 11-1, through six and a half innings.
 
Michael Senay made his first Friday start for the Bulls. He threw 3.0 innings and recorded a strikeout while allowing a walk, seven hits, and seven runs. Jorge DeCardenas threw the remainder of the game. Senay is now 6-3 on the season, with three losses in a row in his last three appearances.
 
Notables:
• Lance Trippel extended his reached-base streak to 25 games.
• Bradke Lohry hit his ninth double of the season.
• Matt Rose went two for two with two singles.
• Michael Senay is now 6-3 on the year and has lost his last three appearances.
 
Up Next:
Games 2 and 3 of the series will both be on Saturday, April 25th, due to inclement weather on Sunday. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 2:30 p.m., and the second game of the day will start 45 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. Both 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 –