TAMPA, Fla. (May 1, 2026) – University of South Florida baseball dropped Game 1 of a three-game home stand versus FAU. The Bulls (28-17, 7-12 American) fell to the Owls (23-22, 9-10 American) by a score of 12-9.
FAU led the entirety of the game after a four-run top of the first and a three-run top of the second. South Florida plated its first runners in the bottom of the third.
Jackson Mirza hit his first collegiate home run, 389 feet to right field.
Nathan Earley hit the first pitch of the fourth inning 369 feet to right field for a solo home run. That is Earley's second of the season; his first was on the road in Jacksonville. Kulikowski walked and later advanced to third on a single by Mirza. He scored on a sacrifice fly hit by
Jacob Green. At the end of the fourth inning, FAU led 9-4.
The Owls continued to score, including a homer 395 feet to right field in the top of the fifth, followed by an RBI groundout in the sixth, which gave Florida Atlantic a 12-4 lead, which would remain until the bottom of the ninth.
South Florida rallied and scored five runs to cut the deficit to three when the Bulls were faced with their final two outs. RBI doubles from
Jackson Geiger,
Nathan Earley, and Kulikowski plated most of the runners for the inning.
Jevin Relaford recorded himself an RBI single as well, cutting the lead and recording the final score of 12-9, FAU.
Earley led the Bulls offensively, going three for five with two RBIs, a home run, and a double. Kulikowski and Mirza also recorded two RBIs.
Kaden Smith started on the bump for the Bulls but was unable to record an out and took the loss.
Will Allen,
Jorge DeCardenas,
Lawson Gailey, and
Nakni Anna all made appearances out of the bullpen for South Florida. Anna made the longest stint on the mound, throwing four innings, recording three strikeouts while allowing just one hit. Only seven of the 12 runs were earned runs for Bulls pitchers.
Notables:
•
Jackson Mirza hit his first collegiate home run, a two-run shot 389 feet to right field.
•
Nathan Earley hit his second home run of the season.
•
Nakni Anna threw four innings and recorded three strikeouts while allowing one hit.
•
Kaden Smith is now 4-3 on the year.
Up Next:
Game 2 of the three-game series against the Owls of FAU is scheduled for Saturday, May 2nd. The time of the first pitch has been shifted to 12:00 p.m. (originally 2:00 p.m.). The game will be streaming on ESPN+.
Tickets:
Interested in tickets for the 2026 Bulls baseball season?
Click here to learn more.
Follow us:
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF Baseball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
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 –
