MATCHUP: USF at North Florida
SCHEDULE: Tuesday, 6:05 p.m.
LOCATION: Jacksonville, Harmon Stadium
Bulls Travel To Jacksonville for Matchup with Ospreys Tuesday
This is the final game before American Athletic Conference action begins Friday
TAMPA, March 18, 2019 – The USF baseball team heads back to Jacksonville for the second time in the last week, taking on North Florida Tuesday night.
The Bulls (11-7) swept their second weekend series of the year, taking three games against Dartmouth over the weekend. USF scored 27 runs and allowed just five in the three games. USF won, 16-1, on Saturday, tallying a season high 14 hits.
The 16 runs matched the most for USF since scoring 19 in 2014. The Bulls scored 16 against Bethune-Cookman last season, also winning that game 16-1. The two 15-run margins of victory are the most since a 19-1 win over Penn State in 2014.
Senior Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) hit .529 last week and was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll for the second time on Monday. Junior Austin Bodrato (Northvale, N.J.) had eight RBI over the weekend against the Big Green.
Junior right hander Ben Koff (Gainesville, Fla.) and lefty Noah Yager (Davie, Fla.) did not allow a walk in Sunday’s 4-1 win. It was just the third time since the start of 2018 that USF has not issued a walk.
Righty Dylan Burns (Vero Beach, Fla.) will get the ball Tuesday in Jacksonville. He went a career long 5.0 innings last Wednesday at Bethune-Cookman in his second start.
The Matchup
The Bulls lead the all-time series with the Ospreys, 10-7. The Bulls are 7-4 against UNF in Tampa and have won four-straight meetings.
Know the Foe
The Ospreys are 13-9 on the year, leading the ASUN in hits, doubles and double plays. Senior infielder Jay Prather leads the offense with a .384 average, and he’s 11th nationally with 33 hits. He has 18 RBI and a team high 21 runs.
Senior right hander Trace Norkus will get the start for UNF. He’s 1-0 with a 3.46 ERA and 19 strikeouts. Closer Eddie Miller is 13th in the country with five saves. He hasn’t allowed a run in 17.2 innings.
Nota-Bulls
· The Bulls are 16th nationally with 1.17 home runs per game.
· 11 different Bulls have home runs this season.
· Junior Jordan Santos (Tampa) is 29th in the country and tops in The American with 1.09 walks per game, leading the team and conference with 18.
Bulls Bits
· DID YOU KNOW?: USF has the only Division I coaching staff in the state of Florida in which every member was selected in the MLB Draft – head coach Billy Mohl (2006, Philadelphia); assistants Chuch Jeroloman (2004, Boston), Chris Cates (2007, Minnesota), Brian Jeroloman (2006, Toronto). The Bulls’ coaching staff has a combined 25 years of playing experience in pro baseball.
About USF Baseball
The University of South Florida baseball team is one of the fastest rising programs in the country. The Bulls reached the NCAA Regionals in 2015 for the first time in 13 years and followed that success with a 42-19 record and second NCAA regional trip in three years in 2017. The Bulls continued the success under first-year head coach Billy Mohl in 2018, reaching 36 wins and advancing to the semifinals of the conference tournament for the first time since 2012, while being ranked in multiple polls for the final two months. USF earned its third NCAA Regional berth in the last four seasons and had six all-conference selections in 2018. The team had four players drafted in the 2018 MLB Draft, including the program’s fourth first rounder, Shane McClanahan. Junior third baseman David Villar was taken in the 11th round after tallying 24 doubles and hitting better than .370, being named first team all-conference and an All-American. The USF Baseball program has won five conference titles and the Bulls have made 13 NCAA appearances.
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– #GoBulls –
Patrick Puzzo
Assistant Director of Communications (Baseball, Volleyball, Sailing) // USF Athletics
