Rafael Betancourt lands on the 2025 American Athletic Conference Preseason Baseball All-Conference Team.
IRVING, Texas (December 18, 2024) – The American Athletic Conference has announced its 2025 preseason all-conference team along with the preseason coaches poll. The University of South Florida’s Rafael Betancourt was named to the preseason All-AAC team at designated hitter and the Bulls were voted seventh in the 10-team preseason coaches poll.
Betancourt, a junior, has been a staple in the South Florida lineup since his rookie campaign when he was named to the 2023 AAC All-Freshman Team. A switch-hitter, Betancourt has posted a career .310 batting average with 29 extra-base hits, eight homers and 52 RBI over his first two seasons with the Bulls.
Injuries early in the season forced Betancourt into the lineup as a true freshman in 2023 and he never exited after taking control of the starting job. He batted .317 with nine doubles, two triples, five home runs and 32 RBI over 44 games that season. Betancourt missed time with injuries of his own in 2024, but still recorded a .302 batting average with 10 doubles, three homers and 20 RBI in 44 games.
Betancourt will once again play a key role in a new-look South Florida offense under first-year head coach Mitch Hannahs in 2025. Hannahs was named the eighth head coach in program history on June 8, 2024. The 2023 ABCA NCAA DI Midwest Region Coach of the Year, Hannahs guided Indiana State to 355 wins, six conference titles and five NCAA Regionals in his 11-year tenure with the Sycamores.
2025 AAC Preseason Coaches Poll
- East Carolina (8) 80
- Wichita State (2) 72
- Tulane State 63
- UTSA 55
- Charlotte 50
- Florida Atlantic 36
- South Florida 31
- UAB 27
- Memphis 21
- Rice 15
The 2025 baseball season opens on Friday, February 14 against the University of Iowa at 6:30 p.m. at USF Baseball Stadium in Tampa. The complete 2025 schedule can be found, here.
All USF home games for the 2025 season will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Double Play Passes, which include one ticket to every home baseball and softball game, are on sale now and can be purchased through December 31st at a discounted rate of $99. The price will increase to $120 on January 1st. Double Play Passes for the 2025 season can be purchased here or by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls.
Group and single-game tickets will go on sale January 3, 2025.
About USF Baseball
The South Florida Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and will enter its 60th campaign in 2025. Mitch Hannahs was named South Florida’s eighth head coach in program history on June 8, 2024 after compiling 355 wins over 11 seasons at Indiana State. The 2023 ABCA NCAA DI Midwest Region Coach of the Year guided the Sycamores to six conference titles and five NCAA Regionals.
The Bulls have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and earned their first-ever Super Regional berth in 2021. The Bulls have won five conference tournament titles (3 Sun Belt, 1 Metro and 1 American) and six regular season championships (3 Sun Belt, 2 Metro and 1 C-USA). USF baseball players have been recognized with All-America honors 12 times and 19 Bulls have earned Freshman All-America accolades. USF has had 131 MLB Draft Picks. Former 2018 first-round draft pick, Shane McClanahan, is a two-time MLB All-Star.
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