Corey Braun has recorded 17 strikeouts in his last two starts
TAMPA, MARCH 14, 2025 – University of South Florida baseball (7-7; 0-0 AAC) takes on Maryland (9-8; 1-2 Big Ten) in a three-game series this weekend at The USF Baseball Stadium. First pitch of the Friday opener is set for 6:30 p.m. and all games can be seen on ESPN+ or heard on Bulls Unlimited digital radio.
The Bulls are in the midst of seven-game homestand as they gear up for conference play. USF will host FGCU for a single game March 18 in Tampa and travel to FGCU on March 19 before beginning conference play with a three-game series at UAB March 21-23.
Left-handed starter Corey Braun (2-0) takes the mound for USF in the Maryland series opener on Friday. In his last start, Braun pitched a career-high seven innings and struck out eight in a 3-2 Bulls win vs. Villanova. He allowed one run on six hits and only issued one walk. Braun left the game with the lead and got his second no decision of the season.
Braun recorded a career-high nine strikeouts in his previous start vs. UCF, picking up his second win of the season. He retired the first 10 Knights he faced, the most consecutive of his career, and faced the minimum number of batters in the first three innings. Braun leads the Bulls with a 2.59 ERA, 24.1 innings pitched and 30 strikeouts.
In its first season under Mitch Hannahs, USF has won two of its first four series on the year.
Setting The Stage:
Following Braun, The Bulls will send lefthander Brandon Keyster to the mound on Saturday and have yet to determine a Sunday starter. Keyster has six appearances on the year, but Saturday will mark his first start. Centerfielder Ryan Pruitt comes into the series with a hot bat. He had eight hits in the three-game series vs. Villanova, posting three hits in each of the first two games. He leads the team with 19 hits, a .373 avg, and six doubles on the year and is second on the team with 13 RBI. Pruitt has reached base in 13 of the Bulls’ 14 games and leads the Bulls with seven stolen bases in eight attempts.
Series History:
USF and Maryland are meeting for the second time in three seasons. The two teams have only played three times, all in Tampa. USF won the first game, with Maryland taking the final two games of a three-game series played February 17-19, 2023.
Note-A-Bull:
• Sebastian Greico leads the team with six home runs and 20 RBI. Greico has reached base in six of the last seven games. Earlier this season he had a four-game home run streak, which tied for the program record.
• Marcus Brodil has reached base in 14 straight games. He is the only Bull to reach base in every game this season and is second on the team with 15 hits.
• Jackson Mayo hit his team-high third triple vs. Villanova and had four extra base hits in the series. He is third on the team with 14 hits.
• Bradke Lohry is a perfect 6-of-6 in stolen base attempts this season.
Hannahs at the Helm:
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, guiding ISU to a spot in the 2023 NCAA Super Regional. He takes over a USF team that went 26-29 last year and features 24 new players.
60th Year of USF Baseball:
The South Florida Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and will enter its 60th campaign in 2025. The Bulls have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and earned their first-ever Super Regional berth in 2021. USF has won 11 conference titles – five tournament titles (3 Sun Belt, 1 Metro and 1 American) and six regular season championships (3 Sun Belt, 2 Metro and 1 C-USA). Bulls baseball players have been recognized with All-America honors 12 times and 19 Bulls have earned Freshman All-America accolades.
Tickets:
Tickets to watch Bulls baseball at the USF Baseball Stadium may be purchased by calling 1-800-GoBulls or clicking HERE.
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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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