The Bulls lost to the Wildcats 4-3
DAYTONA, Fla. (Feb. 24, 2026) – University of South Florida baseball (7-2) takes its second loss of the season at Bethune-Cookman (5-3). The Wildcats defeated the Bulls 4-3.
Bethune-Cookman struck first in the bottom of the second with a solo home run from catcher Jose Fernandez. The Wildcats would hold a 1-0 lead at the end of the second.
The Bulls fought back and tied the game at one in the top of the fifth. Jevin Relaford singled to right field to score Jacob Green. The tie game wouldn’t last long, as Bethune-Cookman took back the lead in the bottom of the fifth when the Bulls walked in a run. The Wildcats would lead 2-1 at the end of the fifth.
Once again, the Bulls fought back. In the top of the sixth, Nathan Earley hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Bradke Lohry. Next batter up, Green, singled to second base and scored Kulikowski. South Florida would lead 3-2 to end the sixth.
In the bottom of the seventh, Bethune-Cookman scored its winning runs. Maikol Lucena hit a single to right field, scoring Erick Almonte. The game-winning run would be scored from advancing runners on an Ethan Sutton balk. Sutton suffered his first loss of the season as the Wildcats went on to win 4-3.
Notables:
• Ryan Pruitt is on a 9-game hit streak.
• The loss to Bethune-Cookman snaps the Bulls’ six-game winning streak.
Up Next:
South Florida remains on the road and heads to Orlando for another chapter of the War on I-4. The three-game weekend series kicks off on Friday, February 27th at 6:00 pm. The all-time series is tied 39-39, with the last matchup being a seven-inning 12-2 home victory for UCF.
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 –
