USF hosts the Green Wave Friday-Sunday in conference play.
MATCHUP: USF vs. Tulane (four-game series)
SCHEDULE: Fri., April 9 at 3 p.m. (DH), Sat., April 10 at 5:30 p.m., Sun., April 11 at 1 p.m.
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TAMPA (April 8, 2021) – The USF Bulls (12-14) host the Tulane Green Wave (14-13) in the second weekend of AAC play which marks the end of a nine-game homestand at USF Baseball Stadium. First pitch of the series is slated for 3 p.m. with a Friday doubleheader.
The Bulls began this nine-game homestand on March 30th with a 7-3 win over Stetson to conclude non-conference play and played UCF to a four-game series split last weekend in the War On I-4.
Head coach Billy Mohl (4th season) will send his Bulls into action this weekend opposite his alma mater – Tulane.
Mohl has announced Jack Jasiak (Spring Hill), Collin Sullivan (Randolph, Mass.) and Dylan Burns (Vero Beach) as USF’s starting pitchers in each of the first three games, respectively. Sunday’s starter in the series finale is yet to be determined.
Jasiak (2-4, 3.63 ERA) is seeking his first win in over a month on the mound. While the redshirt freshman has been winless in each of his last four outings, he has still given the Bulls quality innings. Jasiak has recorded quality starts in two of those four setbacks, and has turned in quality starts in five of his seven outings this year. The right-hander leads USF with 47 strikeouts which rank 75th nationally.
Sullivan is coming off a gem against UCF in which he came one out shy of a complete game. The redshirt senior was named to the AAC Honor Roll after logging 8.2 IP of three-hit ball (one unearned run) with nine strikeouts. Sullivan owns a 2.50 ERA (5 ER/18 IP) with 21 strikeouts over his last three starts. Burns has a 3.18 ERA (6 ER/17 IP) with 17 punchouts over his last three outings, and struck out a career-high eight last weekend against UCF.
Carmine Lane (Lake Placid) leads the USF offense with a .354 batting average and Roberto Peña (Caracas, Venezuela) has a team-best 23 RBI. Jake Sullivan (Tampa) is hitting .500 (13-26) over his last 10 games and Riley Hogan (Orlando) has reached base safely in 18 consecutive games. Lane, Peña and Hogan each homered in the series split with UCF.
Scouting Tulane
This weekend will be just Tulane’s second real test of the season away from home (3-4 on the road). The Green Wave lost two of three to nationally-ranked Mississippi State in late February. Tulane won the opener, 7-3, before dropping the next two tilts, 9-5 and 5-4.
The Green Wave feature a balanced lineup, with some pop and speed, and a solid pitching staff. Tulane has six batters hitting over .270, one of which, Jacob LaPrairie was named to the AAC Honor Roll last week after batting .588 (10-17) against Memphis. Luis Aviles and Collin Burns each rank fourth in the country in doubles (11). Burns is 12-for-13 in stolen base attempts this year.
Tulane has announced the following weekend rotation: RHP Braden Olthoff (2-1, 3.00 ERA), LHP Jack Aldrich (2-1, 4.17), RHP Tyler Hoffman (2-1, 2.59) and RHP Trent Johnson (2-3, 5.33), respectively. Aldrich allowed just one run on four hits with nine strikeouts over 7.0 IP against Memphis last weekend and Johnson tossed six scoreless in his start.
Up Next
Following this four-game series, the Bulls reignite the War On I-4 with their first road conference games, traveling to UCF for a four-game series in Orlando beginning Friday, April 16.
About USF Baseball
The USF Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and is entering its 56th season in 2021. The Bulls have won 1,628 games entering the 2021 season and made 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, including three since 2015. The Bulls have won four conference tournament titles (3 Sun Belt and 1 Metro) and had 126 all-conference selections. USF baseball players have been recognized with All-America honors 12 times, most recently with third baseman David Villar in 2018. Four players were selected in the 2018 MLB Draft, including the program’s fourth first round selection in pitcher Shane McClanahan, who appeared in the 2020 World Series with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Bulls saw continued success in head coach Billy Mohl’s first season in 2018, reaching 36 wins, advancing to the semifinals of the conference tournament for the first time since 2012, and making the program’s latest NCAA Tournament appearance while also achieving a ranking in multiple polls for the final two months of the season.
