USF and Memphis are each seeking their first conference series win this weekend.
MATCHUP: USF at Memphis (four-game series)
SCHEDULE: Fri., May 7 at 2 p.m. (DH), Sat., May 8 at 3 p.m., Sun., May 9 at 2 p.m.
FOLLOW: Live Stats I Twitter updates @USFBaseball
WATCH: ESPN+ (Games 1 & 3 only)
GAME NOTES: PDF
TAMPA (May 6, 2021) – The USF Bulls (17-21, 7-9 AAC) hit the road to begin an eight-game stretch away from Tampa, beginning with a doubleheader on Friday at Memphis (13-29, 3-17 AAC). The four-game weekend series concludes with single games on Saturday and Sunday.
The Bulls and Tigers are each aiming for their first American Conference series win of the season. USF has split three of its four series, while Memphis has lost all five and been swept twice.
Head coach Billy Mohl has announced Dylan Burns (Vero Beach), Jack Jasiak (Spring Hill) and Collin Sullivan (Randolph, Mass.) as the Bulls’ starting pitchers for the series, respectively, with the Game 4 started yet to be determined.
Burns is 3-1 with a 3.55 ERA (13 ER/33IP) since moving to the starting rotation in late March. Jasiak has recorded a team-best seven quality starts on the mound this season. Sullivan is 2-1 with a 1.67 ERA (5 ER/27 IP) over his last four starts and was named to the AAC Honor Roll twice in April.
The Bulls’ hottest hitter since conference play began has been Riley Hogan (Orlando). The redshirt junior was named to the AAC Honor Roll for the third time this season earlier this week. Hogan is batting .397 with 10 extra-base hits and 14 RBI in AAC action, and is hitting .409 with five doubles, three homers and 12 RBI over his last 10 games.
Carmine Lane (Lake Placid) leads USF with a .306 batting average, Roberto Peña (Caracas, Venezuela) has a team-high eight home runs, and Daniel Cantu (Jacksonville) leads the Bulls with 27 runs scored. Matt Ruiz (Hialeah) has continued to impress throughout his true freshman season and has a team-best 10 doubles.
Scouting Memphis
The Tigers rank at the bottom of the American in team batting average (.227) and ERA (7.16). Memphis is batting .220 in AAC games and own an 8.64 ERA against conference foes. Hunter Goodman is the lone Tiger batting over .300 this season and leads the team in nearly every offensive category. The sophomore leads the AAC in homers (14), ranking 11th nationally, and his 100 total bases rank 30th in the country. Conversely, the Memphis pitching staff has yielded 53 longballs to its opponents this year.
The Tigers have announced the following weekend rotation: RHP Carson Stinnett (2-4, 7.66 ERA), LHP Chris Durham (3-5, 5.13), RHP Jackson Cothren (1-6, 7.34) and RHP Blake Wimberley (2-7, 6.41).
Up Next
Following this series, the Bulls conclude their regular season road slate with four games at Wichita State on May 14-16.
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.
– #GoBulls –
