The Bulls and Red Raiders will square off for the first time in program history.
MATCHUP: USF at No. 6 Texas Tech (three-game series)
SCHEDULE: Fri., March 26 at 7:30 p.m., Sat., March 27 at 3 p.m., Sun., March 28 at 2 p.m. (*all times EDT)
FOLLOW: Texas Tech Live Stats I Twitter updates @USFBaseball
TAMPA (March 25, 2021) – The USF Bulls (9-9) face their toughest test of the season this weekend when traveling to No. 6 Texas Tech (16-4) for a three-game series in Lubbock, Texas.
USF took two of three from previously-ranked FAU last weekend, and dropped its last outing on Tuesday to UNF, 3-2. Texas Tech also won a three-game series last weekend against No. 14 Oklahoma State.
Head coach Billy Mohl (4th season) has announced Jack Jasiak (Spring Hill), Dylan Burns (Vero Beach) and Collin Sullivan (Randolph, Mass.) as USF’s weekend starters, respectively.
Jasiak (2-2, 1.64) is coming off a tough-luck loss to FAU last Friday where he was charged with four unearned runs. Despite the loss, the right-hander tallied his fourth quality start of the season, striking out seven over 7.0 IP. Jasiak has turned in quality starts in seven of his nine career outings. Additionally, he has issued two or fewer walks in eight of his nine career starts. Jasiak struck out a season-best 10 batters vs. Stetson (3/5), just one shy of his career high of 11 in 2020. He ranks 44th in the country in total strikeouts this year (37) and his strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.4) ranks 53rd nationally.
Burns (1-2, 3.38) will make his second consecutive Saturday start. Last time out against FAU, Burns logged a career-high 7.0 IP and struck out six, while limiting the Owls to just two hits and zero runs. The right-handed redshirt senior has struck out six or more batters in four of his last five appearances. Saturday’s shutout of FAU was USF’s second of the season.
Sullivan (0-0, 6.30) struck out a season-high 10 batters in his no decision against FAU last Sunday without issuing a walk. In fact, Sullivan has yet to issue a free pass this season and leads the NCAA in walks allowed/9-innings. Sullivan allowed just two runs on five hits over 6.0 IP against FAU on 3/21 logging his first quality start of the year.
Reigning AAC Player of the Week Carmine Lane (Lake Placid) leads the Bulls in batting average (.400) and hits (26), while ranking second on the team in OBP (.453) and runs (17). He is tied with Matt Ruiz (Hialeah) for the team lead in multi-hit games (9).
Drew Brutcher (Lakeland) enters the weekend with an 18-game streak of reaching base safely to begin his rookie campaign. Brutcher leads the teams in OBP (.483), walks (16), homers (7), slugging (.718) and runs scored (19). He ranks 29th nationally in total bases (51).
Collectively, the Bulls rank 34th in the country in batting average (.290) and 44th in hits (181). USF’s pitchers are 17th nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.34), and 30th in total strikeouts (183) and strikeouts/9-innings (10.7).
Scouting Texas Tech
The Red Raiders are coming off a 16-3 mark in their abbreviated 2020 season and went 46-20 in 2019, advancing to the College World Series and finishing as one of the last four teams standing in Omaha. Texas Tech dropped three straight to begin their 2021 campaign, falling to a trio of Top 10 teams: Arkansas (13-9), Ole Miss (5-4) and Mississippi State (11-5). The Red Raiders proceeded to win 14 straight after that before a 2-0 setback against No. 14 Oklahoma State last week weekend. Texas Tech won the final two games of the series, 4-2 and 6-5.
Dru Baker enters the weekend as the reigning Big 12 Player of the Week after batting .538 in the Oklahoma State series. Freshman Jace Jung leads the high-powered Red Raider offense in nearly every category. Collectively, Texas Tech ranks eighth in the country in runs (162), ninth in homers (29) and 12th in OBP (.417).
The Red Raiders have announced RHP Brandon Birdsell (2-1, 3.57), LHP Patrick Monteverde (4-0, 0.93) and LHP Mason Montgomery (1-0, 3.18) as their probable weekend rotation. Monteverde (30), Montgomery (24) and Bridsell (22) are Texas Tech’s top strikeout arms. Monteverde has only issued three walks on the year and sports a 0.66 WHIP. Saturday and Sunday’s southpaw arms will put USF to the test as the Bulls are currently hitting .240 and slugging .344 against lefties, compared to a .310 average and .486 slugging vs. right-handers.
Up Next
Following this three-game series, the Bulls host Stetson University in their final non-conference game on Tuesday, March 30 at 6 p.m.
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 –
