The Bulls will now face the No. 7-seeded Wichita State Shockers.
CLEARWATER, May 20, 2025– The No. 3-seeded University of South Florida Bulls (29-24, 16-11 American) fell to the No. 6-seeded East Carolina Pirates (30-25, 13-14 American) in the opening round of the 2025 American Athletic Conference Tournament, 9-4, on Tuesday night at BayCare Ballpark.
The Bulls and Pirates met for the fourth straight game after South Florida took the series, 2-1, last weekend to close out the regular season.
The Bulls struggled early, falling behind 3–0 in the first inning and never fully recovering. East Carolina added four more runs in the third to widen the gap. Despite a late push, USF couldn’t close the deficit.
Carlos Jacome led the offense, going 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored. Matt Rose also had a strong showing at the plate, delivering a 3-for-4 performance that included an RBI. Jackson Mayo provided a spark with a two-run double in the fifth inning that cut the Pirates’ lead to 7–3.
On the mound, starter Corey Braun (8–3) took the loss, allowing seven runs (five earned) over three innings. The bullpen combined for six innings of relief, with Nolan Bernard and Bryce Archie providing scoreless outings to help stabilize the game.
South Florida totaled nine hits but left six runners on base and couldn’t capitalize on key opportunities. Defensively, the Bulls committed one error.
Key Stats:
- Bernard was one strikeout away from matching his career high.
- Rose and Jacome produced their 12 multi-hit games of the season.
- Jacome matched his season high of three hits in a game, previously set four times.
- Mayo had his ninth multi-RBI game. He now has 31 this season.
- Rose extends his on-base streak to nine games, tied for his season high.
Up Next:
No. 3-seeded South Florida will play the No. 7-seeded Wichita State Shockers tomorrow, May 21, in an elimination game. The first pitch is set for 47 minutes after the 1 p.m. game. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and can be heard on Bulls Unlimited.
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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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