Freshman Eric Snow headlined the award winners by being named the Defensive Player of the Year along with All-AAC First Team.
TAMPA (May 22, 2023) – The University of South Florida Bulls were well represented on the 2023 American Athletic Conference postseason award list, the league announced on Monday. Bobby Boser (Wesley Chapel), Drew Brutcher (Lakeland) and Eric Snow (Forsyth, Ga.) were each named First Team All-AAC. Snow was additionally named the American’s Defensive Player of the Year. Jack Cebert (Tampa) was named to the All-AAC Second Team, while Snow and Rafael Betancourt (Deltona) were named to the All-Freshman Team.
Bobby Boser (First Team All-Conference)
Boser had a breakout sophomore season for South Florida. One of the Bulls’ top bats, and a versatile defender, splitting his time between shortstop and center field, Boser logged career highs in every offensive category: batting average (.322), hits (58), runs (41), doubles (6), triples (3), home runs (15), RBI (39), slugging (.639) and OBP (.435).
Boser led USF in homers, slugging, OBP and total bases (115) this season. His 15 home runs are the most by a Bull since 2018 and are tied for ninth all-time on the program’s single-season record list.
During AAC play this season (23 games), Boser batted .367 with 15 extra-base hits, nine homers and 29 RBI. His .744 slugging percentage led the conference during league play.
Drew Brutcher (First Team All-Conference)
Bruther, a junior, earns All-Conference honors for the first time in his career. After being named a 2021 Freshman All-American by Perfect Game USF/Rawlings, he was named to the 2022 and 2023 Preseason All-AAC Team.
After missing significant time with injury in each of his first two seasons, Brutcher was the only Bull in 2023 to play in all 56 games. He posted career highs in hits (63), runs (46), doubles (12) and RBI (41).
Brutcher’s 13 home runs matched a career high and he tied for the league lead with 11 homers during AAC play. The slugging lefty has launched 34 career home runs which are tied for sixth all-time in USF program history.
Eric Snow (First Team All-Conference, Defensive Player of the Year, All-Freshman Team)
A true freshman, Snow was one of four unanimous selections to the All-AAC First Team, along with being named the league’s inaugural Defensive Player of the Year.
The shortstop led the American in assists (139) and posted a .976 fielding percentage with only five errors in 211 chances.
Snow led South Florida in batting average (.344) and ranked second in doubles (12) and OPS (.965), while recording eight homers and 39 RBI.
Jack Cebert (Second Team All-Conference)
Cebert, a sophomore, stepped up for the Bulls and was the team’s most consistent starting pitcher when injuries rocked the rotation. The right-hander went 4-4 with a 4.67 ERA. Cebert struck out 62 batters over a team-leading 71.1 IP compared to just 19 walks.
Cebert’s five quality starts tied for the team lead.
Rafael Betancourt (All-Freshman Team)
Another true freshman on the 2023 roster, Betancourt made his collegiate debut on March 14th, nearly one month into the season, and never left the lineup after. Over 40 starts, the rookie batted .315 with nine doubles, two triples, four homers and 27 RBI. His 16 multi-hit games ranked third on the team.
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The Bulls open play at the American Baseball Championship against top-seeded and No. 15-nationally ranked ECU on Tuesday, May 23. First pitch at BayCare Ballpark is slated for 47 minutes after the conclusion of the 9 a.m. contest.
About USF Baseball
The USF Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and is entering its 58th season in 2023 under head coach Billy Mohl (sixth season). The Bulls have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, including four since 2015, and earned their first-ever Super Regional berth in 2021. USF was ranked in the Top 25 by five different publications in the final 2021 polls, checking in as high as No. 16. 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, most recently with third baseman David Villar in 2018, and 18 have earned Freshman All-America accolades, most recently Drew Brutcher and Carmine Lane in 2021. Four Bulls were selected in the 2022 MLB Draft. Former 2018 first-round selection, Shane McClanahan, became the program’s first-ever MLB All-Star in 2022 and was the starting pitcher for the American League.
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