The Bulls have clinched the No. 3 seed in the American Conference Tournament.
TAMPA, May 17, 2025– The University of South Florida Bulls (29-23, 16-11 American) defeated the East Carolina Pirates (29-25, 13-14 American) to clinch its seventh conference series on Saturday afternoon at Red McEwen Field. The Bulls won with a final score of 6-5.
South Florida will start the 2025 American Athletic Conference Tournament presented by Regions next Tuesday, May 20, at BayCare Ballpark. The No. 3-seeded Bulls will have a rematch against the No. 6-seeded East Carolina 47 minutes after the conclusion of the 4 p.m. game. The full bracket can be found here.
The Bulls set the tone early, scoring a run in the bottom of the first and erupting for four more in the fourth inning, highlighted by Matthew Buffington’s first home run of the season — a two-run blast that energized the home crowd. Buffington finished the day 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs.
Jackson Mayo provided additional offense, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Bradke Lohry added an RBI double in the sixth to give USF a cushion that proved just enough.
On the mound, Corey Kling got the start and was sharp, tossing 3.2 hitless innings with two strikeouts and just one walk. He earned his first win of the season. The Bulls bullpen held on through some tense late innings. Adan Longoria closed it out with 2.1 innings of relief, earning his second save.
East Carolina threatened with a three-run seventh and a solo homer in the ninth by Austin Irby, but USF’s pitching and defense came through in the clutch.
Key Stats:
- For the first time since 2018, the Bulls finished the regular season with an overall and conference record over .500.
- South Florida’s 29 wins are the most since 2018, when they finished 36-33-1.
- The Bulls’ 16 conference wins are now the most for the program since joining the American. It’s the fifth-most conference wins in program history.
Notables:
- Matthew Buffington hit his first home run of the season and produced his first multi-hit and RBI game.
- For the sixth time this season, Ryan Pruitt has stolen two bases in a game.
- Jackson Mayo produced his 14th multi-hit performance of the season and the second straight.
- The Bulls earned their first series victory over East Carolina at the Red since May 2021.
- The Bulls stole a season-high seven bases on Saturday afternoon.
Up Next:
South Florida will start the 2025 American Athletic Conference Tournament presented by Regions next Tuesday, May 20, at BayCare Ballpark. The No. 3-seeded Bulls will have a rematch against the No. 6-seeded East Carolina 47 minutes after the conclusion of the 4 p.m. game. All games will be streamed on ESPN+. All South Florida games can be heard on Bulls Unlimited.
Tickets:
Tickets to watch Bulls baseball at the USF Baseball Stadium may be purchased by calling 1-800-GoBulls or clicking HERE.
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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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