GoUSFBulls.com Bulls and Crusaders Battle for Three in Tampa

[Brad]

USF ATHLETICS GoUSFBulls.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Web Link: bit.ly/2n55dL0

 

Bulls and Crusaders Battle for Three in Tampa

 

Matchup: USF (12-1) vs. Valparaiso (6-5)
Dates: Friday-Sunday, Mar. 10-12, 2017 
Times: 6:30 p.m. / 6:30 p.m. / 1:00 p.m.
Location: Tampa, Fla. | USF Baseball Stadium (3,211)

 

TAMPA, MARCH. 9, 2017 – Off to its best start in program history, the University of South Florida baseball team welcomes in Valparaiso for a three-game weekend series with first pitch set for Friday at 6:30 p.m.  

The Bulls (12-1) extended the win streak to 11 games with a dominant pair of midweek performances. USF led 11-0 in the fifth inning of Tuesday’s 12-6 win over Jacksonville. On Wednesday night against Villanova, three homeruns highlighted an 8-1 win. The Bulls clubbed 15 hits in each win.

Scouting Report – Valparaiso

The Crusaders (6-5) enter the weekend series having won five of their last six, most recently a 16-3 pounding of the University of Pennsylvania on Wednesday in Port St. Lucie.

Valpo is led offensively by senior infielder Nate Palace, hitting a Horizon League best .415 on the year with 12 runs scored, five doubles, two triples and three homeruns. He has also driven in nine runs to lead the team. Junior infielder Chad Jacob sits second with a .333 average in six games played and sophomore infielder Chase Dawson is batting .300 with five RBI.

The pitching staff is aced by junior Wes Gordon, who holds a 3.78 ERA with a team leading 13 strikeouts in three starts. The Saturday night starter, Gordon will follow senior righty Mario Losi who toes the rubber Friday night with his 4.41 ERA in three starts. Sophomore Grant Inman will go Sunday with his 3.86 ERA.

Notables

• Junior Kevin Merrell (Odessa, Fla.) went a combined 5-for-8 in the Bulls’ victories on Tuesday and Wednesday, as he tallied four hits, a career-best five RBI and two homers against the Wildcats Wednesday.
• The 11-game win streak is the second-longest active streak in the nation, behind only Missouri and Louisville, each with 12.
• USF allowed more than four runs for the first time this year on Tuesday, surrendering six to the Dolphins. But the arms allowed just two hits Wednesday and one run to lower the team’s ERA to 1.93 on the season, ranking in the top-five nationally.  
• Sophomore Coco Montes (Miami) has now hit in 11-straight games and senior Luke Borders (Winter Haven, Fla.) has reached base safely in 13-staight contests.

 

 

[JoeB]

Go Bulls!  Need a win on Friday in Game 1, that will set the tone for the weekend!

[CousinRicky]

Would be nice.  Will be there for a while. Bringing the grand kids so don't know how long we'll last.

[Mama_Bull]

First game: USF 5 Valpo 0 in the 6th inning.

[Brad]

7-0 Bulls Top 7

[CousinRicky]

Was 4 - 0 when we left.  The Mrs left after the 3rd with the little one.  Hit some balls hard tonight and Sanders got out of some jams.  Fun evening.

[Brad]

eleven nuttin

[Mama_Bull]

USF Baseball‏ @USFBaseball  41s42 seconds ago

More

E8 | Bulls add four more in the 8th to take an 11-0 lead!

[Brad]

Shutout shattered....11-2

[Brad]