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Bulls Head to North Florida for Midweek Tilt


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USF ATHLETICS GoUSFBulls.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Web Link: bit.ly/2oJkYH4

 

Bulls Head to North Florida for Midweek Tilt

 

Matchup: USF (29-7, 5-4 AAC) vs. North Florida (26-13, 7-2 ASUN)
Dates: Wednesday, April 19, 2017 
Times: 6:00 p.m. 
Location: Jacksonville, Fla. | Harmon Stadium (1,250)

 

TAMPA, APRIL 18, 2017 – The University of South Florida baseball team ventures up to Jacksonville for a Wednesday night matchup against North Florida at 6:00 p.m.

It is the first of four road games for the Bulls this week. The action can be heard on AM 1040.

USF salvaged its weekend series against Cincinnati over the weekend, winning Sunday’s game by a score of 4-2. The Bulls dropped the opening game, 9-3, the second in 10 innings, 3-2, but clubbed four solo homeruns in the victory on Sunday. 

Series History

The Bulls put a stop to a two-game slide against the Ospreys with a 7-3 win in Tampa on March 21. The two squads are tied in the all-time series, 7-7. USF leads in Tampa, 6-4, but trails in Jacksonville, 3-1. The Bulls trailed, 3-2, in the seventh inning of the season’s first meeting, until sophomore David Villar (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) hit a three-run blast to right. USF scored the game’s last five runs. Juniors Kevin Merrell (Odessa, Fla.) and Duke Stunkel Jr. (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.), senior Luke Borders (Winter Haven, Fla.) and sophomore Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.) each tallied two hits in that game.

Scouting Report – North Florida

The Ospreys have gone 12-5 since enduring the 7-3 setback in Tampa on March 21. They have won six of the last seven entering a Tuesday nightmatchup at No. 12 Florida. The most prolific offense in the ASUN leads the league in batting average, runs, hits and doubles. The bats are paced by redshirt-senior infielder Patrick Ervin with a conference-best .361 average. He has 33 runs and 22 RBI.

Four other Osprey starters are hitting over .300, as junior outfielder Yahir Gurrola is batting .347 with 46 runs scored, fourth in the country. He has 15 doubles and 40 RBI, both tops in the ASUN to go along with six homers. Senior Chris Thibideau is hitting .338 and also has six homeruns. Classmate Alex Merritt and sophomore Matt Berry are batting .327 and .318, respectively, with 49 runs scored and 56 RBI combined.

The arms are top heavy, with sophomore and Tampa product Frank German dominating the weekend starts with his 6-0 mark and 2.22 ERA. But junior righty and Tampa native Matt Vaka will go on Wednesday. He has not had a decision in eight appearances and three starts. He holds a 6.30 ERA and has struck out 13 in 20.0 innings. Closer Matthew Naylor has been the anchor at the end of the bullpen with seven saves and a 1.07 ERA in 25.1 innings. He has struck out 28 men.  

Notables

  • The Bulls are still receiving votes according to USA Today (53). The Bulls are now at No. 30 in terms of RPI and are ranked No. 25 according to the NCBWA.
  • Senior Luke Borders hit .368 last week with three runs, two doubles, two homers and three RBI.

Key Stats 

  • Borders hit .429 over the weekend against Cincy, as he belted two homeruns in Sunday’s 4-2 win. It was the second-straight weekend in which he hit .429.
  • Sophomore Cameron Montgomery (Windermere, Fla.) hit a team-best .385 last week with a double, a run scored and two RBI. Cam has either driven in a run or scored a run in the eighth inning or later in each of his last three appearances off the bench. 
  • Junior Kevin Merrell continues to lead USF in hitting with his .405 average.
  • The Bulls’ pitching still ranks in the top-five in the nation team ERA (4), hits allowed per nine innings (4) and still leads the country in strikeouts per nine innings with 10.6.
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Have to hope Montgomery continues to play well.  Duke Stunkel is still at least a couple of weeks away.

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Need DJ Roberts to step up  He's struggled in his past couple of starts including one against this same North Florida team.  Would be a nice victory heading into Memphis. 

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No Chris Chatfield in the lineup?  Hope we have enough punch in this lineup..UNF impressed me 3 weeks back.  They can hit.

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Sounds like the sun is a real issue tonight. I hope we pull this out. We need the win.

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UNF on the board

2-1 in the 3rd

 

2-2 Top 4

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3-2 Bulls, Bot 4

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