USF Baseball: Bulls Head to Port Charlotte For Unique Opportunity Against Rays

[Brad]

USF ATHLETICS GoUSFBulls.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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MATCHUP: USF vs. Tampa Bay Rays
SCHEDULE: Tuesday, 6:05 p.m.
LOCATION: Charlotte Sports Park, Port Charlotte, Fla.
FOLLOW: Twitter updates @USFBaseball
RADIO LINKS: AM 1040 and BullsUnlimited

Bulls Head to Port Charlotte For Unique Opportunity Against Rays
The game will be an exhibition for the Bulls and part of the Rays Grapefruit League

TAMPA, March 4, 2019 – For the first time since 2000, the USF baseball team gets a chance to play the Bay Area’s pro team, as it heads to Port Charlotte for a matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays Tuesday evening.

As part of the Rays’ Grapefruit League, it will be a split squad day for a team that finished 90-72 in 2018. The Bulls last faced the Rays in 2000, but have gotten the chance to play professional teams before. USF went to Steinbrenner Field in 2012 to take on the Yankees and hosted New York in 2008. The Bulls also played the Philadelphia Phillies back in 1999.

Although it will be an exhibition for USF, head coach Billy Mohl is excited for the opportunity Tuesday night. "Our guys are looking forward to the experience of playing a Major League team, and it makes it even better that it is our hometown team." 

USF is 6-4 on the year after a series sweep of Western Michigan. Seniors Kyle Phillips (Orlando) and Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) each hit .500 over the weekend with six runs, two homers and five RBI apiece.

Reigning Cy Young Award winner in the American League, Tampa’s Blake Snell is expected to pitch against the Bulls Tuesday, among other big league arms. The Rays have plenty of former USF pitchers in their system, having drafted three former arms in the last three years.

Tampa Bay has selected a USF baseball player in four-straight MLB Drafts. Shortstop Kyle Teaf was selected in the 30^th round of the 2015 MLB Draft, righty Brandon Lawson was selected in the 12^th round of the 2016 draft, righty Phoenix Sanders went in the 10^th round of the 2017 draft and lefty Shane McClanahan was made a first-round selection in last year’s draft.  

TICKETS to the game range from $10-$15 for fans interested in attending. The game can be heard on AM 1040 and on BullsUnlimited.

[Rex Havoc]

This is a great opportunity for the team. The Rays should play USF every spring training. 

[JoeB]

Hopefully no one gets injured.  Rays should let Shane throw an inning against his former teammates.

[Guest Jonesy Bull]

Seriously, Rays are putting out cy young award winner Blake Snell against the Bulls.  

At least they get to see what real big leaque pitching looks like!

[Rex Havoc]

11 minutes ago, Jonesy Bull said:

Seriously, Rays are putting out cy young award winner Blake Snell against the Bulls.  

At least they get to see what real big leaque pitching looks like!

Something they will be able to tell their kids about one day. 

[TheUpperHand]

41 minutes ago, Rex Havoc said:

Something they will be able to tell their kids about one day. 

By that time, they'll probably also have to explain what the Tampa Bay Rays were.

[Guest Jonesy Bull]

11 hours ago, TheUpperHand said:

By that time, they'll probably also have to explain what the Tampa Bay Rays were.

Lets hope not, that would suck for the Tampa Bay area.

[jchem1995]

Curious to what bats they will be using. I assume wood?

[JTrue]

15 minutes ago, jchem1995 said:

Curious to what bats they will be using. I assume wood?

Typically, they will each use their own. I expect the Rays to hit with wood, Bulls with metal.

[Guest Jonesy Bull]

2 hours ago, JTrue said:

Typically, they will each use their own. I expect the Rays to hit with wood, Bulls with metal.

The radio said this morning, that the Bulls would be using wood (that sounds kind of funny).