"We gave the damn ball game away"

[Brad]

The Oracle

USF moves to seventh in Big East standings

By: Martin Bater, Staff Writer

Posted: 4/21/08

The South Florida baseball team (20-19, 8-10) tried to get back to .500 in the Big East and get its first sweep in two years as it battled the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (13-21-1, 5-9) in a Sunday morning matchup.

Rutgers won 5-4 in 10 innings, and USF head coach Lelo Prado felt the Bulls "gave the game away."

In the bottom of the 10th inning, redshirt freshman pitcher Matt Stull got Rutgers shortstop Dan Betteridge to ground out to junior shortstop Addison Maruszak. Maruszak hesitated for a split second before attempting an unsuccessful inning-ending double play.

"We gave the **** ball game away. This wasn't about the bullpen. It was about our ability to execute. We should be able to turn that double play," Prado said.

Prado said he believes it all went back to the top of the ninth inning, when right fielder Brian Hobbs stood at the plate with a chance to add to the Bulls' 4-3 lead. Hobbs struck out and left Maruszak stranded at third.

"We have to be able to get that runner in from third. There are no excuses to not be able to do that," Prado said.

Rutgers went on to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth inning after pitcher Stephen Hunt - who pitched three innings in relief and was also the designated hitter - threw a wild pitch, allowing the tying run to score from third with one out.

"I want you to come in and step on somebody's throat at the end of a game," Prado said.

After Rutgers tied the game, the Bulls were in trouble in more ways than one.

USF's starter, freshman Derrick Stultz, threw 96 pitches during five innings in which he allowed just one earned run, but had to leave the game because of soreness in his throwing arm before the sixth inning.

"He isn't injured. We just wanted to be careful with him," Prado said.

Stultz threw 121 pitches in his last outing.

Rutgers starter Jason Downey, a junior who was making his second career start in four years, pitched eight innings. Downey allowed four earned runs, three of them in the second inning, and retired 14 of the next 16 batters, keeping Rutgers in the game.

Rutgers had dropped the first two games of the series by scores of 6-3 and 7-5, making late rallies in both games.

With nine Big East games left on its schedule, USF stands at seventh in the conference. The Bulls are .044 percentage points ahead of eighth place Rutgers and one game ahead of the Connecticut Huskies.

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[Matt]

sounds like the quote that sums up the whole season.

this baseball season has been a huge disappointment.

i'm gonna go smazza here but there is NO WAY that a D-1 baseball team located in Tampa bay should be .500 when we play all these schools from the Northeast.

[lerbut23]

sounds like the quote that sums up the whole season.

this baseball season has been a huge disappointment.

i'm gonna go smazza here but there is NO WAY that a D-1 baseball team located in Tampa bay should be .500 when we play all these schools from the Northeast.

My thought exactly.  Maybe the baseball up there is better than we give it credit for but I find it hard to believe we don't absolutely dominate Big East baseball.

I would be curious to know whether Prado thinks it is a talent issue or if he thinks he has the talent but they aren't getting it done.

I personally don't think he has the talent right now to be much more than a .500 team.

[Who'sYourData?]

I think this year was even more of a transition year that last year.  Last year was more for evaluation, and we still had some upper classmen.  This year's team has talent, but is very young.  It looks like we have some stud recruits coming in next year, and we'll have more experienced veterans to go along with them.  I expect the same kind of thing from next year's basketball team.  We'll lose a lot of close, exciting games.  Sometimes you have to take a small step back before you step forward.

[lerbut23]

I think this year was even more of a transition year that last year.  Last year was more for evaluation, and we still had some upper classmen.  This year's team has talent, but is very young.  It looks like we have some stud recruits coming in next year, and we'll have more experienced veterans to go along with them.  I expect the same kind of thing from next year's basketball team.  We'll lose a lot of close, exciting games.  Sometimes you have to take a small step back before you step forward.

Sadly I am not sure how many of our stud recruits are going to make it to campus.

I know two local ones (Ferrara and Thomas) are getting incredible attention from scouts and will likely sign.  I do see Ferrara at every Bulls game I go to so I think the pro offer may need to be very very good.  The kids from South Florida are also very draftable.

I still think this is a good staff and things will turn around in a big way just maybe not as soon as we had hoped.

[JoeB]

We still took 2/3 from this team from the North.  Granted we're not having our best season, but we will only get better.  Time to do the same thing versus Villanova to put us in good position to make the tourney.  Get a few hot pitchers and you never know what could happen. 

[lerbut23]

Aren't we hosting the tournament at the Phillies complex?

Sure would suck to not make the tournament in our own backyard. 

Needed to sweep Rutgers and still need to sweep Villanova - now we're going to have to pull off a win or two against St. Johns/ Notre Dame.

[usfgrad84]

I think this year was even more of a transition year that last year.  Last year was more for evaluation, and we still had some upper classmen.  This year's team has talent, but is very young.  It looks like we have some stud recruits coming in next year, and we'll have more experienced veterans to go along with them.  I expect the same kind of thing from next year's basketball team.  We'll lose a lot of close, exciting games.  Sometimes you have to take a small step back before you step forward.

Sadly I am not sure how many of our stud recruits are going to make it to campus.

I know two local ones (Ferrara and Thomas) are getting incredible attention from scouts and will likely sign.   I do see Ferrara at every Bulls game I go to so I think the pro offer may need to be very very good.  The kids from South Florida are also very draftable.

I still think this is a good staff and things will turn around in a big way just maybe not as soon as we had hoped.

The staff is a good one, but this team is still so young.  Look at how many key contributors are underclassman:

Lockwood_freshman

Kosco-Freshman

Rey-Soph

Stull-Freshman

Sanford-Soph

Hunt-Soph

Quevedo-Soph

Fontanez-Freshman

That's a lot of pieces to the puzzle to be Freshman and Sophs plus a lot of JRs as well.  It seems like the same story with all of our sports teams.  New. better talent coming in is all younger than the upperclasseman.  Hopefully it all starts paying off soon.

[lerbut23]

I think this year was even more of a transition year that last year.  Last year was more for evaluation, and we still had some upper classmen.  This year's team has talent, but is very young.  It looks like we have some stud recruits coming in next year, and we'll have more experienced veterans to go along with them.  I expect the same kind of thing from next year's basketball team.  We'll lose a lot of close, exciting games.  Sometimes you have to take a small step back before you step forward.

Sadly I am not sure how many of our stud recruits are going to make it to campus.

I know two local ones (Ferrara and Thomas) are getting incredible attention from scouts and will likely sign.   I do see Ferrara at every Bulls game I go to so I think the pro offer may need to be very very good.  The kids from South Florida are also very draftable.

I still think this is a good staff and things will turn around in a big way just maybe not as soon as we had hoped.

The staff is a good one, but this team is still so young.  Look at how many key contributors are underclassman:

Lockwood_freshman

Kosco-Freshman

Rey-Soph

Stull-Freshman

Sanford-Soph

Hunt-Soph

Quevedo-Soph

Fontanez-Freshman

That's a lot of pieces to the puzzle to be Freshman and Sophs plus a lot of JRs as well.  It seems like the same story with all of our sports teams.  New. better talent coming in is all younger than the upperclasseman.  Hopefully it all starts paying off soon.

The problem is the only young position player who is really good is Lockwood.

There is a ton of good young pitching.

Not very much good young defense and hitting.

BUT HELP IS ON THE WAY - I hope.

[JoeB]

Not to mention Stultz, Anzivino, Quackenbush, Pietryck, Carlin............all these guys that come out of our bullpen are Freshman.

Koscso is a good player, and will continue to get better.  People raved about Dexter Butler.  He didn't have the Freshman season that Koscso has had thats for sure.  Stephen Hunt is only getting better, with his hitting, but more importantly his pitching.  This guy is going to be a dominant closer or setup guy for years to come.  Chris Rey will also get better with time.  We still do need some good position players but there is no denying that these young players will be really good in a couple seasons.