- Who: USF Baseball
- What: 2018 NCAA Baseball Regional
- Where: DeLand, Fla. • Melching Field
- When: June 1-4, 2018
- Broadcast: TV: ESPN3 Radio: 1040 AM - BullsUnlimited
No. 24 Bulls Begin NCAA DeLand Regional Run Friday
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
After making the semifinals of the conference tournament, No. 24 USF is gearing up for another deep run in the NCAA DeLand Regional.
Head coach Billy Mohl's second-seeded Bulls begin the program's 13th NCAA tournament appearance with a test against third-seeded Oklahoma State 1 p.m. Friday at host Stetson's Melching Field. Games on Saturday and Sunday will feature start times of 1 p.m. (loser's bracket) and 7 p.m. (winner's bracket). View the complete schedule HERE.
"We're looking forward to it," Mohl said. "The last two times we've been, we were in Gainesville, so we're getting a change of scenery and our guys are excited about that."
USF has booked a trip to regionals in three of the past four seasons and is a No. 2 seed for the second straight year. The Bulls punched their ticket to the NCAA postseason in Mohl's first year as USF's head coach by winning 35 games, ranking No. 18 in the RPI and posting three victories in the conference tournament for the first time since 2012.
"This group is really confident right now," Mohl said. "They're feeling really good about themselves, especially after the adversity we faced over in Clearwater, winning three games in less than five days. They're ready to get going."
Who Will Get the Ball in Game 1?
With plenty of solid arms available, Mohl has yet to name a starting pitcher for Friday's regional opener.
One option is Peter Strzelecki, who leads the Bulls with a 9-3 record in his second straight all-conference season. The senior right-hander from Lake Worth, Fla., has posted 97 strikeouts in 87.1 innings this season after fanning seven batters in the first of USF's three wins last week at the American Athletic Conference Championship.
24505Mohl also could go with ace fireballer Shane McClanahan, who currently leads the nation with 14.76 strikeouts per nine innings. The redshirt sophomore left-hander from Cape Coral, Fla., has struck out 221 batters in 147.1 innings since 2017.
Sophomore Collin Sullivan and junior Alec Wisely also head to the NCAA postseason with confidence after pitching complete games at the conference tournament.
Sullivan, a right-hander from Randolph, Miss., struck out seven and surrendered one earned run in nine innings to top Wichita State last week. One game later, Wisely, a right-hander from Jacksonville, racked up nine strikeouts in seven shutout innings to help send the Bulls to The American semifinals.
Notables:
- DOUBLE TROUBLE: USF currently leads the nation with 2.54 doubles per game this season. All-conference first team selection David Villar (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) is tied for eighth in the country with 24 doubles in 2018.
- STRIKEOUT MACHINE: USF ranks fifth nationally with 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings this season. The Bulls have totaled 553 strikeouts this year and have fanned 1,173 batters since the start of the 2017 season.
- SUNSHINE STATE: This will mark USF's 11th NCAA Regional trip in the state of Florida. The Bulls have won at least one game in each of their past six regional appearances.
- USF-OKLA ST. SERIES: The Bulls are tied at 4-4 in their all-time series with the Cowboys since the programs' first matchup in 1985. Learn more about the other NCAA DeLand Regional teams HERE.
- BULLS KNOW STETSON: USF has played 168 games against top-seeded Stetson, which is the Bulls' most common opponent in program history.
- HARTFORD INFO: USF is 2-0 in its all-time series with Hartford, dating back to 1987. This season, Hartford tied the program record with 16 league wins and captured the America East's regular season and tournament titles. This is the first trip to NCAA Regionals for the fourth-seeded Hawks.
- PEREZ THE CLOSER: Left-handed closer Andrew Perez (Orlando) has given the Bulls dependability at the back end of ballgames with 12 saves this season. It marks the first time since 2015 a USF pitcher has reached double-digit saves in one year.
