Baseball: Key Series vs. Rutgers Starts Toni

[Brad]

Courtesy USF SID

USF Baseball Faces Conference-Leading Rutgers This Weekend

TAMPA, Fla. (April 19, 2007) – The University of South Florida baseball team will host the conference-leading Rutgers Scarlet Knights this weekend, April 20-22, at Red McEwen Field in Tampa.  

The Bulls, who are fourth in the BIG EAST with a 9-6 record, look to make up some ground on the conference-leading Scarlet Knights, who are 9-3 in the league.  

USF still has to play the two teams tied for second in the conference at 8-4, Louisville and St. John’s. USF travels to Louisville to play the Cardinals April 27-29 and will play St. John’s in the last series of the season, May 17-19 in Tampa.  

On Friday and Saturday the games can be heard live on the USF Press Pass, with Garrett Woolvard calling the play-by-play. Sunday’s BIG EAST game can be viewed live at noon on Catch 47, the official cable partner of USF athletics, or when it re-airs on Monday, April 23 at 9 p.m. Jim Louk will provide play-by-play on Sunday and former Major League Baseball All-Star Fred McGriff will be on hand as the color analyst.  

USF leads the all-time series with Rutgers 3-0 after the Bulls swept a 1983 three-game series in Tampa. In seven-inning double-header action on March 23, USF won 4-0 and 12-11, then took the third game on March 24, 19-3.  

The Bulls (27-12) are 2-2 in the past seven days, beating the University of Central Florida in a mid-week game, but dropping two of three to Villanova over the weekend. USF is batting .303 as a team this season with 392 hits, including 61 doubles and 16 home runs. The Bulls have scored 283 runs and tallied 255 RBI while drawing 195 walks and 65 hits by a pitch. On the mound the Bulls have allowed 210 runs, 154 earned, in 347.2 innings for a 3.99 ERA. USF has allowed 52 doubles, 10 triples and 13 home runs.  

Rutgers enters the series with a 21-14 record following a 3-2 record in the past week, with wins over Seton Hall (2) and Iona, and losses to Delaware and Seton Hall. Rutgers has recorded a .315 batting average with 265 runs scored in 35 games. Their 383 hits include 60 doubles, five triples and 32 home runs. The Scarlet Knight pitching staff owns a 5.00 ERA, allowing 348 hits and 204 runs while striking out 200 opponents.

Junior shortstop Walter Diaz continues to lead the Bulls with a .395 average and is tops in eight statistical categories, including runs (46), hits (64), doubles (11) and slugging percentage (.494). Freshman Ryan Soares has made his way into the top three batters at USF, posting a .348 average, directly behind junior Dexter Butler’s .373 batting average.

Senior Danny Otero will make his 11th start of the season on Friday, and will be looking for his seventh win of the year. Otero has posted 60 strikeouts in 76.2 innings while allowing only 12 walks. Junior Chris Delaney, who has a perfect 8-0 record, will get the Saturday start. Delaney, who will be making his 10th start, owns a 3.64 ERA. Freshman right hander Matt Quevedo (3-1, 3.98 ERA) has earned his second Sunday afternoon start of the season.  

Senior outfielder Dave Williams leads the offensive attack for Rutgers with his .405 batting average while junior shortstop Todd Frazier leads the Scarlet Knights in runs (50), hits (53), home runs (13), RBI (39) and stolen bases (16).  

The Scarlet Knights will also start three right handed pitchers this weekend in Matt Giannini, Steve Healing and Casey Gaynor. Giannini has started nine games for Rutgers, posting a 7.61 ERA and 2-3 record. Healing is 5-3 this season with one complete game and a shutout in nine starts. Gaynor, 2-2, has pitched two complete games in eight starts, recording a 4.37 ERA.

After the three-game BIG EAST series with Rutgers, USF will travel to UCF on April 24 for a 6:30 p.m. game before hitting the road for Louisville April 27-29.

[JoeB]

Brad, you going tonight?  I didn't see you at the UCF game on Tuesday.  Big series indeed.

[Brad]

I hope to come by there tonight, I have the whole family in tow, so it's iffy.  If so, I look forward to meeting you and some other board members.

UCiF game was fun...watching the Bulls just stomp on the throat of those hapless tinmen was fun.