South Florida's baseball program is gearing up for its final conference series of the regular season, welcoming Wichita State to Tampa for a three‑game showdown that could decide its fate in the American Conference Tournament.
A crucial stretch
The Bulls enter the series with a 30‑20 overall record and a 9‑15 mark in American play, while the Shockers sit at 27‑25 overall and 11‑13 in conference, currently positioned seventh in the league standings. Both teams are jostling for one of the top eight spots that earn tournament qualification, making every inning count.
Game one, scheduled for Thursday, May 14, will be designated Throwback Thursday, featuring archival photos and retro music that pay homage to the program’s history. The following Saturday will serve as Senior Day, with a special ceremony honoring the departing seniors before the finale.
The Bulls’ recent road trip ended with a three‑game sweep at Tulane, a loss that dropped them to ninth in the conference and left them behind Charlotte, who also sits at 10‑14 but holds the tiebreaker. Wichita State, after a narrow 2‑1 defeat at home to Florida Atlantic, will look to rebound, while the Bulls hope to capitalize on their 6‑3 home record against the Shockers.
Key contributors include junior outfielder Jevin Relaford, who has amassed 30 stolen bases and is tied for seventh all‑time in single‑season steals at USF, and right‑hander Ethan Sutton, a nine‑save reliever listed on the NCBWA Midseason Stopper of the Year watch list. Nathan Earley earned an honorable mention for Conference Player of the Week, and the team boasts the conference’s best fielding percentage at .977 and a WHIP of 1.36.
Historically, South Florida leads the all‑time series 15‑13‑1 and has swept the last three meetings in Tampa, including a 2024 sweep that preceded their tournament victory over Wichita State. The upcoming series offers the Bulls a chance to extend that dominance while battling for postseason positioning.