Led by 2009 Big East Coach of the Year Lelo Prado, USF is coming off a season when they went 32-25 and finished second in the Big East Conference. USF is ranked 35th in the Collegiate Baseball preseason top 40, and 33rd in the Perfect Game top 100 (which has the Gators ranked 6th). The Bulls are pegged to finish second in the Big East behind Louisville. USF has some dangerous pieces they bring to town including one of the best pitchers and one of the best hitters in the Big East.
Friday night’s starter is Preseason Big East Pitcher of the Year Randy Fontanez. The RHP is coming off a 7-3 season in which he led the Big East in ERA at 3.09. He will battle Florida sophomore LHP Tommy Toledo. Saturday will see a matchup of freshman, as the Bulls’ RHP Ray Delphey battles LHP Brian Johnson for the Gators. Sunday will see 6’8’’ LHP Andrew Barbosa take the mound for USF against either LHP Alex Panteliodis or RHP Anthony DeSclafani. Barbosa spent the last two seasons pitching for South Florida Community College. He isn’t a true JUCO recruit, but walked onto the team in the fall semester after getting into school.
The Bulls most dangerous hitter is preseason All Big East outfielder Junior Carlin. He hit .384 in 2009 and won the Big East batting title. Joining Carlin in the outfield should be Ryan Lockwood and Stephen Hunt. Lockwood batted .289, while Hunt was first on the team in RBI and HRs with 51 and 8 respectively. Third baseman Jonathan Koscso was second on the team with a .355 average. Two freshman All Americans are in the infield for the Bulls in SS Sam Mende, who batted .319, and 1B Todd Brazeal, who hit .348. This is a team that will beat the Gators offensively if they are going to win in Gainesville.
This opening series will be the first time USF and UF have played three straight days since Feb. 16-18 1990. Much like the current series with FSU, those three games were played in three different stadiums. The Bulls won 3-2 at home at Red McEwen Field in Tampa. Florida won the next two games in the series, 2-1 in St Pete and 6-2 in Gainesville.
This is the second year in a row Florida has opened the year against an opponent from the Big East Conference. Last season the Gators swept eventual Big East Champ Louisville. The Cardinals edged out USF by a half game for the League Crown.
Projected Lineup
1: Carlin LF (L)
2: Koscso 3B (R)
3. Brazeal 1B (R)
4. Hunt RF (L)
5. Mende SS (R)
6. Lockwood CF (L)
7,8,9 Some combination of either freshman Eric Sim (R) or sophomore Andrew Longley (R)at catcher, probably the other will DH. Also either sophomore Luis Llerena (R) or freshman Chad Taylor (R) at 2B.
I put together this lineup based on the USF lineups at the end of last season, since there isn’t any info to go on for this year. Just disclaiming myself in case it looks nothing like what USF trots out on Friday. The first 6 guys should be locks to start, just a matter of in which order. I'll be in section D behind the plate. See you there!
Bleacher Bum: South Florida Preview Feb 20 2010 04:47:04
After game one the lineup amendment is
1. Lockwood CF
2. Koscso 3B
3. Hunt RF
4. Mende SS
5. Brazeal 1B
6. Carlin LF
7. Rockhold DH
8. Sim C
9. Llerna 2B
