The University of South Florida baseball team announced on March 12 that it will host its first and only four-game series of the 2026 season against the Columbia Lions this weekend in Tampa. The Bulls, currently holding a 14-3 record, are on a five-game winning streak and recently secured an 11-6 victory over Jacksonville. Columbia enters the series with a 2-7 record after losing a road series to West Virginia.
This upcoming matchup is significant as it marks another chapter in the all-time series between South Florida and Columbia, which USF leads 5-3. All previous games have been played in Tampa, with the Bulls winning the last series three games to one and taking the final game by a score of 13-6. The weekend will also see many USF baseball alumni returning to celebrate with the team.
South Florida has shown strong performance statistics this season, ranking first nationally in sacrifice flies and placing within the top fifty for several other categories including hits allowed per nine innings, earned run average (ERA), triples, stolen bases, fielding percentage, doubles, scoring, walks, and batting average. Individual players have also contributed notable achievements: Nathan Earley has reached base in thirteen consecutive games while Jevin Relaford has done so in twelve straight contests. Pruitt leads the team in hits, runs scored, runs batted in (RBIs), and is tied for most walks with Bradke Lohry. Relaford also leads with thirteen stolen bases.
The Bulls have outscored their opponents by a wide margin this season—133 runs to 55—and remain undefeated (7-0) when hitting at least one home run during a game.
Founded in 1966, USF’s baseball program is now entering its sixty-first season under head coach Mitch Hannahs. In his debut year last season, Hannahs led the Bulls to thirty-two wins—their highest total since 2018—and sixteen victories within American Athletic Conference play. Hannahs was named USF’s eighth head coach on June 8, 2024 after an eleven-year tenure at Indiana State where he accumulated numerous conference titles and NCAA Regional appearances.
USF baseball has made fourteen NCAA Tournament appearances—including a Super Regional berth in 2021—and continues to develop professional talent with more than one hundred MLB Draft picks all-time.
