Two freshman baseball players arrested

Pitcher Michael Franzese and infielder Tommy Bates, both 18-year-old freshmen on USF's baseball team, were arrested in Ybor City early Friday morning and charged with misdemeanor counts of possession of alcohol by an underage person.

Franzese, a right-handed pitcher from Sherman Oaks, Calif., and Bates, an infielder from Fort Lauderdale, were arrested by Tampa Police officers, who said they saw them drinking beer as they walked through the main parking garage for Centro Ybor at about 12:30 a.m. Franzese initially told police he was 21, but gave his correct age when asked for identification. Both players were booked about two hours later, then released at about 6 a.m. after a relative of Bates paid $250 cash bond for each player.

Franzese's father, Michael, is well-known in New York as a former organized crime figure who spent time in prison but now leads a changed life, a published author who tours college campuses to speak with students and, according to his official site, delivers "powerful anti-crime messages." He spoke at USF this spring.

USF coach Lelo Prado declined to comment Friday, saying through USF's sports information that the matter would be handled internally. He was not aware of the arrests when contacted.

Comments

[Reality]

The rogue USF sports program knows no bounds.........

[cee]

looks like leavitt's influence is starting to plague other sports.

University of Sorry F---s.

[Seriously?]

These two kids were walking through a parking garage drinking a beer. It's not a big deal, it happens when you are in college. They made a mistake but they are only 18 years-old. It is not as if they were assaulting police officers, robbing, carrying a concealed weapon or had possession of drugs.....which are all charges against athletes at FSU, UF and Miami. USF athletes are saints compared to these guys.

[bob]

as a baseball coach and an ulumni of USF, I can only say that this is one embarrasing example of my alma mater again showing up in the news for the wrong reason...as for mr. franchese, I guess you get apples from an apple tree....

[Mike]

Humm let see a couple of 18 year olds that by our Goverments standards are old enough to go fight in a war and die for there country. This same Goverment trains them to use Million Dollar equipment but does not think that they are responsible enough to know how much to drink. It does not say anything about these guys being drunk just that they were having a beer. Go catch some real criminals Tampa Police and quit wasting our Tax Dollars on stupid laws that need to be changed. These guys should have been warned, told to dump there beer out and let go. This idoit Police Officer took hemself off the street to go process this horrible crime, write reports and take these kids to jail when he should have been on the streets chasing real crime. Who knows what real crime this Police Officer may have been able to prevent in those 3 or 4 hours he took himself off the street. As for Bob and the rest of you that seem to want to use this to take shots at a couple of College Guys, USF, or there coaches you should all be ashamed of yourself. When you Bob and the rest of you look yourself in the mirror toight, you should be embarrasd only at yourself!!!