Bulls clinch spot in Big East baseball tourney

Fret no more, Bulls baseball fans. USF has clinched a berth in next week's Big East tournament in Clearwater, with the last piece being Rutgers' 3-1 loss to Louisville on Friday afternoon. USF will play in the 8 p.m. game Tuesday night in the opening round of the tournament at Bright House Field.

The Bulls, having locked up a spot in the tournament, can now rest key arms in their next two games. So while freshman Randy Fontanez would have started Friday night's game with Notre Dame, coach Lelo Prado is now likely to throw a spot starter and save as many pitchers as possible for the tournament, which opens Tuesday and could call for as many as six games in five days.

USF has wins against the league's top two teams in St. John's and Notre Dame, and they'll likely face the Fighting Irish again on Tuesday in the opening round in Clearwater.