Three former USF signees at East Mississippi

For the past few years, Pearl River Community College in Mississippi has been a feeder program of sorts for USF football, a school where signees who don't initially qualify can earn an associate of arts degree and potentially move on for two years as Bulls. This fall, USF will have a second Mississippi pipeline in place, with three former signees at East Mississippi Community College.

Three once-promising recruits will be on the EMCC roster this fall: defensive tackle Leslie Stirrups and defensive end Claude Davis, who were both at Pearl River last year, and linebacker Calvin Sutton. EMCC first-year coach Buddy Stephens, formerly Pearl River's offensive coordinator, said all three players were placed at his school by USF, so the expectation is that they'll be Bulls as soon as they get their AA.

Stirrups, perhaps the most highly touted member of USF's 2006 class, had problems with grades and criminal charges in 2006, but Stephens said he hasn't had a problem with him at EMCC.

"He sees the light at the end of the tunnel," Stephens said. "He's a South Florida commitment, and if he's done at Christmas, he's going to South Florida."

Davis, once a high school teammate of quarterback Matt Grothe, had problems at Pearl River, as Stephens said he had to drop out of school after being accused in an alleged campus burglary. Stephens said it was a case of mistaken identity, and charges against him were dropped this spring. He'll likely play the next two falls at EMCC, potentially landing at USF in spring 2010. "He's as good as anybody we've ever coached," Stephens said.

Sutton, a regular visitor at USF's practices last fall as he tried to get a qualifying test score, is likely going to redshirt at EMCC this fall, Stephens said, allowing him to get to USF in two years with three seasons of eligibility.

Stephens said he almost had a fourth player with USF connections, but he had no room for out-of-state offensive linemen. He said tackle Thomas Edenfield, who was off USF's roster this spring after academic problems, will likely play this fall at the College of the Sequoias in California.

For one reason or another, the early players from Pearl -- Gene Coleman, Donte Spires, Carlton Hill, Frank Harry -- didn't pan out for the Bulls. The Pearl River connection could still work out this fall with three players, linebacker Kion Wilson, defensive end Craig Marshall and cornerback Theo Wilson, expected to be on USF's roster.

-- One more where-are-they-now update: Dylan Douglas, the cornerback from Jacksonville who played on special teams as a redshirt freshman last fall but opted to transfer this spring, visited Division I-AA Georgia Southern this weekend. It's the leader out of a few schools he's considering for a transfer, along with Tennessee State and Jackson State. Douglas would have three years of eligibility at a I-AA school.

Maruszak on draft: 'I feel I'm ready'

USF baseball coach Lelo Prado said two weeks ago that he expected juniors Daniel Thomas and Addison Maruszak to be selected in the upcoming baseball draft, and Maruszak said Friday that he has told USF coaches he intends to sign a pro contract and not return for his senior year.

"I feel I'm ready to go. It's the next level, and I'm looking forward to it," said Maruszak, a second-team All-Big East selection after posting a .364 batting average and scoring a team-high 55 runs. "I'd love to stay, and I love USF, but I really do want to go."

The St. Pete Catholic graduate said Prado and his staff have been "very supportive" of his decision, letting him know he'd be welcomed back for his senior year if he's unhappy with his draft position. Maruszak has former major-leaguer and USF hitting coach Reggie Jefferson as an advisor and said he does not have expectations for when he'll be drafted. Maruszak's 26 errors this season were nearly twice as much as any USF teammate, and he could be drafted as a catcher because of his superior arm strength.

Maruszak was not included among Baseball America's top 115 draft prospects for the state of Florida, which could point to him being drafted in the later rounds. Fellow junior Daniel Thomas is rated as the state's No. 18 prospect according to BA, which has him among the top 200 prospects nationally.

One more draft update: We've told you that signees Adrien Nieto and Anthony Ferrara are likely to be drafted in the second and sixth rounds, according to BA, which would make it highly unlikely they'd make it to USF. Another signee who could be lost to the draft is Middleton's Corey Thomas, who could pitch or play infield for the Bulls.

Middleton coach Vernon Slater said Friday he had been told Thomas could be drafted in the first 10 rounds, and BA's draft preview tabs him as the state's No. 40 prospect. Thomas, a right-handed pitcher who played shortstop at Middleton, is listed as a third baseman by BA. He has the right outlook entering the draft, happy with the prospect of playing at USF but still excited about his draft potential.

"Either way, it's a good thing," Thomas said. "I really don't have any idea about the draft. If they're high on me, that will show up in the draft. I'm excited to be playing at South Florida, too."

Two more USF signees show up on BA's state draft preview, with Orlando Bishop Moore outfielder Alex Mendez rated as the state's No. 51 prospect and Clearwater Central Catholic shortstop Sam Mende listed at No. 54. That's not to say they couldn't be at USF this fall -- pitcher Derrick Stultz was rated No. 52 in the state by BA last season and opted to stick with the Bulls after being drafted, as did fellow freshmen Stephen Hunt and Junior Carlin.

Two women's basketball assistants leaving

USF women's basketball coach Jose Fernandez has some hiring to do, as assistant coaches Jaida Williams and Shalon Pillow resigned Friday to accept jobs at other schools.

Williams, an assistant for the last two seasons, is expected to take a job at Santa Barbara, while Pillow, who spent two years as an assistant after one season as director of basketball operations, will be an assistant at Hofstra. Fernandez's DOBO this past season, Andy Christensen, resigned earlier this month to accept a high school job in Indiana. Fernandez, Williams and Pillow could not be reached for comment Friday.

That leaves top assistant Jeff Osterman as the only remaining member of Fernandez's coaching staff. Fernandez has led the Bulls to postseason appearances in each of the last five seasons, most recently a return trip to the Women's NIT, where USF lost to Florida Gulf Coast in the opening round.

USF has tough competition for 6-foot-8 tackle

It's been clear since the end of last season that right tackle would be a crucial position for USF, and despite a strong spring from former walk-on Jake Sims and promising freshman Mark Popek coming in, the Bulls are continuing their efforts to upgrade the position. USF could make a late addition to its incoming recruiting class, and one prospect the Bulls are targeting is Zach Hanson, a 6-foot-8, 315-pound tackle from Sacramento City Community College in California.

USF's interest in Hanson was first reported by Josh Newberg at USFnation.com, and I was finally able to get Hanson on the phone Thursday night. Hanson's an interesting case, in that USF and other schools had already offered him a scholarship to join them in January 2009, but he recently learned that he could get his associate of arts degree this summer, allowing him to play major-college ball this fall.

The good news for USF? The Bulls are the only school that's locked down a visit from Hanson, who expects to fly to Tampa early next week. He told me Cal and UCLA are also schools he's considering -- he's from Linden, Calif., about 45 minutes south of Sacramento. The bad news? Three schools have jumped into the mix this week -- Florida, Tennessee and Ohio State -- and while none of the three have offered, they've asked for his game tapes, so the Bulls have some elite-level competition for him.

Hanson played guard last season, but only because the left tackle was his brother Matt, who will play at Midwestern State in Texas this fall. Hanson wants to play left tackle, but said one of the reasons he's interested in USF is "the coaches at South Florida said I'd have a chance of stepping in and playing right away." Playing in Raymond James Stadium is "a huge thing" for him, and it's worth noting that a recruit in California knew about the Bulls before they knew about him. He watched the Bulls on ESPN a few times last season as USF rose to No. 2 in the national rankings, illustrating the power of those national TV appearances.

Hanson originally signed with Nevada-Reno out of high school, but didn't like the atmosphere at summer workouts and never enrolled there. He only played one season at Sac City, so he'll have three years of eligibility wherever he signs, and he said he'll even have a redshirt season available. USF has a connection in that receivers coach Mike Canales has worked with Sac City coach Mike Clemons, who declined to comment on Hanson when reached this week. Sounds like he's frustrated to be losing a starting lineman right before the season starts. Anyway, Hanson said he'll take at least two visits before making a decision, but USF is solidly in the mix by landing the first visit ...

Soccer lands two-time Parade All-American

TAMPA -- Aubrey "Trey" Perry, a member of the U.S. under-17 national team and two-time Parade All-American, said Thursday he has signed with USF and will play for the Bulls this fall.

"When I went on my visit, I loved the environment, and it's close to home," said Perry, a 5-foot-9 defender who lives in Ocoee but has trained the last two years at IMG Academy as part of the U.S. Under-17 Residency Program.

Perry, who has played for the United States in events in Spain, Japan, the Ukraine and Northern Ireland, said he also strongly considered Duke, North Carolina, Wake Forest and UCLA. He graduated with a 4.45 grade-point average as salutatorian at Bradenton's Edison Academic Center, where IMG's athletes attend classes.

USF coach George Kiefer is expected to announce its class of incoming recruits in the next week. That class includes Seminole midfielder Sebastien Thuriere, the Times' Pinellas County Player of the Year, as well as Tampa Prep goalkeeper Brad Sienkiewicz.

Baseball update: Bulls in the pros ...

Less than a week after the end of USF's baseball season and just a week before the draft, it's as good a time as any to catch up on former Bulls now playing professional baseball. I'm a big fan of MILB.com for its stats, and I won't claim this to be a comprehensive list, so if there's someone I'm overlooking, let me know ... I'll go in descending order by the level of the league they're playing in, even though Danny Otero's pitching so ridiculously well I should just lead with him ...

Ross Gload, Royals, majors: The 32-year-old Gload is the lone USF player in the big leagues, on pace for career highs in games and at-bats in his seventh major-league season. It's been a rough May, however, as Gload is hitting just .139 in 36 at-bats, down from .296 in April, and he has zero RBIs since May 7. Most of Kansas City's lineup has struggled at the plate as the Royals have the A.L.'s second-worst record ...

Jeff Baisley, AAA, Sacramento River Cats (Athletics): Baisley continues a steady rise through the A's system, batting .279 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs for Sacramento. It's not the torrid numbers he had two years ago as Midwest League Player of the Year, but it's a step up from the .257 he hit at AA last season, and on pace to easily exceed the 11 HRs and 46 RBIs he had with Midland.

David Austen, AAA, Salt Lake Bees (Angels): Austen spent much of last year in Class A ball, finishing with a 5.57 ERA in AA, but he's made a strong impression this season. After going 0-1 with a 4.61 ERA, he earned a promotion to Salt Lake, where he's 1-1 with a solid 3.80 ERA in five starts. Good control with 15 strikeouts and five walks in what has been a promising year.

Chris Heintz, AAA, Norfolk Tides (Orioles): Since Heintz was up in the bigs last year, he could probably lead off the AAA guys, but he's been hurt, on the disabled list since May 4 with a sprained left thumb. Before that, he was hitting well, with a .344 average and five RBIs in the first month of the season. Once healthy, it's reasonable to think he's an injury or hot streak away from returning to the show.

Myron Leslie, AA, Midland RockHounds (Athletics): Wherein Baisley has progressed steadily, moving up a level each year, Leslie has stalled a bit, returning for a second season in Texas. His .258 average is well down from .288 last season, but he's already hit more home runs (6) than last season, and his 24 RBIs put him on pace to exceed last year's total of 47.

Devin Ivany, AA, Harrisburg Senators (Nationals): Ivany played at four different levels last season, with two-thirds of his playing time in the high-A Carolina League. He played his first 11 games there, batting .250, then earned a promotion to Harrisburg, where he's also hitting .217 thanks to an 0-for-10 skid. Still, he's hit two home runs in his first 16 games and playing steadily enough that they must be happy with his play behind the plate.

John Raburn, AA, Montgomery Biscuits (Rays): Another great mascot, and Raburn's back at the same level he finished last season, He's hitting .269 with seven stolen bases, 15 RBIs, 14 runs, zero home runs. He's hit .219 in his last 10 games, but his average is still up from .241 last season.

Casey Hudspeth, advanced A, Salem Avalanche (Astros): Hud got a late callup to Salem last season and has pitched well there, with a 3-4 record and a 4.15 ERA. He hasn't given up a run in two of his last three starts, and check out his May 20 line at Lynchburg: 8 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, one win.

Davis Bilardello, advanced A, Palm Beach Cardinals: Only three appearances so far, but he's 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 5.1 innings, having allowed only two hits and one walk against five strikeouts.

Brian Baisley, A, Charleston RiverDogs (Yankees): So one Baisley twin is a River Cat, the other a RiverDog. Brian's 2007 season was cut short about this time last year by a left quadriceps strain, but he's found a power stroke he didn't have last season. It'd be a lot to expect him to hit .341 as he did last year, but he's at .274 with five home runs and 13 RBIs, including a monster night on May 21: 5-for-6 with two homers and seven RBIs. It's the South Atlantic league, but the locals call it the "Sally League."

Daniel Otero, A, Augusta GreenJackets (Giants): No more of that Danny business, but Otero's pitching so well you hesitate to mention it, like jinxing a perfect game. He's made 19 appearances this year for 20.2 innings pitched, and he's yet to allow any runs -- earned or otherwise. He has 13 saves, with a ridiculous 21 Ks vs. two walks. He's allowed one hit in his last five games, all saves. Great, great mascot in Augusta, but I have to think he's due for a promotion soon.

I think that's everybody -- a few players like Chase Lirette, Yuri Higgins and Tim Mattison who played last year but aren't showing up on the radar anywhere. Could be they're done playing, or could just be an injury I can't find ... Check back tonight for a soccer update (!) ...

7-foot-2 center Riek still in play for Bulls?

Could Stan Heath not be finished with his recruiting class for next season? We've cautioned from the start that 7-foot-2 Sudanese center John Riek, an early-entry candidate for the NBA Draft out of a Massachusetts prep school, was a long shot but considering the Bulls as an option should his draft stock not be what he wants it to be.

Foxsports.com's Jeff Goodman checked in with Riek from the NBA pre-draft workouts in Orlando on Tuesday, and reports that Riek's injured knee was keeping him from competing in 5-on-5 drills. Goodman writes that Riek "told FOXSports.com that ... he'd be best served sitting out the camp and spending next season somewhere such as South Florida – where he can get game action."

Again, Riek would first have to withdraw his name from consideration for the draft, then earn quickly earn qualifying test scores on the college entrance exams he'd need to meet NCAA eligibility requirements. Still, a respected national basketball writer is dropping the name of only one school after talking to Riek, so we'll keep getting updates on this as long as USF is a possibility ...

A new No. 2 for USF football: Selvie's scary

Rankings! Rankings! Everywhere, there's rankings. Rivals.com is stopping just short of ranking their rankings, but it's worth noting that USF defensive end George Selvie is now apparently the second-scariest defensive player in college football.

The scariest, you see, is Southern Cal's Rey Maualuga, but Selvie is right there at No. 2, just coming into his own as scariness goes. He's the only Big East player in the scary top 10, and Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes is the only other Florida player in the top 10. I'm not sure how Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis doesn't make the top 10, but I have a theory ...

-- More rankings! The Sporting News' Matt Hayes ranks the Big East's top five players at each position -- boy, that No. 5 punter is almost in the top half of his peers in the conference. Selvie, naturally, is the top defensive lineman. Is Cedric Hill the best tight end in the Big East? Not arguing it, just saying I hadn't thought of the possibility before. So Matt Grothe's the No. 2 quarterback, Tyrone McKenzie is the No. 3 linebacker, Mike Ford is the No. 4 running back, and Delbert Alvarado (cue Ari comment!) is the No. 4 punter AND No. 4 kicker (yes, that's the trifecta of bold, underlined and italics, folks). Safety Nate Allen is the No. 4 defensive back -- c'mon now, you rank as many punters as you do defensive backs? At least split it up to corners and safeties. I eagerly await next week's rankings of the top 10 official clock operators in the SEC ...

-- Remember Maurice Sutton? The big man from Maryland, once targeted by Stan Heath's staff, is headed to Villanova, where he might redshirt, according to the Washington Post. ""It came down to what God said," Sutton told the Post. "What God says goes." There you have it: God likes Villanova.

-- Soon, I'm going to have to cancel my Keith Brumbaugh Google Alert. Used to be I'd go a month or more without so much as a hit, but now I'm getting at least 10 e-mails a day, mostly from sites that just like listing the underclassmen who have applied for the NBA Draft. Just wanted to share.

USF grad Octavien seeks spot in Olympics

With the Olympics coming up quickly, there's always an intriguing search for athletes with local ties, and there's a great story in the Marco News on former USF track and field standout Dayana Octavien, who is trying to qualify for the Beijing games as a member of Haiti's national track team. We'll certainly have more on local Olympic hopefuls such as Octavien in the coming months ...

Two familiar names at the NBA's pre-draft workouts this week in Orlando, most notably former USF center Kentrell Gransberry, as well as Hillsborough Community College star Keith Brumbaugh, who considered the Bulls before opting for the draft.

Here's a good story from the Orlando Sentinel's Chris Harry on Brumbaugh, who is hoping to work his way into the first round of the draft despite not playing any major-college basketball. For those of you still holding out hope for USF here, read the entire story: there's not a word about him even considering colleges out of HCC.

If Gransberry wants to become USF's second draft pick in three years, this is a big week for him, with a chance to prove himself while surrounded by potential second-rounders. (Photo courtesy AP)

At least one blogger is tagging Gransberry as a sleeper not to be overlooked. Bleacherreport.com lists him among 10 players who have remained under the radar but are worthy of draft consideration.

-- More hoops: Looks like USF was in the mix for a talented 2009 guard from Charlotte named Malik Stith, but he has committed to St. John's. Stith lists USF among seven schools he considered. I'm making calls this week to lots of 2009 basketball recruits, trying to take the 20 players who list the Bulls among their options on major recruiting sites and pare that list down to a smaller list of realistic options for the Bulls. The geography is interesting -- obviously a lot of Florida players, but big clusters in Georgia and suburban Washington, D.C., as well.

-- So FAU formally introduced Mike Jarvis on Tuesday, and I think the smartest part of the hire is the buyout clause, after seeing Matt Doherty and Rex Walters bolt after a combined three seasons. Jarvis is due to make $175,000 a year, but his buyout in the first year is $300,000, dropping to $200,000 the rest of the way. Look for former USF forward Orane Chin to try for a face-to-face meeting with Jarvis very soon, and if FAU doesn't work out, he could wind up at Tulane, or in the Atlantic 10.

Catching up on links after the weekend ...

Can't remember last time I went this long between posts, but it's the confluence of two factors: a long holiday weekend and very, very little happening in the world of USF sports. The season has ended for Bulls baseball, but the draft is still nine days off, and I'm making calls on a few intriguing fronts, but nothing that commands a headline just yet. Catching up on some links ...

-- Not-so-good news for Andre Hall on Tuesday, as the Broncos agreed to terms with former Bucs running back Michael Pittman, according to ESPN.com. His addition, along with the selection of Arizona State's Ryan Torain in the fifth round of the draft, mean there are two more players Hall will have to beat out to keep his job with the Broncos. With Pittman, Denver will have eight running backs on roster, and of those eight, the only one Hall is sure to be ahead of is undrafted rookie Anthony Alridge. Veteran Travis Henry has been slowed by a hamstring injury. ...

-- Nice aftermath to the Cristi Ecks story this spring, as Kelly Cox, the 24-year-old certified athletic trainer who helped save Ecks' life after she collapsed during a March practice, will appear in a video produced by the American Red Cross to reinforce the importance of CPR training. Here's the writeup on USF's official site ...

-- We really don't write much about USF's women's sailing team, but the Bulls are in the top 10 nationally on the second day of the three-day Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association National Championships in Newport, R.I., which is also home to the Big East's annual preseason football media gathering in July. The Bulls are ninth as I post this, one spot behind Georgetown for the top showing from a Big East school. Do not, under any circumstances, giggle at sight of the term "coed dinghy."

-- Who will be representing the New York Yankees in person at next week's MLB Draft in Orlando? Why, USF volunteer assistant Tino Martinez, of course. And while I care about the draft infinitely more than most people, I cannot imagine anyone caring enough about the draft to show up in person at Disney's Wide World of Sports and cheer/boo picks as they're made ...

--The Villages Daily Sun talked with former USF linebacker Ben Moffitt about trying to make the Houston Texans' roster as an undrafted free agent. "It’s definitely a pretty neat experience," Moffitt says of the NFL. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the league's new motto by August ...

-- The inaugural St. Petersburg Bowl in December won't be kicking off bowl season. That privilege now belongs to the New Mexico Bowl, which will have a 2 p.m. kickoff on Dec. 20, the same day teams from the Big East and Conference USA will meet at Tropicana Field. The only unannounced pre-Christmas kickoff is the new Congressional Bowl, which could also slide in on the 20th as well ...

-- From the Where Are They Now Dept., former USF catcher Braulio Pardo, who played for Saint Leo this spring, earned first-team All-Sunshine State Conference honors and all-region honors, and will be eligible for next month's major-league draft. Remind me later in the week to do a roundup of former Bulls playing minor-league baseball ...

Cincinnati eliminates Bulls, 13-2

CLEARWATER – If one moment encapsulated the frustration of USF’s up-and-down season, it was in the third inning of Friday’s Big East semifinal against Cincinnati.

Sophomore Shawn Sanford, given a key start after losing his job as the Bulls’ closer, picked a runner off first base and darted off toward the dugout in celebration. The only problem? It was only the second out.

The next batter, Cincinnati’s Mike Spina, sent a pitch off the Frenchy’s tiki hut in left field for a 2-1 lead, and two batters later, Justin Riddell hit a two-run double, helping the Bearcats to an easy 13-2 win that put them in today’s championship game and eliminated the Bulls.

“We didn’t play worth a flip against them,” USF coach Lelo Prado said. “They played better than us, they pitched better than us. The two teams that should be in the finals are. They deserve it.”

Even down 6-2 in the seventh, the sixth-seeded Bulls (31-26) had the bases loaded for senior first baseman Joey Angelberger, who grounded into one of three rally-crushing double plays for the Bulls.

“We had Joey in the right spot,” Prado said. “He’s been carrying us the last week and a half, so you can’t expect him to do it every time.”

Cincinnati followed the double play with a seven-run eighth, tagging three Bulls pitchers for six hits and triggering the 10-run mercy rule, ending USF’s season an inning early.

“Getting cut short an inning and getting embarrassed like that is never a good way to go out, but it happens,” Angelberger said. “Our young guys just need to learn from it and remember this feeling.”

USF has only four seniors, though juniors Daniel Thomas and Addison Maruszak are also likely draft picks. Of 35 players on roster, 27 were in their first season at USF, and Prado said the momentum of five wins in the last seven games will help next season.

“We’re making strides, and I’m happy for the freshmen, because this experience will help them next year and in the years to come,” Prado said. “I’m disappointed in the way some other guys played. Some other guys didn’t step up all year, and we needed them to do that.”

Hit sign, win grouper: Bulls trail 6-2

The Frenchy's tiki hut restaurant is getting lots of play today, as Cincinnati's Mike Spina hit a solo home run to left that bounced off the "h" in Frenchy's and rolled down the straw roof to put the Bearcats up 2-1 in the third inning.

Since we're in the product-placement portion of today's blog, I'll report that Cincy designated hitter Justin Riddell hit a two-run double off the Westshore Pizza sign in right-center, making it a 4-1 game. I'm doing this so when somebody crushes a home run off the Times' sign on the scoreboard in left-center, it won't be self-promotion, just consistent, detail-oriented reporting.

Cincinnati padded its lead with another run in the fifth off reliever Michael Anzivino, getting the old fashion hit-by-pitch/wild pitch/bloop single run; another run came on a two-out single by Spina in the seventh.

After only three hits in the first six innings, the Bulls got three in the seventh, scoring their second run on a Jonathan Koscso single, but that's all they'd get. The Bulls had an ideal situation, with senior Joey Angelberger up with the bases loaded and one out, but he grounded into a double play.

-- Draft update: Baseball America has posted its next 100 draft prospects after unveiling the top 100 earlier this week, and there's two players of interest to Bulls fans. Junior right-hander Daniel Thomas is listed at No. 193, which would work out to the sixth round. Four spots ahead of Thomas is left-hander Anthony Ferrara, a USF signee. Ferrrara would "step right into the weekend rotation" at USF if he doesn't sign. The signing bonus for picks in that range last year was about $120,000, so it'd be tough for the Bulls to get either pitcher for 2009.

Hobbs' solo HR ties it 1-1 for Bulls

If you're going to be a baseball player named Hobbs, you really can't pull it off as a light-hitting middle infielder. So it's probably better that USF outfielder Brian Hobbs -- 6-foot-2, 230 pounds -- is the home-run-crushing type, as seen in the solo home run he hit to left field -- over the Frenchy's tiki hut in left field -- to make it a 1-1 game in the second inning against Cincinnati here at Bright House Field.

It's Hobbs' ninth home run of the season and his second in four games. It's a sweltering 91 degrees here in Clearwater, such that the umpires have skipped the standard blue in favor of beige shirts.

Check that: Sanford gets start for Bulls

So much for that battle of sophomore lefties. USF coach Lelo Prado is going with former closer Shawn Sanford, who will make his second start of the season today against second-seeded Cincinnati as the Bulls try to stay alive in the Big East tournament at Bright House Field. First pitch is set for 1:42 p.m.

Sanford, a sophomore right-hander, made his first start Saturday against Notre Dame, giving up six hits and seven runs (two earned) in 3.2 innings. Sanford had 11 saves this season but lost the closer's job after blowing three straight save opportunities. He's 5-4 with a 4.74 ERA, but his ERA since April 30 is 9.34 ...

One of the surprise stars of USF's tournament run, freshman outfielder Junior Carlin, is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game, but is available to play. Carlin left Thursday's game in the middle of an at-bat because of difficulty breathing and was replaced by Brian Hobbs, who starts in his place Friday. Carlin was taken to the hospital Thursday night, but tests were negative for any serious problems.

Kaufman to start for Bulls vs. Cincy

As USF tries to stay alive against second-seeded Cincinnati at 1 p.m. today, the Bulls will have sophomore lefty Teddy Kaufman on the mound.

Kaufman (3-3, 5.23 ERA) has been a midweek starter for the Bulls since midseason and had lasted at least five innings in four straight starts before a three-inning outing against Florida last week. He's 3-2 in his last five starts, with a 4.50 ERA.

Cincinnati counters with a sophomore lefty of its own in Brian Garman (4-3, 6.70), who makes his ninth start. Opposing batters are hitting .309 against him ...

Morning links from Bright House Field ...

Out here early at Bright House Field in Clearwater, where Louisville leads Villanova 5-0 in the second inning, continuing a ridiculous trend of lopsided games at the Big East tournament. All 10 games have been decided by at least six runs, and Louisville has had the hottest bats of any team in the tournament. The top five in Louisville's lineup were a combined 24-for-48 with 18 RBIs in the Cardinals' first two games ... you can add a grand slam to that list ...

-- Links? How about a quickie leadership speech from Jim Leavitt? The USF football coach recently spoke to a group called Leadership Polk, and the Lakeland Ledger has a three-minute clip of Leavitt's best gems. "The greatest thing about our season was how we dealt with adversity, how we dealt with things that didn't go our way," Leavitt tells his audience. "Adversity is always going to come, but how you deal with it is the key. ... We have challenges ahead. Believe me, we'll be there. How do you stay on top? You get better. That's how you do it. We're fixing to get better."

-- Good news for Kentrell Gransberry, hoping to be USF's second draft pick in three drafts after a 19-year drought: The big man got an invitation Thursday night to participate in the NBA's predraft camp next week in Orlando, a key showcase for potential draft picks. Gransberry got exposure at the Portsmouth Invitational and has been working out in Philadelphia with the hopes of getting such a platform to show his skills.

-- Everybody's ranking coaches these days. Rivals.com has their top 25 head coaches, and Leavitt makes the list at No. 21. That's one spot ahead of Oregon's Mike Bellotti, but somehow one spot behind Oregon State's Mike Riley. The only other Big East coach on the list is Cincy's Brian Kelly at No. 18. Sportsline.com's Dennis Dodd has his hot-seat rankings, scored between zero and five points, and Leavitt gets a 0.5 -- one of 25 coaches to get a 0.5 or better. The hottest seats? Washington's Ty Willingham gets a 4.95, and second-hottest is Syracuse's Greg Robinson, who gets a 4.5. The only other 4s are Arizona's Mike Stoops, Utah State's Brent Guy and UNLV's Mike Sanford. He's being kind to Pitt's Dave Wannstedt by giving him a 3 ...

-- Some interesting gamesmanship here at Bright House, as Villanova presented a starting lineup with a designated hitter batting eighth, a player with zero at-bats this season. And when he came up in the second inning, Villanova announced a pinch-hitter. So the first guy is just a place-holder, allowing the coach to get the best matchup -- be it lefty or righty, etc. -- for that first at-bat. Apparently West Virginia was using the same trick ... of course, Villanova's pinch-DH struck out. The Wildcats, however, have trimmed Louisville's lead to 5-3 in the second ...

Staying alive: Bulls beat W.Va. 12-5

Here's the game story for Friday's paper from correspondent Joe Rienzi, who covered Thursday night's USF-West Virginia game in Clearwater ...

CLEARWATER — With its season on the line, the South Florida baseball team picked up a win Thursday night when it needed it the most.

The sixth-seeded Bulls (31-26) jumped out to an early lead and defeated the seventh-seeded West Virginia Mountaineers 11-5 to stay alive in the Big East tournament at Bright House Field.

The win means USF will play No. 2 seed Cincinnati on Friday at 1 p.m., meeting the Bearcats for the second time in three days. The Bulls lost 11-1 in seven innings Wednesday. In order for the Bulls to advance, they need to beat the Bearcats twice Friday.

“Them and Louisville are the two hottest teams in the conference,” USF coach Lelo Prado said. “They beat us last time, and we’ve got to step up or they’ll beat us again.”

USF started quickly, with senior first baseman Joey Angelberger hitting a three-run home run on the first pitch he saw in the first inning.

“We got off to a slow start offensively last night, so to come out and get three in the first was big,” Angelberger said. “It was a huge firestarter.”

After not allowing a hit and striking out four in the first three innings, freshman pitcher Randy Fontanez allowed three hits and three runs in the fourth, allowing the Mountaineers to cut into USF’s four-run lead. He finished the game with six strikeouts and one walk in six innings of work.

“Randy is a competitor,” Prado said. “He goes out every night and competes. He’s getting a lot of experience that will be valuable for the next couple of years.”

The Bulls answered back in the fifth, as freshman Junior Carlin and junior Chris Rey scored to give USF a 6-3 lead. USF also scored one in the sixth and three in the seventh. Carlin was hit in the back with a pitch in the second inning and was taken out of the game in the seventh during his at-bat. For the night, he was 2-of-3 with two doubles, a walk and a strikeout.

Including Wednesday's 11-1 loss, the Bulls are 1-3 against the Bearcats this season. In order to advance, USF's players know they have a lot to work on to avoid a fate similar to that of Wednesday.

“We’ve got to come out intense, show some intensity and play like we want to win,” Angelberger said. “We have to play a good game of baseball and leave it all out on the field.”

Over early: Cincy beats USF 11-1 in seven

CLEARWATER – Entering Wednesday's game against second-seeded Cincinnati, USF had momentum, with four straight wins against Notre Dame, and opportunity, with two of the top three seeds in the Big East tournament already eliminated.

But the sixth-seeded Bulls didn't have any of the intensity they'd shown the night before, so coach Lelo Prado was worried long before the Bearcats cruised to an 11-1 win in seven innings at Bright House Field.

"I knew we were in trouble in the locker room," Prado said. "For us to win, we have to play with great intensity, great enthusiasm. I don't know how you don't bring it today, but that's been our season."

So while Cincinnati earned a spot in Friday's semifinals, USF (30-26) is relegated to the losers' bracket, where they'll face seventh-seeded West Virginia (35-20) in an elimination game tonight at 7, needing another two wins Friday just to get to Saturday's championship game.

"Our backs are against the wall now, and we have to see how we perform," said senior Joey Angelberger, who had one of USF's six hits. "We've got to win every game the rest of this tournament and get to a regional. That's our ultimate goal as a team."

All eight games in the tournament have been decided by at least six runs, with plenty of upsets along the way. USF entered the fifth inning tied 1-1 with Cincinnati (38-19), then saw things fall apart.

Bearcats centerfielder Tony Campana, who led off the game with a triple and scored, opened the fifth with a double and scored on a sacrfice fly. A two-run home run by Mike Spina made it 4-1, and the Bearcats added three runs in the sixth. Campana's two-out grand slam in the seventh invoked a 10-run, seven-inning mercy rule, sending the Bulls to the showers early.

"They hit D.T.," Prado said of junior starter Daniel Thomas, who gave up nine hits and eight runs, five earned. "Early in the game, we didn't do our job offensively. We had chances and didn't do our job."

Cincinnati and Louisville have clinched spots in Friday's semifinals, while four teams will play today for the remaining spots. Seton Hall and Villanova meet in an elimination game today at 4 p.m., then USF freshman Randy Fontanez (4-3, 3.35) gets the start against West Virginia. Wednesday's four games drew an attendance of 2,693 to Bright House, up from 2,219 on Tuesday.

USF, Cincy tied 1-1 in fifth inning

Where's all that offense? The winning team in each of the first seven games here at the Big East tournament has scored at least nine runs, but after four innings, USF and Cincinnati are tied 1-1 at Bright House Field on Wednesday night.

Cincinnati got a leadoff triple in the first from centerfielder Tony Campana, who scored on the ensuing groundout, but the Bulls tied the score an inning later. How's this for manufacturing a run: Freshman Stephen Hunt led off the second with an infield single, advanced when Brian Hobbs reached on an error, took third on a sacrifice bunt by Trey Manz and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jonathan Koscso.

Koscso, by the way, pronounces him name like "Costco," since that second "s" would be nearly impossible to pronounce. It's kind of like Favre, but that's how everybody says it ...

Bulls, Bearcats underway, plus links!

USF and Cincinnati are underway here at Bright House Field, and I've got a handful of links to offer up for your perusal during tonight's game. First, an update -- already! -- as Cincinnati's Tony Campana led off the game with a triple (his eighth!) and scored to give the Bearcats a 1-0 lead early.

-- Roger Mooney of the Bradenton Herald writes about former USF receiver Amarri Jackson enjoying life as an NFL rookie, taking cues from Derrick Brooks and cramming on that Bucs playbook, which has 300 more offensive plays than USF's did.

-- Used to be, SI.com's Stewart Mandel was as steady a USF advocate as you'd find among the national writers, but he clearly doesn't think as much of the Bulls in 2008. His latest mailbag discusses how wide-open the Big East should be this fall -- he curiously writes about West Virginia and "the entirely realistic possibility of that program suffering a Louisville-type implosion." Anyway, Mandel references five other Big East teams before he gets to USF, writing that "South Florida, if it can ever maintain any level of consistency, has shown it can play with just about anyone." So the only two schools not mentioned as contenders are Louisville and Syracuse. My, how the Cards have fallen ...

--  Baseball? Sure! One of USF's signees for next season, catcher Adrian Nieto, is rated as the No. 73 overall prospect in this year's draft, according to Baseball America. (I'd link, but it's premium subscriber information ...) That makes him a second-round draft pick, and if you think he still might come to USF, consider what last year's No. 73 pick got as a signing bonus: $441,000. I'm not saying there's not a chance, but ... Think about the current Bulls who were drafted last year -- considerably later -- and still came to USF: Stephen Hunt, Junior Carlin, Derrick Stultz.

Six runs? That's a thriller this week

So USF's 9-3 win against Notre Dame on Tuesday night didn't really seem like a closely contested game. But after seven games at the Big East tournament, it's the closest game played at Bright House Field.

As the Bulls prepare to face second-seeded Cincinnati around 8:51 p.m. tonight, they are the only winning team in seven games not to score at least 11 runs. The other six have all scored 11 or more and won by at least six runs -- Louisville just finished a 14-3 win against Villanova, but that wasn't as lopsided as Villanova's first game, a 12-0 upset of top-seeded St. John's.

With so many lopsided games, the buzz here in the press box is a video clip from CSTV.com, which has a few St. John's players explaining their riff on "Paper, Rock, Scissors," something that basically works out to "Snake, Indian, Gun." You've got to watch it to fully appreciate it -- the championship belt alone makes it linkworthy -- though it can't be as much fun since the Red Storm went two-and-out. And I'm still not entirely sure why paper beats rock.

Top seeds eliminated in Big East baseball

So much for the regular season. The first two teams eliminated from the Big East baseball tournament in Clearwater are two of the top three seeds in the tournament, as top-seeded St. John's and third-seeded Notre Dame were knocked out Wednesday after their second losses.

St. John's couldn't rebound from a 12-0 loss to Villanova on Tuesday, giving up 12 again in a loss to fifth-seeded Seton Hall. Notre Dame, which lost 9-3 to USF late Tuesday night, struggled with the quick turnaround, falling behind 8-1 to West Virginia after two innings. The Mountaineers eventually won 13-6, and like Seton Hall, will play again Thursday against the losers of tonight's two games.

With the upsets continuing, it would be an easier path for USF if the Bulls can get past second-seeded Cincinnati on Wednesday night. A win there would give the Bulls a valuable day off before returning for Friday's semifinals, where they'd only need to win one of two games to advance to Saturday's championship game.

We'll have plenty more from Bright House Field tonight. USF's first pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. ...

Carlin, Cleveland continue late-season surge

Two of the improbable stars in USF's 9-3 win against Notre Dame on Tuesday night, senior Charles Cleveland and freshman Junior Carlin, have resurrected disappointing seasons in the last two weeks, a surprising but crucial part of the Bulls' late-season resurgence.

Cleveland, who has stepped in as USF's third baseman since starter Brandon Smith was sidelined for the season by a blood clot, has nearly doubled his batting average to .203 in the last 11 days, getting nine of his 16 hits this season in the past eight games. He entered Tuesday's game with four RBIs all season in 74 at-bats, but came through with a key two-run single for the first runs in USF's six-run second inning against the Irish. Cleveland's strong play started with a 5-for-5 day in the Bulls' 9-2 win against St. John's, which avoided a sweep and started the current run of five straight Big East wins.

"He's a senior," coach Lelo Prado said. "It's a good way to go out."

Carlin? A week ago, he had three hits all season, having been used more as a pitcher than a hitter. But after getting game-winning RBI singles in two games against Notre Dame last week, Prado took a gamble and not only inserted Carlin into the starting lineup, but put him second in the batting order. Prado said it was as simple a decision as going with a hot bat.

"That's all we did," Prado said. "He had some big hits against these guys the other day, and again he had some big hits today. Tournament time, you've got to play who's hot. He deserves to play."

Carlin delivered from the start, reaching on a bunt single and stealing second in the first inning. He came through with a bases-loaded single to give USF the lead in the second inning, and later reached base on a walk and a throwing error. Of his nine hits this season, six have come against Notre Dame in the last four games, raising his average to .321.

Bonus: I wasn't the only Times staffer at Bright House Field into the wee hours of Tuesday night, as photographer Joseph Garnett Jr. has a photo gallery of the Bulls' win. Enjoy.

Bonus bonus: Just want to pass along congrats to the Oracle's Kevin Smetana, a friend of the blog who was selected this week by UWire as one of the top 100 student journalists in the country. Well done.

Make it four: Bulls knock off Notre Dame again

CLEARWATER -- After three one-run wins against Notre Dame last week, USF knew it'd be tough to pull off another one Tuesday in the opening round of the Big East tournament at Bright House Field.

Instead, the sixth-seeded Bulls beat the third-seeded Fighting Irish by six runs. USF (30-25) pounded 15 hits while holding Notre Dame to five in a dominating 9-3 victory, a game that ended at 1:25 a.m. Wednesday morning. Now the Bulls play second-seeded Cincinnati at 8 p.m. Wednesday, with the winner advancing to Friday's semifinals.

"Once we jumped up 6-2, I think they were like 'Oh, here we go again,'" first baseman Joey Angelberger said. "They're a tough team, third in the conference. They can beat any team in the conference, maybe just not the Bulls."

USF scored six runs in the second inning, getting two-run singles from seniors Charles Cleveland and Angelberger as seven consecutive Bulls reached base. Every Bulls starter had at least one hit in the game, and Angelberger and shortstop Addison Maruszak had three each.

Freshman pitchers Derrick Stultz and Matt Stull (5-2) stayed in control on the mound, holding Notre Dame in check after a two-run first. Stull allowed just two hits and one run in five innings of relief, striking out two in the ninth.

"He throws strikes, and in tournament play, you've got to have guys who throw strikes," coach Lelo Prado said. "He did a great job."

Morning rains had pushed the start of the tournament back two hours Tuesday, so the Bulls didn't start their game until 10:11 p.m., and didn't finish until more than three hours later. Losing would have meant coming back to play in an elimination game at 1 p.m. Wednesday -- less than 12 hours later -- but now the Bulls can wait until Wednesday night to face the Bearcats. Junior right-hander Daniel Thomas (2-3, 3.83) will start for the Bulls.

Cincinnati (37-19) took two of three games from the Bulls when the two teams played in Ohio in March. Before Tuesday's outburst, the Bulls had totaled nine runs in their six-game Big East tournament history. The Bulls won their first two games in last year's tournament but were then eliminated in back-to-back shutouts against Connecticut.

Four in a row? Bulls up 9-3 on Notre Dame

Can USF knock off Notre Dame for the fourth time in six days? The sixth-seeded Bulls lead the third-seeded Fighting Irish 9-3 in the ninth inning after adding single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

USF starter Derrick Stultz has been in control since the first inning, holding Notre Dame to one single in the next three innings. Redshirt freshman Matt Stull has replaced him in the bottom of the fifth, so technically, Stultz can't get the win. Silly baseball rule.

The Bulls added a run in the fourth on Addison Maruszak's two-out single, which scored Joey Angelberger, who reached on an error. USF made it a six-run lead in the fifth on Mike Consolmagno's sacrifice bunt, which scored Jonathan Koscso, who had singled. The sixth? Maruszak doubled, advanced on Stephen Hunt's infield single and scored on Trey Manz' sacrifice fly.

Cleveland, Carlin key 6-run 2nd inning

Junior Carlin had three hits all season a week ago. Tonight, the freshman has two hits in the first two innings. Charles Cleveland? The senior entered the game with a .189 average and four RBIs all season in 74 at-bats. Stepping to the plate as USF's No. 9 hitter with the bases loaded, Cleveland came through with a two-run single, part of a six-run second that has the sixth-seeded Bulls up 6-2 on third-seeded Notre Dame.

The Bulls nickel-and-dimed the Irish with five singles in the inning -- Brian Hobbs and Trey Manz had one-out singles, then Jonathan Koscso was hit by a pitch to load the bases. That's USF's nation-leading 108th HBP of the season, by the way. Then Cleveland's 2-run single, then a Mike Consolmagno walk, then Carlin's RBI single and a two-run single by Joey Angelberger. Seven consecutive Bulls reached base before Addison Maruszak brought in the sixth run with a RBI infield groundout.

Golden Domers lead Bulls 2-0 after one

Rough first inning for USF, as Mike Consolmagno led off the game with a single but tried to leg it into a double, getting thrown out. Notre Dame got two runs on two hits off USF starter Derrick Stultz, but he got a strikeout to end the inning with a runner at third. Notre Dame, for the record, has gold baseball helmets, just like they have in football ...

Freshman Junior Carlin, who had three hits on the season a week ago, has gotten a rare start and is batting second after picking up two game-winning hits against Notre Dame last week. Sure enough, he laid down a perfect bunt down the third-base baseline for a single in the first, later stealing second.

Bulls vs. Mohawks, coming at 10:11 p.m.

USF's long-awaited Big East baseball tournament game against third-seeded Notre Dame will start at 10:11 p.m., backed up by morning rain that pushed three earlier games off schedule at Bright House Field.

From the Matt Grothe School of Motivational Grooming, Notre Dame's baseball team has responded to their three-game sweep at the hands of the Bulls last week by getting Mohawk haircuts. It's one big Tom Zbikowski impersonation from the Fighting Irish tonight.

Notre Dame, seeking to end a six-game skid, is wearing green ballcaps and green socks with their white uniforms -- the first time this season with that combination. Bulls have the white pants, green-and-gold jerseys, white caps working tonight.

(photo courtesy of the Associated Press)

Gonna be a late night in Clearwater ...

I'm here at Bright House Field in Clearwater, where theoretically, USF's baseball team should be playing in a matter of hours. The Bulls, originally scheduled for an 8 p.m. first pitch against third-seeded Notre Dame, have to wait for Cincinnati and West Virginia to finish their game, which is plodding along in the bottom of the second ... at 7:30.

So we're looking like 9:30 in the best scenario, probably more like 10. The upside? There's a mercy rule in effect at the tournament, so if Cincinnati -- up 7-0 now -- can get up by 10 runs after seven innings, that might mercifully shave a half-hour off the game time. My last deadline is 11:50 or so tonight, so it's looking rough for Wednesday's Times readers getting a USF result. Hope ... is a good thing.

Really, really bad news? The former La Spada's, now Delco's, home of outstanding authentic Philly cheesesteaks in Dunedin, has chosen this week of all weeks to shut down for a week. I'm out here every day for five days, and they're not open at all. Again, I'm from Philadelphia, so this is cruel.

Lots more to come tonight, so keep checking back, and it'd be cool if Cincy'd go ahead and win by 10.

St. Pete Bowl set for Dec. 20 ESPN2 debut

The inaugural St. Petersburg Bowl, featuring teams from the Big East and Conference USA, has been scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Dec. 20, on ESPN2 at Tropicana Field.

“We are not only thrilled to create a Florida bowl game experience for teams from C-USA and the BIG EAST, “ said Pete Derzis, senior vice president and general manager for ESPN Regional. "We’re also proud to showcase the St. Petersburg area and all it has to offer. The early evening kickoff will allow those attending the game to enjoy a full day of Florida’s renowned December weather before their bowl experience.”

For the moment, the St. Petersburg Bowl would kick off bowl season as the first game played, with the Las Vegas Bowl scheduled for the same night at 8 p.m. on ESPN. Another first-year bowl, the Congressional Bowl in Washington, D.C., has been tentatively set for Dec. 20 and is likely to have an earlier afternoon kickoff. The New Mexico Bowl is also a possibility for Dec. 20, though no date and time has been set.

Baseball update: There is no curfew for the Big East -- woohoo! -- so no matter how late it takes, USF is playing Notre Dame tonight. So check back for live blogging, but the Bulls won't start until at least 8:30 ...

Rain delays start of Big East baseball

Morning rains have delayed the start of the Big East baseball tournament, which could impact the scheduled starting time of tonight's USF-Notre Dame baseball game, initially set for 8 p.m. at Bright House Field in Clearwater.

As of 11:10 a.m., the opening game between Louisville and Seton Hall had not yet started, which pushes the start of the tournament back at least two hours. There's a four-hour stagger scheduled between the second and third games, which would allow the league to move closer to the original start times, but continued rains could complicate things. Check back for more information ...

Brothers inspire Bulls in different ways

USF baseball doesn't play third-seeded Notre Dame until 8 p.m. in Clearwater, but I wanted to get a link up to today's story on Bulls stars Joey Angelberger and Addison Maruszak and how both have been inspired by their brothers in their baseball careers.

How much does baseball mean to their families? Last year, Angelberger's older brother, Lenny, had set his wedding date for March 24, but when he realized that date conflicted with USF's road trip to play Notre Dame, he and his fiance opted to reschedule their wedding to a later date, rather than take that experience away from Angelberger. Joey had three hits that day at Notre Dame, and March 24 is also special to him because it was his late brother Chris' birthday.

Both players should have lots of family and friends at Bright House Field this week, as Angelberger is from Dunedin, just five minutes or so up U.S. 19, and Maruszak's family is just 15 minutes away in Pinellas Park. More baseball to come later ...

Lockwood, Angelberger get All-Big East nods

Redshirt freshman Ryan Lockwood, who sparked the Bulls as their starting centerfielder and cleanup hitter, earned first-team All-Big East honors on Monday but was passed over for the league's Rookie of the Year honor.

Senior first baseman Joey Angelberger also represented USF on the first team, and junior infielder Addison Maruszak made the all-conference second team. The league's rookie honor went to West Virginia's Jedd Gyorko, who had 57 RBIs and seven home runs; Lockwood had 37 and zero. Lockwood and Gyorko finished second and third in the league in overall batting average.

The sixth-seeded Bulls open play in the Big East tournament in Clearwater at 8 p.m. on Tuesday against third-seeded Notre Dame.

Lockwood, a Jesuit graduate who transferred after one season at Florida, has a 30-game hitting streak, the longest active streak in college baseball, and his .415 average this season is the second-highest season average in USF history. He led the Big East in batting average in conference games. Lockwood saw his season end early nine days ago when he broke a bone in his left hand while sliding into home during USF's series with St. John's.

Angelberger leads USF with 10 home runs and 48 RBIs, both career highs, and matches Maruszak for the team lead with 52 runs. Angelberger made the Big East honor roll for last week after hitting four home runs in four games and helping the Bulls earn a three-game sweep of Notre Dame. Maruszak's .362 average is second only to Lockwood on the Bulls' roster.

Lots of links before baseball starts up ...

A lot of people think that because I write for the St. Petersburg Times, I must have this nasty commute across the bridge to cover USF in Tampa. On the contrary, I've lived in Wesley Chapel for eight years, so USF is conveniently close to home for me, but this week, as I cover the Big East baseball tournament in Clearwater, I have that nasty commute everyone thinks I have on a daily basis.

Conference tournaments are a great baseball environment -- I've covered ACC tourneys in Greensville, S.C., and in St. Pete when it was here a few years back, and every year, there's a low-seeded team that sticks around longer than expected. Will sixth-seeded USF be that team this week? The Bulls, on the tournament bubble a week ago, actually have the third-best RPI in the league, according to baseball site WarrenNolan.com. This is a function of a tougher schedule, with midweek games as tough as the weekend competition in many instances.

Anyway, we'll have tons of baseball this week, but first, I've got a weekend's worth of links to offer up:

-- I still find it impressive that Miami's new athletic director, Kirby Hocutt, played linebacker for Jim Leavitt at Kansas State. The Miami Herald has a feature on Hocutt, complete with a ringing endorsement from Leavitt.

-- Everybody's cranking out preseason top 25 lists, and Newerascouting.com has joined in on the fun, ranking the Bulls No. 18 in their offering. West Virginia is No. 9, Kansas is No. 14 and Pittsburgh is No. 25 in there. From the Out There On a Limb Dept., they write that if Pittsburgh doesn't make a bowl, coach Dave Wannstedt will "certainly be on the hot seat." You think?

-- Speaking of West Virginia, star running back Noel Devine and USF freshman cornerback Quenton Washington, teammates and friends at North Fort Myers High, returned home to put on a football camp for area kids this past week. The "239 Future All-Stars Football Camp" -- sharing an area code with someone is indeed a special bond -- drew 53 kids ages 7 to 14. Fun quote in the Fort Myers News-Press from Quenton's little brother, Rashad: "He's going to be the best ever," Rashad, a sixth-grader, said of Quenton. "But I'm going to be better than him. I'm going to be the best ever, ever."

-- I have to throw some love -- albeit badly belated love -- to our preps blog and Izzy Gould, who had news last week of Wesley Chapel offensive lineman Kamran Joyer picking up an offer from USF coach Jim Leavitt. Joyer has USF at the top of his list, though he's hoping for an offer from Florida, too.

-- Next year's men's basketball roster will have a real international flavor to it, with five players born outside the 50 states: Jesus Verdejo and Gaby Belardo from Puerto Rico, Alex Rivas Sanchez from the Dominican Republic, B.J. Ajayi from Nigeria and Teeng Akol from Sudan. With that in mind, I offer a rare international link to this story in Spanish on the signing of Rivas Sanchez. My favorite word to translate? Bloqueados, with a close second to uno muy buena experiencia.

-- USF soon-to-be-point-guard Dwan McMillan is playing in the prestigious IS8 tournament this summer in Queens, N.Y., on a loaded team that includes Louisville-bound Samardo Samuels and new West Virginia commit Devin Ebanks, as well as two Syracuse signees, a Florida signee and a pair of future Kansas stars, according to SI.com. It's practically a preview of the Big East tournament, and the McMillan whose name gets mentioned by Dick "Hoops" Weiss is Dwan's brother, Devon, who goes by "Fatty." Dwan's team, by the way, is the Shooting Stars, and they're the No. 1 seed out of 50 teams in the field.

-- High praise for Akol in Van Coleman's latest basketball recruiting column for CSTV.com. "He has all kinds of offensive tools and could be a poor man's Kevin Durant in college," Coleman writes. "He's definitely a player that Stan Heath can build the program around if he qualifies this summer as expected." And because I just like sharing correct pronunciations, it's TENG ah-KOHL. See, I'm looking out for you guys all the time.

Two and 'cue: Bulls softball eliminated

It's been more than a decade since I first heard it from FSU baseball Mike Martin, describing an all-too-early exit from a double-elimination tournament: "Two and 'cue" is short for "O and 2 and barbecue." Lose your first two games, you can go home and get the charcoal going.

So the excitement of USF softball winning the Big East regular-season title has been muted a bit by the Bulls dropping their first two games in the NCAA Regional in Gainesville. Georgia Tech beat the Bulls 9-2 on Saturday -- helped by six USF errors -- to eliminate them after a 3-2 loss to Central Florida on Friday.

Freshman pitcher Capri Catalano clearly wasn't healthy -- despite USF insisting nothing was physically wrong with her -- as the Bulls' ace did not pitch in either game this weekend. Senior Courtney Mosch, reliable all season in the circle, struggled against Georgia Tech, giving up seven hits in three innings, though only two of the seven runs she allowed were earned.

USF didn't have much offensively -- its No. 8 and 9 hitters, Kelly McCarver and Aya Nakajima, went a combined 4-for-5, but the first seven hitters in the Bulls' batting order were a combined 2-for-18 against Georgia Tech.

The defensive letdown alone makes it the kind of game you don't want to end a season with, but USF returns a huge portion of its lineup next season, as well as getting some key veterans back from injuries.

Sweep: Streaking Bulls beat Irish again

I interviewed USF shortstop Addison Maruszak on Wednesday, and I didn't run this quote in the story that ran Thursday because it seemed too pie-in-the-sky for a team that hadn't swept any Big East opponent in Lelo Prado's two seasons with the Bulls.

"If we sweep this weekend, we carry a lot of momentum into the tournament," Maruszak said. "Right now, we're worried about one game at a time, but hopefully we can come out with a sweep this weekend."

USF is picking the right time to play its best baseball, as the Bulls got their first Big East sweep of the season, rallying from an 8-0 deficit to beat Notre Dame 9-8 on Saturday.

The Bulls (29-25) finish 14-13 in Big East play, and because West Virginia lost 14-9 on Saturday to Cincinnati, the Mountaineers finish 13-14 in the conference, so USF is the sixth seed in the Big East tournament, which starts Tuesday in Clearwater.

It's USF's first conference sweep in two seasons under coach Lelo Prado, and the Bulls' first since a sweep of Seton Hall in 2006. The Bulls should get a fourth shot at Notre Dame on Tuesday, as the standings show USF will play the Fighting Irish in the opening round at 8 p.m.

USF used former closer Shawn Sanford in a rare start Saturday, and Notre Dame tagged him for seven runs -- two earned -- in the first three innings. The Bulls rallied back with six runs in the fifth, including a three-run home run by Joey Angelberger, his fourth home run in four games, and a two-run shot from Brian Hobbs.

The game was tied in the eighth inning when the Bulls came up with a run in much the same way they scored the game-winner in the 16th inning Friday night. Maruszak was hit by a pitch to open the inning -- extending USF's school record and nation-leading total -- and he advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Stephen Hunt. Maruszak got to third on a groundout by Brian Hobbs, and then freshman Junior Carlin, who had the game-winning RBI on Friday, hit a single to bring in the go-ahead run.

Leavitt taking a break at Preakness

USF coach Jim Leavitt has lamented the NCAA's policy change this year to keep head coaches from making recruiting visits during the spring evaluation period, as this is a time of year that Leavitt liked to hit the road hard, piling up the miles and proudly rattling off how many high schools he'd driven to in a short amount of time.

Instead, Leavitt must leave the in-person recruiting to his assistants, confident in their ability to evaluate talent and ask the important questions of high school coaches and teachers. Today's a good example of Leavitt allowing himself to enjoy things outside football, as he said this week he'll be in Baltimore to attend the Preakness Stakes for the first time.

Even before the "Around the Horns" booster tour starts up next month, Leavitt is doing a lot of speaking engagements, everything from small church groups to corporate gatherings. The same day he spoke at Congregation Beth Am this past week, he was up at 7:30 a.m. to speak to fathers and kids at Roosevelt Elementary in Tampa. He said he's never signed so many autographs at once -- signed everything from shirts to hats to foreheads. The horses today have nothing to do with football, which is really a good thing for Leavitt, and if anyone but Big Brown wins, I'd expect Leavitt to remind his players of that in pregame talks this fall. The Oregon loss probably ratcheted the Bulls down a notch or two in most preseason Big East polls, but Leavitt relishes the underdog role and playing the well-worn "us vs. the world" card.

Not sure who Leavitt pulls for today -- there's a horse named "Stevil" that's practically an anagram of his name, but there's another 30-1 horse named "Racecar Rhapsody." That's horse's jockey is named ... Albarado.

Last at-bat again: Bulls beat Irish in 16th

An hour or two longer than Lelo Prado might have hoped for, but he won't complain with the result: USF got an RBI single from freshman Junior Carlin to score Addison Maruszak in the bottom of the 16th, giving the Bulls a 3-2 win against Notre Dame in a game that matched the longest in USF history.

It's the second night in a row the Bulls have beaten Notre Dame in their final at-bat, after rallying for three runs in the ninth Thursday night. USF has a chance for its first Big East sweep of the season on Saturday afternoon, against the third-place team in the conference, no less. And the win puts the Bulls (28-25) three games over .500, which means even if they lose Saturday and go two-and-out in Clearwater next week, USF won't finish with a losing record.

Strong night for starter Randy Fontanez, who went eight innings and held Notre Dame to two runs, one earned. Stronger still for another freshman, Zach Pietrzyk, who pitched five scoreless innings of relief. A third freshman, Drew Malley, got his first career win. The bullpen combined for eight innings, giving up just three hits, a big boost of confidence in an area where the Bulls needed a lift. Always nice to fail to score a run for 12 innings in a row ... and still win.

USF, on the bubble for the conference tournament barely a day ago, is now 13-13 in league play, tying them with West Virginia for sixth place. So if the Bulls beat Notre Dame on Saturday and West Virginia loses at second-place Cincinnati -- certainly a possibility -- then USF would be the No. 6 seed, which would give them Notre Dame again on Tuesday. Then again, hard to beat a team four times in six days.

The length of the game matched a 2000 win against Cincinnati for the longest in the program's history, and that game was the second of a doubleheader. Looking through the record books, the 2006 team really liked extra innings -- two 13-inning games, a 12-inning game and three that went 11 ...

Bulls fall to UCF 3-2 in NCAA softball

USF's softball team opened play in the NCAA Regional in Gainesville with a 3-2 loss to Central Florida, sending the Bulls into a difficult path to stay alive in the double-elimination event.

A 2-run home run by JoJo Medina had the Bulls up 2-1 entering the sixth inning, and USF got a key out at the plate, but the next batter, Allison Kime, tripled in two runs off starter Courtney Mosch.

The Bulls play Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in an elimination game against Georgia Tech, which lost 7-2 to host Florida on Friday night.

Report: FAU picks Jarvis, not Hipsher

It appears that USF basketball coach Stan Heath has avoided losing his top assistant, as ESPN.com's Andy Katz is reporting that former St. John's coach Mike Jarvis -- not USF assistant Dan Hipsher -- is expected to be named the new coach at Florida Atlantic.

Hipsher, formerly a head coach at Stetson and Akron, was a finalist for the job, interviewing for five hours on campus with school officials. Jarvis, who lives in Boca Raton, is said to be reviewing a contract offer from FAU with his attorneys.

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.

Bulls rally in ninth to beat Notre Dame, 5-4

USF coach Lelo Prado hopes his team can finish its season the same way they did Thursday's game against Notre Dame. The Bulls rallied for three runs in the ninth, pulling out a 5-4 victory that has them within one win of clinching a spot in next week's Big East tournament in Clearwater.

"If they can't get excited now, they don't need to be playing baseball," Prado said. "That's a great win right there. In baseball, crazy things happen. You get a little momentum. It's a great time to be hot right now."

Down 4-2 in the ninth, the Bulls got doubles from Mike Consolmagno and Trey Manz to pull within a run, then saw Joey Angelberger and Addison Maruszak hit by pitches to load the bases. Stephen Hunt's one-out chopper to second would have scored the tying run by itself, but Jeremy Barnes' throw sailed over first base, allowing the winning run to score.

USF (27-25, 12-13) is seventh in the Big East standings, ahead of Villanova (11-14) and Rutgers (10-14). A win tonight against Notre Dame or a Rutgers loss clinches a tournament berth for the Bulls. In beating St. John's on Sunday and Notre Dame on Thursday, the Bulls have beaten the top two teams in the conference standings in their last two league games.

Live blog: Bulls can't clinch tourney tonight

Out here at Red McEwen Field, where USF's baseball team is hoping to lock up one of the final spots in next week's Big East tournament in Clearwater, ending the regular season with a three-game series against second-place Notre Dame.

First, the bad news: The Bulls cannot clinch a spot in the tournament tonight, as the Rutgers-Louisville game scheduled for Thursday night has been postponed due to inclement weather. A USF win, combined with a Rutgers loss, would lock up a tournament berth. But since the Knights and Cardinals play at 2 p.m., the Bulls could clinch before Friday's game, allowing Lelo Prado to rest his arms and key players.

The good news? Villanova, which started the day tied with USF at 11-13 in seventh place, got destroyed by St. John's, 16-2, this afternoon. Villanova would have to win more games this weekend than USF for the Bulls to miss the cut for Clearwater, so think of this as the Bulls breaking serve to open the set. (Does the tennis metaphor make the playoff picture any less murky? Probably not.)

Beyond that, it's a beautiful night at the Red, and we'll be live blogging the next few hours. Bulls starter Daniel Thomas got out of a shaky first inning, stranding runners and second and third with a clutch strikeout. Keep checking back for more ...

Former Bulls forward Saaka lands at Furman

As Stan Heath is putting the finishing touches on a huge recruiting class, another former Bulls player has found a new home, as sophomore forward Amu Saaka has signed with Furman.

Saaka signed with Furman out of high school, but got a release from his letter of intent and chose USF, playing one season under former coach Robert McCullum and one under Heath. After a promising run at the end of the nonconference season in December, Saaka broke his nose in USF's Big East opener against Rutgers and wasn't the same player the rest of the season. He'll sit out this season and will then have two years of eligibility for the Paladins.

"We are very excited about adding Amu to our program," Furman coach Jeff Jackson told the Greenville News. "He adds a physical presence and athleticism for us on the perimeter, but more importantly, he is the kind of young man who will fit well into our program."

Saaka's signing leaves only forward Orane Chin unclaimed among the six players who were granted releases from USF in the past year. The first four were forward Zaronn Cann, who played for Division II Eckerd College this past season; guard Dante Curry, who transferred to Georgia State in December; guard Solomon Bozeman, who will transfer this summer to Arkansas-Little Rock, and guard/forward Aaron Holmes, who will play at Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville next season.

One more hoops note: If you want to see highlights of new USF commitment Teeng Akol in action, check out his page at Hoopsreport.com. More to come tonight from USF baseball vs. Notre Dame ...

'No doubt about it': 6-11 Akol commits to USF

On the day USF announced the signing of two recruits, coach Stan Heath picked up a big commitment, as Teeng Akol, a 6-foot-11, 225-pound power forward from Sudan who played this season at Bradenton's IMG Academy, said he will sign with the Bulls and become the seventh member of USF's incoming class.

"I have a good relationship with the coaches," said Akol, who also strongly considered West Virginia. "I did a lot of research, and it was hard for me to decide, but at the end of the day, USF's coaches recruited me so much. I really liked the environment there, no doubt about it."

Akol, rated as a three-star recruit by Scout.com and Rivals.com, joins a class that has considerable size, with 6-foot-10 center Alex Rivas Sanchez, 6-8 center Gene Teague and 6-7 forward Eladio Espinosa. Akol said he has not taken the required college entrance exams but will take them in June and is confident he will earn a qualifying score. ESPN.com's recruiting rankings have him as the No. 41 center nationally in the 2008 class, though Akol said he considers himself a power forward.

USF announced the formal signing Wednesday of two commitments, Rivas Sanchez and combo guard Gaby Belardo of Puerto Rico.

One post, 10 tasty morsels of USF news ...

Stopped by Congregation Beth Am on Fletcher Avenue on Tuesday night, where USF coach Jim Leavitt spoke to a group of about 50, talking about last season, next season and everything in between. Leavitt is good working an audience like that -- at ease, compared to a formal news conference, sharp answering questions from fans, with a few fun tangents to diverge from year-in-review thoughts.

1. As we've been mentioning since the start of spring drills, Leavitt confirmed that starting right tackle Jake Sims, just finishing his second year as a walk-on, will be on scholarship this fall. Leavitt has been consistent in directing praise toward Sims, but he's also been reliable to mention the chance to play right away at tackle this fall for two true freshmen, Mark Popek and Damien Edwards.

2. The player Leavitt talked most about Tuesday? Chris Robinson, who enters fall drills as the starting strongside linebacker. Leavitt at one point said he was "the key" to this season, impressive words for a player who barely contributed last season because of a lingering ankle injury. Robinson showed promise at the end of 2006, and Leavitt is counting on him, with just as much pressure on Tyrone McKenzie, who shifts inside to the middle. Leavitt said he's challenged McKenzie to be better than Ben Moffitt was last year: that means production on the field, understanding the defense, and being a senior leader.

3. Walk-on Quincy Okolie, the lanky tight end who caught a pass across the middle in the Sun Bowl loss to Oregon, has officially moved to defensive end, Leavitt said. He wants more depth at end, behind projected starters George Selvie and Jarriett Buie and juco transfers David Bedford and Craig Marshall. Leavitt said the Bulls could still have Okolie cameo at tight end, but he's happy with Cedric Hill, Ben Busbee and a bunch of players competing behind those two. Busbee, by the way, made the 11 o'clock news on Channel 28 the other night, in a man-on-the-street deal about the high price of gas and people trying to shake the last few drops of gas out of the pump. Came off well on camera, on his way home to Mobile for part of the summer.

4. Drifting from football, USF's basketball office made it official Wednesday that guard Gaby Belardo and center Alex Rivas Sanchez have signed on as the fifth and sixth members of Stan Heath's incoming recruiting class. It'll probably be at least Friday before Florida Atlantic announces its new basketball coach, with USF assistant Dan Hipsher still very much in the mix as a finalist. One interesting wrinkle: I talked to Ken Kelly, who was Orane Chin's coach at Miramar High, and he mentioned that FAU would be a possibility for Chin if Hipsher got the job. If that doesn't work out, Kelly said Chin might join former USF director of basketball operations Darren Sorenson at Oakland University in Michigan.

5. Ran into Aris Williams on Wednesday, and the senior power forward said his knee is feeling as well as it has since he's been at USF -- he put it at 98.9 percent, to be exact. Williams, who graduated this spring, could contribute at a key position for the Bulls, as power forward is arguably the area USF is thinnest at entering the season. Having him healthy would ease the load on freshman Eladio Espinosa, who is expected to start at the four for the Bulls.

6. USF coach Lelo Prado has only four seniors on roster, and only outfielder Joey Angelberger is a regular starter, but Prado said Wednesday he expects two juniors to be drafted this summer: starting pitcher Daniel Thomas and shortstop Addison Maruszak. Prado thinks Maruszak's arm is so strong that "a l