Memphis Arrives in South Florida for Third Baseball Conference Series

Mo. Basuony

Published: April 3, 2026 12:20 PM ET

Memphis Arrives in South Florida for Third Baseball Conference Series

TAMPA, Fla. — University of South Florida baseball opens a three-game American Athletic Conference series with Memphis on April 1, 2026.

The Bulls enter 22-7 overall and 3-3 in league play. Memphis arrives with a 9-19 record and a 2-6 mark in the American.

Memphis arrives in South Florida this weekend as the teams meet in their third conference series of the season.

Series context

South Florida claimed its first conference series of the year at home against Rice. The Bulls dropped their next league series at Charlotte.

USF suffered a 6-5 home defeat to Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday. It was the program’s first home loss to the Wildcats since 2012.

Memphis won a midweek game at home over Arkansas State, 11-9. Earlier, the Tigers hosted Wichita State in a conference series that ended 2-1 for the Shockers.

Memphis won Game 2 against Wichita State, 11-1, in eight innings. The clubs meet with history close between them.

The all-time series favors Memphis 20-18. Last season, USF won a 2-1 series in Tennessee.

The series is even at 8-8 in Tampa. Both teams will seek to claim the edge in the overall matchup.

Team and player notes

Bradke Lohry earned an Honorable Mention for American Conference Player of the Week. Several Bulls appear on national statistical lists.

USF leads the nation in sacrifice flies. Ryan Pruitt ranks among the top 10 nationally in that category.

The Bulls are 10-0 when a USF player homers. South Florida ranks sixth nationally in fielding percentage.

Jevin Relaford sits among the top 20 in the country with 19 stolen bases. Jack Lutz has a nine-game hit streak.

Lance Trippel has reached base in 14 straight games. The Bulls have outscored opponents 214-115 this season.

South Florida is 17-0 when scoring six or more runs. Those margins show the team’s offensive depth.

Coach and program background

The USF baseball program began in 1966. The 2026 season marks the program’s 61st year.

Mitch Hannahs returns for his second season as head coach. He guided the Bulls to 32 wins in his debut campaign.

That 32-win total was USF’s best since 2018. The team also posted 16 American Athletic Conference victories last season.

Hannahs was the 2023 ABCA NCAA Division I Midwest Region Coach of the Year. He became USF’s eighth head coach on June 8, 2024.

He spent 11 seasons at Indiana State, compiling 355 wins, six conference titles, and five NCAA Regional appearances. USF’s program has a long history of postseason presence.

The Bulls hold 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, including a 2021 Super Regional berth. The program has five conference tournament titles and six regular season crowns.

USF has produced 134 MLB Draft picks overall. That total included three selections in 2025 and features alum Shane McClanahan.