TAMPA, Fla. – After a dominant Sunday performance that kept the South Florida Bulls from a series sweep, sophomore right-hander Kaden Smith has been officially named the American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week.
Smith took the mound against the UAB Blazers on April 19 with the Bulls trailing 2-0 in the three-game set. The TCU transfer delivered the longest outing of his college career, working through 7.0 complete innings to secure his first collegiate quality start.
During his time on the bump, Smith surrendered only two hits and three walks, effectively silencing the UAB offense and helping South Florida clinch a much-needed victory.
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The performance comes at a pivotal moment for the Bulls. While the Sunday starting role has rotated throughout the first half of the season, Smith’s efficiency provides some much-needed stability for the rotation. With conference play now at the midway point, South Florida currently holds fifth place in the AAC standings.
The Bulls won’t have long to celebrate the individual accolade.
The team travels to DeLand on Tuesday, April 21, for a midweek rematch against Stetson. South Florida previously beat the Hatters 12-4 in March.
Following that, the Bulls face a high-stakes road trip to East Carolina for a three-game series against the Pirates beginning Friday, April 24. It will be the first meeting between the two programs since ECU eliminated South Florida from the conference tournament last season.
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