CLEARWATER, Fla. – From the get-go, this first season of USF baseball under the guidance of Mitch Hannahs brought a level of accountability and responsibility that had been lacking, at least according to a few of the returning players, each a pillar in the lineup and clubhouse.
Hence, it was an easy club for their fans to root for and pull for. Even when trailing ECU by three and with two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the ninth Saturday afternoon at BayCare Ballpark the Bulls found a way to bring the tying run to the plate in the person of second baseman Carlos Jacome.
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The sophomore second baseman ripped an 0-2 pitch off Pirates’ lefty Ethan Norby, a college star in the making and younger brother of the Miami Marlins’ and former ECU stud. Alas, it was snared by shortstop Dixon Williams.
That ended the Bulls’ American Athletic Conference tourney participation after three games, and their season. Their final mark was 31-25.
“These guys were hell-bent on winning this tournament,” said Hannahs, who led Indiana State for 11 seasons prior to arriving in Tampa last summer. “I mean, you saw it when they came out today. That’s what I appreciate most about this group.”
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Things looked good when the Bulls scored twice in the first and twice in the second to take a 4-0 lead. True, it was early, but USF fans in attendance might have had thoughts about hanging around for second game against the Pirates. Win that one and the green and gold would be playing for a conference title Sunday. Of course, it was not to be. There was no such drama.
For Hannahs and the returning players, the task now is to bottle the many positives from this season, unleash it in the fall and keep building into spring 2026.
“I think the biggest lesson for these guys, champions are made in the fall,” said Hannahs. “They’re not made in May and not made in June. It happens in the fall. And I think we have to continue to really drill that into our guys so that they understand how much work they have to do.”
ECU advances to the conference championship (Noon Sunday, ESPNews) against Tulane, which Saturday morning toppled No. 1 seed UTSA and is seeking a three-peat.
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