Six USF baseball players to watch in 2024
College baseball is back, and South Florida is less than a month away from its season opener on Feb. 16 in Tampa against UConn.
The Bulls will look to improve on a 21-39 season and a second straight year at the bottom of the AAC standings.
Related: A quick glance at USF baseball’s upcoming season
While a few new faces are on the team this year, coach Billy Mohl brought back many talented players from the 2023 squad.
Here’s a look at some key players for the Bulls in 2024:
Sophomore shortstop Eric Snow
Snow broke out in a big way for USF last season, leading the team in hits and batting average while adding eight home runs.
The talented sophomore infielder made the All-Conference team and won AAC Defensive Player of the Year en route to being named a Freshman All-American.
After being named a Preseason All-Conference infielder by Perfect Game, Snow will look to turn around a struggling Bulls offense that ranked 239th in scoring.
He will be a big part of USF’s defensive effort as well, which had the third highest fielding percentage in the AAC last season.
Related: Eric Snow: A passion for the game of baseball through his father’s eyes
Junior utility Bobby Boser
Utility player Bobby Boser enters the 2024 campaign after being among the Bulls’ best hitters last season.
Boser hit 15 home runs a season ago, which led the team and ranks ninth in USF history for home runs in a season.
He appeared in 56 games in 2023, recording a team high .445 on base percentage and .621 slugging percentage.
Boser also emerged as an all-around defensive star for South Florida, recording a .994 fielding percentage. Boser only committed one error while splitting time between shortstop, centerfield and second base.
The junior received a Preseason All-Conference nod from Perfect Game. Look for this utility player to make an impact all over the diamond this year.
Senior Outfielder Drew Brutcher
Drew Brutcher, a senior outfielder, will look to cement his legacy as one of the best power hitters in USF history this season.
In his first three seasons as a Bull, Brutcher has hit 34 home runs.
This total is tied for the sixth most in school history, and is 20 home runs away from tying Ross Gload’s all-time record of 54. Golad played at USF from 1995-1997.
The outfield star racked up 67 hits, 45 RBIs and a team-high 32 walks drawn with a .293 batting average. He also brings stability to the lineup, being the only Bull to start all 60 games in 2023.
Brutcher is the third Bull named to the Perfect Game Preseason All-Conference team.
Junior Right-handed pitcher Jack Cebert
Right-handed pitcher Jack Cebert was the ace for this squad last season.
Cebert recorded a team-high 76.2 innings pitched with a 5.05 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 14 starts.
He was named to the All-Conference second team in 2023 and came into this season as one of five Preseason All-AAC nods the Bulls received.
Freshman Right-handed pitcher Logan Bevis
Logan Bevis comes to USF as the top high school recruit in its 40th ranked recruiting class.
The 6-foot-6-inch right-hander was ranked as the 32nd-best player and tenth-best RHP in Florida according to the Perfect Game composite.
The Bulls struggled with pitching depth at times last year, having just five pitchers throw more than 50 innings.
Bevis, who throws a hard fastball that tops out at 95 mph, will be a player to watch as he gets more experience under his belt.
Junior Outfielder Jaden Ross
The Bulls also added talent through the transfer portal this offseason. Coach Mohl brought in nine transfers to shore up positions of need, including six pitchers.
One of the most notable transfers is junior outfielder Jaden Ross.
Ross made the jump to USF after being named All-Conference and All-Region last season.
The outfielder was also a part of the NJCAA Region 3 All-Glove team last season at Hudson Valley Community College.
A Tampa native, Ross batted .380 in 2023 with six doubles, 25 RBIs and a team-high 36 stolen bases.
Look for Ross to find his way into the lineup this season as a player that can do it all in the outfield.