The 16-game fall schedule for the baseball club is complete and they are already shifting gears for the spring schedule.
The USF St. Petersburg baseball club posted a 9-7 record in the fall and saw a dramatic increase in the level of competition after having a 18-5 record last year. The club lost their fall-season finale 6-5 to the University of Florida, who are ranked No. 5 among club baseball teams.
This will be the first time the club will play year round. They will have a change of scenery for the spring as the Bulls have played their final home game at Al Lang Stadium, which is located within walking distance of the USFSP campus.
The team will migrate to Huggins-Stengel Field at 1320 Fifth St. N and Campbell Park at 601 14th St. S for their 31-game schedule starting in January. The club will be home for 22 of the games. Huggins-Stengel was the New York Yankees’ Spring Training facility from 1925-1942.
“We’re here now and we love this field,” said Caitlin Greene, the club’s marketing director, referring to Huggins-Stengel Field. “It’s not our first pick, but it’s definitely a good field.”
The club had to officially move fields mid-season after Tampa Bay Rowdies owner Bill Edwards bought Al Lang Stadium to improve his soccer team’s field.
Although the team is saddened about losing their home crowd atmosphere, they are working on ways to improve their attendance to ease the move.
The club is staying focused on playing more productively come spring after fighting off injuries.
“Our pitching is coming together,” club president Jeremy Berger said. “We’re still finding our starters for the spring.”
The Bulls have seen an increase from local sponsors, heading to their second year as a club. Some of the club’s home games feature free food from The Tavern at Bayboro, a restaurant located next to campus.
The club hopes to make a run at a national championship in the coming months, as well.
“We’re making a lot of progress,” Berger said. “Ultimately, the goal a few years down the road is to establish ourselves as one of the biggest and best club baseball programs in the country.”
The club has preached the motto “bigger than baseball” since establishing themselves as one of the school’s first athletic club teams.
“We’re trying to establish a local tradition of excellence,” Berger said. “That’s what it all comes down to. We want USF St. Pete to stand out in something.”
