MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Wildcats embark on their first road weekend since March 17 as they take on the defending SWAC regular-season champions, Alabama State, this weekend in Montgomery. First pitch of the three-game weekend is set for Friday, April 12 at 7 p.m. EST. 



Friday-Sunday, April 12-14
Opponent: Alabama State (14-16, 5-6 SWAC)
Time: 7 p.m. | 7 p.m. | 2 p.m. EST
Location: Montgomery, Ala. | Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex
Tickets: https://am.ticketmaster.com/univsouthflorida/buy?id=MTY5
Live Stats: https://bamastatesports.com/sports/baseball/summary
Watch: https://www.hornetssportsnetwork.com/




 Joel Core took a stellar start into the seventh, but a late Bulls rally was the difference as USF took the midweek contest, 4-1, Tuesday night in Tampa.

Starter Joel Core and the Wildcats held USF hitless through nearly five innings as B-CU took an early 1-0 lead off the bat of Manny Souffrain, whose RBI single scored Garrett Chun in the top of the fourth. 

USF finally gathered offensive momentum in the bottom of the seventh, taking the lead on a two-run homer before an RBI single made it 3-1. 

The Bulls tacked on one more in the eighth on a pair of B-CU errors to make it 4-1. 

The Wildcats threatened in the ninth , as back-to-back singles put runners on first and second with no one out. Three straight strikeouts ended the night with the Bulls holding on to the 4-1 win. 

Joel Core finished the night tossing 6.1 innings in which he allowed three runs - two earned - on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts.

Pablo Torres and Dylan Vega finished things out of the pen, combining for one unearned run on one hit with two walks and five strikeouts.




The Hornets have scuffled to start the 2024 season. They currently sit in the SWAC's No. 4 playoff position with a 14-16 record, including a 5-6 mark in conference play. Last weekend, the Hornets were swept at the hands of Florida A&M  before stealing a 3-2 win over Auburn Tuesday night.  

Alabama State is hitting a conference third-best .308 as a team with a SWAC-leading 34 homers. Senior infielder Randy Flores leads the Hornets offensively with a .328 avearge, six homers, and 24 RBI. He has also stolen a team-hith 11 bases on 12 attempts. Five other Hornets are batting at least .300, with two other players totaling five or more homers. 

On the mound, Alabama State is pitching to a 6.01 team ERA, with 150 walks to 180 strikeouts. Sophomore lefty Jorhan Laboy leads his team with a .376 ERA, striking out 37 to 18 walks in 52.2 innings pitched.  



Friday marks the 15th meeting in the all-time series between B-CU and Alabama State. The Wildcats are 5-9 in the series, having dropped the last five straight in Montgomery. 

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