Big East coaches fear Fontanez
With USF’s first pitch just 10 days away, Big East baseball coaches around the league have admitted their fear of the starting pitcher at the top of the USF starting rotation.
Randy Fontanez is back for his senior season after passing on a contract offer from the Cincinnati Reds, who drafted him in the 23rd round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft.
Fontanez was named the “pitcher you least want to face” by Big East coaches in a poll by collegebaseballinsider.com.
With three years as USF’s Friday night pitcher under his belt, Fontanez returns for his final season with the Bulls. In 41 career starts, Fontanez has posted a record of 17-13 with an earned run average of 3.41. He has also completed 10 games in his USF career.
Despite only going 5-7, Fontanez pitched some of his best games last season.
On March 26, Fontanez pitched a complete game no-hitter, becoming the first USF pitcher to do so in 18 years. He struck out 12 batters in that outing, a career-high.
When Connecticut came to Tampa May 14, it was expected to be a pitcher’s duel between Fontanez and Huskies ace Matt Barnes, who hadn’t yet been beaten. Fontanez limited UConn, who was leading the Big East at the time, to just four hits and one earned run in a dominating seven-inning effort.
Fontanez will have his hands full right away as the Bulls open their season Feb. 18 against the top-ranked Florida Gators at McKethan Stadium in Gainesville. USF opened last season against the No. 7 Gators, but was swept in three games.
More Stories
USF won’t install more physical protections following recent on-campus suicide
USF will not be implementing additional physical safety measures over a month after a student leapt from an upper floor inside the Interdisciplinary Sciences building, USF spokeswoman Althea Johnson said. The incident marked the third on-campus suicide since fall 2022. A week after a student fell from an upper floor of Beard Garage in 2022, […]
USF student body president and vice president-elect sworn in
A new era of Student Government (SG) just arrived. In a quick five-minute ceremony, student body president-elect Suryakanth Prasad Gottipati and vice president-elect Sumit Subhash Jadhav were sworn in on Wednesday afternoon. Their term will start on May 6 and last for one year. Related: Take a look at USF’s student leaders’ swearing in ceremony […]
Photos: Take a look at USF’s student leaders’ swearing in ceremony
A new era of Student Government (SG) just arrived. In a quick five-minute ceremony, student body president-elect Suryakanth Prasad Gottipati and vice president-elect Sumit Subhash Jadhav were sworn in on Wednesday afternoon. Related: USF student body president and vice president-elect sworn in Their term will start on May 6 and last for one year. Gabrielle […]
President Joe Biden visits Tampa to talk abortion rights
Gearing up for the 2024 presidential election, President Joe Biden made a stop in Tampa to talk about reproductive freedom in Florida on Tuesday afternoon. The speech comes just two weeks before the state’s six-week abortion ban comes into effect on May 1. Biden called on Floridians to vote for an amendment deciding abortion access […]
‘Genocide Joe has got to go’: Pro-Palestine protestors gather during Biden’s visit to Tampa
While President Joe Biden took 15 minutes to talk on the protection of reproductive rights in Tampa on Tuesday, pro-Palestine protests chanted against the United States handling “on-going genocide” in Gaza, and its alliance to Israel in the conflict. Related: President Joe Biden visits Tampa to talk abortion rights “The lack of coverage in the media […]
USF students can ‘Swap Shop’ their way into free items this week
USF’s Swap Shop is just around the corner. Literally. Bulls can stop by the Swap Shop, located in Holly J, to pick up some free items – from furniture to clothing. Students, staff and faculty had the opportunity to donate items for the Swap Shop earlier this week on Monday and Tuesday. But ‘shopping’ won’t […]