USF baseball completed a third straight losing season on Saturday, a streak that ended with the dismissal of coach Billy Mohl just two days later. 

The end of Mohl’s seven-year run as coach comes after a campaign where the Bulls struggled in big games, endured long losing streaks and failed to make the AAC tournament.

A magical 2021 season saw Mohl lead the Bulls to an AAC championship and a Super Regional appearance, but he has otherwise struggled in his role. 

After 2021, Mohl finished the next three seasons with a 75-97 record. 

Related: USF dismisses head baseball coach after seven years

This year on the mound featured a myriad of disappointments from USF, leaving a lot to be desired from a team only three seasons removed from a conference title. 

Here’s a closer look at the Bulls’ lackluster 2023-24 campaign. 

High stakes, low returns

Mohl’s team dropped the ball more times than not against noteworthy opponents.

USF finished 1-4 in matches against opponents who finished in the top 25 this year. The lone win came against No. 5 ECU in a three game series where the Bulls dropped the first two.

USF also struggled to get much needed wins in their conference this year.  

The Bulls finished a subpar 11-16 in the AAC this season, leading to a second to last place finish in the conference. 

In the deciding game against UAB for their postseason hopes, Mohl and the Bulls came out flat. Desperately needing a win, USF found itself down 10-3 after the sixth inning. 

An attempted Bulls comeback fell short, and a 10-7 loss left them out of the AAC tournament for the first time since 2019.

 Late season struggles 

After a promising 21-16 start to the campaign, USF went on to lose 13 of its last 18 contests.

A 5-7 loss to FGCU on April 16 signaled the beginning of the end for the Bulls. The defeat snapped a six-game winning streak for the team, and started a chain of five consecutive losses, and only two total wins in their next 10 contests.

After the FGCU game, USF hosted a three-game home stand against struggling conference foe Rice, who sat last in the AAC conference at the time. 

Instead of capitalizing on their third-placed rank in the AAC, the Bulls dropped three straight at their home field. 

USF was outscored 33-13 over the weekend, and moved to sixth place by the completion of the series.

The Bulls would continue on to only capture five wins in their remaining fifteen games on the season. 

Season Co-MVP’s : Bobby Boser and Ben Rozenblum

Utility players junior Bobby Boser and senior Ben Rozenblum were amongst the few bright spots for USF this season. 

Both players earned first team all-AAC conference honors, the second straight selection for Boser and Rozenblum’s first. 

Boser followed up his great 2023 season with an arguably more impressive campaign. He led the team with 12 home runs this year, despite being sidelined for 22 games with a hand injury. 

Boser’s 31 total home runs is the eighth all-time for Bulls baseball.

Related: Six USF baseball players to watch in 2024

Boser finishes his junior year with a .299 batting average, 28 runs scored and 32 RBI’s. 

Rozenblum’s last season with USF was arguably his best, posting career highs in multiple stats. 

The former FIU Panther had personal bests in hits with 56, as well as nine doubles and 32 RBI’s. 

Rozenblum’s offensive output was highlighted by his base-stealing ability. Rozenblum’s team leading 19 stolen bases also ranked third in the conference, and the most by a Bull since 2017.

Looking ahead

The Bulls enter a period of uncertainty with the conclusion of the season. 

USF is projected to lose 10 seniors, including team leaders Rozenblum and senior infielder John Montes, as well as senior pitcher Hunter Mink. 

Coach Mohl’s exit also leaves the door open for a potential roster shake up next season. With the transfer portal set to open June 3, the Bulls should look to retain their key players.

The fate of the Bulls is now dependent on Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly, tasked with finding Mohl’s successor.  

Grade : C-

This story has been updated to clarify aspects of Mohl’s dismissal.