The Bulldogs won't find things easy as they are followed closely by San Jose State and Nevada Reno. USF spoiled Fresno's plans for an early celebration, as the Dons defeated the Bulldogs at Beiden Field for the first time in six years. Matt Campi, Mike Mooney, Al Smoot and Monico Corall all drilled home runs, while Andre Rachal posted his third consecutive win.
Andre Rachal started and was the winning pitcher. The victory raised the USF overall record to 10-16. With the first round of the NCBA season over for the Dons, there are still some questions that need to be answered. The Dons first round record ties last year's team for their best NCBA record ever. While the Dons are not as good a hitting team as a year ago, they are better overall. This year USF is getting good pitching and good defensive play. Coach Bowman believes the Dons are a team capable of winning the second round, but they may be lacking confidence. "This is a good team. I have all the confidence in the world in them, but I don't know how much confidence they have in themselves." Coach Bowman is also pleased with his pitching, adding. "If we had had this pitching last year we could have won the league. Last year we had better hitting, but I think this year's team is better overall. If we stay close we can win some games (TheFoghorn)."
