SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- As the calendar has turned to February and spring on the horizon, the USF Dons baseball team is ready to open the 2023 NCAA baseball season as they will host the Utah Utes for a four game series at Benedetti Diamond beginning on Friday, Feb. 17 and wrapping up on Monday, Feb. 20 for the team's lone home series in the season's opening month.

The Dons enter the new season under first year head coach Rob DiToma with a revamped roster ready to battle top teams from across the country before West Coast Conference action opens in March. USF returns All-WCC Honorable Mentions infielder Mario DeMera and outfielder Harris Williams III, while on the mound reigning All-WCC Freshman Team right-handed pitcher Adam Shew returns to lead the Dons' pitching staff. 

SERIES DETAILS:

Friday, Feb. 17, 2023
Utah vs. USF | 1:00 p.m. PST
Benedetti Diamond | San Francisco, Calif. 
Probable Pitchers: RHP Cam Day (2022: 1-6, 7.22 ERA) vs. LHP Will Hearn (2022: 0-1, 13.38 ERA)

Links: Watch | Live Stats

Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023
Utah vs. USF | 1:00 p.m. PST
Benedetti Diamond | San Francisco, Calif. 
Probable Pitchers: RHP Randon Hostert (2022: 3-0, 5.94 ERA) vs. RHP Adam Shew (3-1, 3.21 ERA)

Links: Watch | Live Stats

Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023
Utah vs. USF | 12:00 p.m. PST
Benedetti Diamond | San Francisco, Calif. 
Probable Pitchers: RHP Jaden Harris (1-4, 6.50 ERA) vs. RHP Jesse Barron (4-4, 6.12 ERA) 

Links: Watch | Live Stats

Monday, Feb. 20, 2023
Utah vs. USF | 1:00 p.m. PST
Benedetti Diamond | San Francisco, Calif. 
Probable Pitchers: TBD vs. RHP Max Jones (2021: 3-2, 4.14 ERA) 

Links: Watch | Live Stats

THINGS TO KNOW:

• The Dons enter the 2023 season with a lot of promise heading into an always strong WCC and non-conference schedule with numerous new faces brought in through the transfer portal and freshman recruits. USF opened last season on their home diamond against the UCSB Gauchos dropping the opening three-game set picking up their lone victory in the second game as Weston Lombard threw 4 1/3 no-hit innings in his first Dons' appearance.
• USF's lineup returns its two leading run producers from a year ago as Williams III drove in 45 runs hitting at the top of the Dons' batting order and playing all over the outfield, while DeMera totaled 39 RBI and hit a time-high 13 doubles for the Dons while playing mostly third base for the team.
• Making opposing pitching staffs sweat all last season when the Dons got on base, USF returns key speed threat Darius Foster who stole 16 bases a year ago to rank fifth in the league while Williams III swiped 21 bases to rank third in the WCC.
• On the mound, Shew will help lead a staff this season with a mix of familiar and new faces for Dons fans to get to know as the right-hander last year excelled both as a starter. Out of the pen, the Dons return senior left-handed pitcher Lance Santerre who finished sixth on the roster with 42 2/3 innings pitched as opposing hitters only mustered a .244 batting average against the versatile lefty. 

SCOUTING THE UTES:

• Utah enters this weekend following a 26-27-1 season a year ago where they went 10-20 in the Pac-12 conference and enter the new season picked to finish at the bottom of the conference as they lost 12 of their last 13 games to end last season as they missed out on the inagural Pac-12 Baseball Tournament.
• Leading the Utes' offense last season was Pac-12 honorable mention selection sophomore infielder Landon Frei who hit .330 last season while posting an on-base percentage north of .400 as he led Utah with 69 hits last season. Behind the plate, Davis Cop was a force as he was also a Pac-12 honorable mention pick playing in 40 games and posting an .852 OPS at the dish.
• On the mound, the Utes will trot out right-handed pitcher Cam Day who made 14 starts during his freshman season but had some struggles to the tune of a 7.22 ERA while opposing hitters batted .332 against him during his first season in Salt Lake City. Out of the bullpen, sophomore left-handed pitcher Micah Ashman had a strong debut season as he pitched in 25 games and made a pair of starts while compiling a 3.29 ERA in 32 2/3 innings of work. 

For updates and more information on the USF baseball program, be sure to follow @SFDonsBaseball on Twitter, @USFDonsBaseball on Instagram and @University.of.San.Francisco.Baseball on Facebook.

SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our primary sponsor - Provident Credit Union - for their continued support of USF Athletics. Interested in sponsoring the Dons? Please contact Frank Allocco, the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations, at fallocco@usfca.edu or at (415) 422-4561.