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USF is unsettled but confident

Lineup flexibility and healthy pitchers should be strong points for the baseball team.

By ANTONYA ENGLISH

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 10, 2001

TAMPA -- Eddie Cardieri can't remember the last time he was two days from opening day without being sure what the starting lineup for his South Florida baseball team would be.

In fact, Cardieri isn't sure that has happened. Until now.

With his starting pitchers recovered from the devastating injuries that hampered the team last season, Cardieri's attention has turned to shoring up an infield that struggled last year and shuffling what is turning out to be more depth than expected in his lineup.

The Bulls open the season today at Stetson.

"We are this close to opening day and we don't know our opening lineup and that's very, very unique," said Cardieri, who is beginning his 16th season with the Bulls. "I guess it's good to have that kind of depth. We don't necessarily have a lot of depth in numbers, but we have depth in terms of versatility. We have some guys that can play multiple positions."

The Bulls have a veteran team that includes eight seniors and a junior who have been starters or have had substantial playing time.

John Gorham and John Vigue are 10-game winners returning from last season.

"Everybody is really confident that we have a lot of depth," Vigue said. "We have a lot of veterans, including myself and (Gorham) back after starting a full year. We have a lot of high expectations. We're a little unproven, but we're kind of using that as added fire to go out and prove ourselves.

"We're going to use this weekend as a way to get us going."

The opening game should provide the first of many tests for the Bulls. Today, South Florida most likely faces Stetson ace Lenny DiNardo, who was 16-1 last season -- his only loss to USF.

"He's good. The guy can pitch," first baseman Mike Eylward said. "He has a lot of good pitches and he's smart, too. I like it (facing him to open the season). If you're going to start the season, you might as well start it against the best."

USF likely will open with Gorham today and Vigue on Sunday, Cardieri said. Tuesday's starter will be determined this weekend.

Several positions, including rightfield and shortstop, remain unsettled. Cardieri said Mike Macaluso and Evan Brannon are battling at shortstop, adding that freshman third baseman Myron Leslie can play the position.

Billy Nahorodny and Mike Barclay are battling in rightfield. And Rick Stegbauer, who nearly two years ago tore his rotator cuff, still is not ready to catch. But the Bulls need his bat.

One way to get him in as a designated hitter, Cardieri said, is shifting designated hitter Chris Cuccia to leftfield and leftfielder Dan Boyd to right.

"Great hitters have got to be in our lineup," Cardieri said.

The Bulls will need great hitters, and a lot more. South Florida plays 24 games against nine teams ranked in the preseason Top 25.

"We're going to see how good we really are pretty early in the year," Cardieri said.

"It's pretty exciting," Boyd said. "We play a lot of good teams, which is going to keep us on our toes."

Gorham said the team has some of the best camaraderie it has had since he arrived, and the players said that will make a significant difference as the season progresses.

"If I don't have as good a year as I did last year, there is always somebody there that's going to pick you up," he said. "That's the way we look at it. If one of us fails, the next guy is there picking us right back up."

2001 South Florida schedule

10 -- at Stetson, 2; 11 -- at Stetson, 1; 13 -- Stetson, 3; 17 -- Jacksonville, 1; 18 -- Jacksonville, 1; 20 -- Bethune-Cookman, 3; 23 -- Minnesota, 7; 24 -- Minnesota, 1; 25 -- Minnesota, 1; 28 -- Michigan, 7

March

1 -- Michigan, 7; 2 -- vs. Western Michigan, 4 (Tampa Bay Devil Rays College Invitational); 3 -- vs. Notre Dame, 5 (Tampa Bay Devil Rays College Invitational); 4 -- vs. Florida Atlantic, 4 (Tampa Bay Devil Rays College Invitational); 6 -- at Jacksonville, Noon; 7 -- at Bethune-Cookman, 2; 9 -- at Arizona State, 10; 10 -- at Arizona State, 10; 11 -- at Arizona State, 4; 13 -- Miami, 7; 14 -- Miami, 5; 16 -- at Tulane, 7:30; 17 -- at Tulane, 3; 18 -- at Tulane, 2; 20 -- Army, 7; 21 -- Northwestern, 7; 23 -- UAB, 7; 24 -- UAB, 1; 25 -- UAB, 1; 27 -- Stetson, 7; 30 -- Memphis, 7; 31 -- Memphis, 1.

April

1 -- Memphis, 1; 3 -- at Central Florida, 6; 6 -- vs. Cincinnati, 7 (Cincinnati Series at Florida Power Park); 7 -- vs. Cincinnati, 1 (Cincinnati Series at Florida Power Park); 8 -- vs. Cincinnati, 1 (Cincinnati Series at Florida Power Park); 10 -- Central Florida, 7; 13 -- at Saint Louis, 8; 14 -- at Saint Louis, 2; 15 -- at Saint Louis, 2; 17 -- at Central Florida, 6; 20 -- at Louisville, 6; 21 -- at Louisville, 1; 22 -- at Louisville, 1; 24 -- Central Florida, 7; 27 -- Southern Mississippi, 7; 28 -- Southern Mississippi, 1; 29 -- Southern Mississippi, 1.

May

4 -- at Charlotte, 6; 5 -- at Charlotte, 2; 6 -- at Charlotte, 1; 9 -- at Florida, 7; 11 -- Houston, 7; 12 -- Houston, 1; 13 -- Houston, 1; 16-20 -- at Conference USA Tournament; 25-27 -- at NCAA Regional Tournamrnt.

June

1-3 -- at NCAA Super-Regional Tournament; 8-16 -- at College World Series.

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