Looks like Prado is up and running with the Bulls!!!!

4 Locals Commit To USF Baseball

By BRETT McMURPHY The Tampa Tribune


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TAMPA - Jesuit's Kevin Quackenbush and Jonathan Koscso, Gaither's Chris Jones and Chamberlain's Todd Brazeal had scholarship offers from some of college baseball's elite programs. Those, however, couldn't match what the University of South Florida offered - a chance to try to lead the hometown Bulls to the College World Series.

Quackenbush, who is rated the nation's 122nd-best senior prospect by Baseball America, Brazeal (No. 134), Jones (No. 160), Koscso and Oviedo pitcher Randy Fontanez verbally committed to USF, giving new coach Lelo Prado seven commitments for the 2007-08 season.

A righty, Quackenbush was 7-3 with a 2.66 ERA as a junior. He also considered FSU, Florida, Miami, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest. "They want to get to Omaha and I want to help them get there," he said. "I didn't consider USF at all before Coach Prado got there."

Jones, a left-handed pitcher, turned down offers from Florida, Clemson, Alabama, Auburn and Georgia.

"I love the pitching coach [Lazer Collazo]," said Jones, 15-3 the past two years, including 7-2 and 0.98 ERA as a junior. "When we sat down and talked, they went through everything with their program and I felt comfortable with USF."

Brazeal, a third baseman who hit .388 with 16 RBIs, chose USF over LSU, Clemson and South Carolina so his family and grandparents could watch him play.

"The kind of confidence Coach Prado and Lazer have, the future of the program and how they're going to turn it around - for me USF is a sure thing," Brazeal said.

Koscso, a third baseman who hit .383 with 23 RBIs, considered several schools, including Virginia, Army, Navy and Davidson.

"Ever since I talked to Coach Prado, they were serious about turning the program around and winning," Koscso said. "They want to do what it takes to get to Omaha and the way they were talking, I believe it."

A right-handed pitcher, Fontanez is 12-2 the past two years, including 9-1 and 1.24 ERA as a sophomore.

USF's 2007 schedule features 11 games against teams that reached last year's NCAA Tournament and a home date with Florida (Feb. 27). The Bulls' debut under Prado is Feb. 9 against High Point.

Hopefully all parties are happy baseball wise. I am close to positive UofL will be taking a step up in prestige with our new coach from Ole Miss, Dan McDonnell. Not to mention that our new pitching coach is Roger Williams, who came over from UGA (previously UNC).

We fully expect McDonnell to take UofL recruiting to a whole new level. We recently got 2 early big recruits.

One commit was for a closer from a Kansas juco who led the nation in saves with 17. He was drafted in the 47th round in the '05 draft by Toronto but declined and then in the 31st round by the Twins this year but declined again. I'm sure college juco ball is a level below, but I like that he had a 1.29 ERA & 35 K's in 21 IP. Hopefully he'll hold any leads we get next spring.

The 2nd was a HS starting pitcher from TN, who was 12-2 (38-4 career) w/ a 0.85 ERA & 117 K's in 99 IP. He was the TN player of the year as a JR and pitched in a 9-1 win of the state championship as a SR.

It'll take a while to build, but with how we already did this year I don't see UofL out of the Top 3 or 4 or so in the league for a long time. Not that McDonnell will ever be playing for 3rd.

Is this the greatest name in college sports?

Kevin Quackenbush