SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — After a narrow defeat on Wednesday at Fresno State, the USF Dons baseball team (3-2) returns to the Hilltop tomorrow afternoon to kick off a three-game series against the Villanova Wildcats (1-6) at Benedetti Diamond this weekend.
 
The Dons come back home for the first time since their season-opening series win against the Utah Utes two weeks ago. In that series, USF won three games in a row after dropping their opener thanks in large part to great pitching and defense combined with some timely hitting.
 
USF's weekend rotation will make their second starts of the season as the trio of Adam Shew, Jesse Barron and Max Jones all combined to allow just one earned run in 14 innings of work against the Utes.
 
SERIES DETAILS:
 
Friday, March 3, 2023
Villanova vs. USF | 1:00 PM PST
Benedetti Diamond | San Francisco, Calif.
Probable Pitchers: USF – #24 Adam Shew, RHP (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. NOVA – #47 Sal Fusco, RHP (0-1, 8.59 ERA) 
 
Saturday, March 4, 2023
Villanova vs. USF | 1:00 PM PST
Benedetti Diamond | San Francisco, Calif.
Probable Pitchers: USF – #41 Jesse Barron, RHP (1-0, 1.50 ERA) vs. NOVA – #19 Devin Rivera (0-1, 10.80 ERA) 
 
Sunday, March 5, 2023
Villanova vs. USF | 12:00 PM PST
Benedetti Diamond | San Francisco, Calif.
Probable Pitchers: USF – #16 Max Jones, RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. NOVA – TBD
 
THINGS TO KNOW:

• Wednesday's loss against the Bulldogs snapped the Dons' three-game win streak after the first week of the season as USF sent eight pitchers to the mound on Wednesday night. As a staff, allowed just two earned runs and combined for six strikeouts.
• USF first baseman Christian Stapleton went 3-for-3 at the plate, logging three RBI against Fresno State on Wednesday. Serving as an imposing presence in the middle of the team's batting order, Stapleton has amassed a team-high nine RBI so far this season through five games played.
• Infielder Mario DeMera has picked up where he left off last season by hitting the ball over the yard to the tune of a .409 batting average while leading the Dons with nine hits so far on the season with two going for doubles. 

 SCOUTING THE WILDCATS:

• Villanova has had a rough 1-6 start through the first seven games of their 2023 campaign. The Wildcats have given up 62 total runs so far this season, which is double the amount of runs they have scored this season as they've faced Washington State, UC Riverside, North Florida and 
• Outfielder August Biggio has been a diamond in the rough for Villanova with a team-high .353 batting average in 17 at-bats in the young season, and has done a tremendous job of getting on base early in the season with a .522 on-base percentage. 
• In their last time out against Towson, catcher John Whooley reached base three times as he walked twice and hit an RBI double in his team's narrow 3-2 loss in Maryland on Wednesday afternoon. 

FOLLOW US:
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.
 
MERCHANDISE:
Want to dress like the Dons? Rep USF today by visiting the all-new USF Dons online store at www.usfdons.com/shop.
 
SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge our department sponsor – Corona Extra  - 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.