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Prado's Vision For Team: A Pool

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By BRETT McMURPHY, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 21, 2008

Updated: 02/20/2008 11:34 pm

TAMPA - University of South Florida baseball coach Lelo Prado has a vision. Sure, just like every other coach in America, Prado wants his Bulls to reach Omaha for the College World Series.

But Prado has another vision. A quite simple one. Prado wants a pool at USF's Red McEwen Field.

"I want us to put a pool down the right-field line," Prado said. "That's my vision. I want to do something different for the students. Since our stadium is not as big as some other stadiums, I want something different."

The Bulls, who went 34-26 in Prado's first season, open against Indiana State on Friday in a three-game series.

While "Prado's Pool" will have to wait until the 2009 season, Prado already has made some changes for this season to Red McEwen Field.

Prado moved in the outfield fences to equal the distances at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium and added a dirt strip from home plate to the pitchers' mound and clay baselines, similar to those at the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field.

"I'm excited to see what some of these new players do," said Prado, whose club was picked to finish third in the Big East. "USF should be on top of the Big East and that's what we're shooting for every year."

SOLID START: The softball team is 6-3, including an upset of No. 5 Tennessee, but the Bulls could be much better.

"If we get a little consistency, we're 9-0, not 6-3," Coach Ken Eriksen said. "We have to learn to finish the deal. We did it in six games and didn't in three games. Other than that, I feel good what's happened so far.

"Our biggest surprise so far is our depth. I didn't realize how deep we are."

The Bulls host the USF Louisville Slugger Tournament from Friday through Sunday.

BEATING THE BEST: When the men's basketball team upset Syracuse last week, it marked the fifth time the program defeated a coach that ultimately had a national championship on his resume.

The national title coaches USF has defeated: Georgetown's John Thompson (1984 national title; lost to USF in 1973); Kentucky's Rick Pitino (1996 national title; lost to USF in 1981); Louisville's Denny Crum (1980, '86 national titles; lost to USF in 1992, '98 and '01); Villanova's Rollie Massimino (1985 national title; lost to USF in 2000); and Syracuse's Jim Boeheim (2003 national title; lost to USF in 2008).

ODDS AND ENDS: CBs Mike Jenkins and Trae Williams and LB Ben Moffitt will participate in the NFL Combine from Saturday through Tuesday in Indianapolis. ... While Rutgers at USF football won't be played before a Dec. 4 national TV audience because Raymond James Stadium is unavailable, there still remains a chance it could be an ESPN/ESPN2 game on another date, Big East associate commissioner Nick Carparelli said.

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