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(Deltona) went 4-for-4 with a home run and career-high seven RBI on Friday afternoon as the University of South Florida (1-2) run-ruled Marist College (1-3) in seven innings, 16-3, at USF Baseball Stadium.

Betancourt's seven RBI are the most by a Bulls since Buddy Putnam (7) on March 29, 2015. South Florida's 16 total runs are the most since a 19-run outburst at Cincinnati on April 24, 2022.

A strength of the team in 2023, the offense was held in check over the first two games of the 2024 campaign, but showcased its returning potential in a big way as every Bulls recorded at least one hit on Friday. Not to be overshadowed by Betancourt, Bobby Boser (Wesley Chapel) matched a career high with four RBI.

On the mound, Hunter Mink (Palm Harbor) tallied his first win of the young season with his second consecutive solid outing on the mound. Mink (1-1) allowed two runs on three hits with five strikeouts over 5.0 IP. The senior right-hander ran into trouble in the first inning, but escaped a bases-loaded jam with no outs by only yielding one run, and the offense immediately answered.

A sac fly by Boser quickly knotted the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the first. Betancourt got his big day started with the go-ahead RBI-single and Ben Rozenblum (Coral Springs) padded the lead with a wind-aided triple to make it a 3-1 affair.

Boser drove in his second run of the day in the second inning while Betancourt added a two-run single to give Mink and the Bulls a 6-1 advantage.

South Florida broke the game open with seven runs in the bottom of the fourth frame. Matt Rose (Clearwater), Eric Snow (Forsyth, Ga.) and Drew Brutcher (Lakeland) all reached base to open the inning ahead of a two-run single by Boser. Betancourt was next with the big blow, a three-run homer to left-center field.

Jackson Mayo (St. Johns) capped the scoring with a towering two-run homer to left field in the fifth inning.

Notable

Up Next

South Florida and Marist continue their weekend series with a doubleheader on Saturday, February 24 beginning at 1 p.m. in Tampa.

Double Play Passes, which include one ticket to every home baseball and softball game, can be purchased now for $99. Group and single game tickets are also on sale and can be purchased here or by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls.

About USF Baseball

The USF Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and is entering its 59^th season in 2024 under head coach Billy Mohl (seventh season). The Bulls have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, including four since 2015, and earned their first-ever Super Regional berth in 2021. USF was ranked in the Top 25 by five different publications in the final 2021 polls, checking in as high as No. 16. The Bulls have won five conference tournament titles (3 Sun Belt, 1 Metro and 1 American) and six regular season championships (3 Sun Belt, 2 Metro and 1 C-USA). USF baseball players have been recognized with All-America honors 12 times, most recently with third baseman David Villar in 2018, and 19 have earned Freshman All-America accolades, most recently Eric Snow in 2023. Four Bulls were selected in the 2022 MLB Draft. Former 2018 first-round selection, Shane McClanahan, became the program's first-ever MLB All-Star in 2022 and was the starting pitcher for the American League.

–#GoBulls–

Openings

Neighborhood Joe A Crescent Heights favorite recently reopened its doors in a brand new space less than half a mile from its flagship location. Neighborhood Joe was located at 2609 Dr. MLK Jr. St. N and recently moved down the street next to Trip’s Diner in St. Pete. The plant-based cafe celebrated its soft opening last week after two months of being closed while transitioning locations. The cafe boasts an all-vegan breakfast and lunch menu of “egg” Benedicts, tempeh omelets, sandwiches, smoothies, soups, salads and baked goods—with a variety of gluten-free and allergen-friendly options, too. The newly-reopened Neighborhood Joe also offers a spread of teas, coffees and espresso-based drinks. The cafe and lunch spot left its flagship location—where it's been since its debut in 2017—in mid-December 2023 and its team has spent the last two months building its new cozy space out. St. Pete's Neighborhood Joe is now open in Crescent Heights from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 8 a.m.-3 a.m. on Sunday. 2325 Dr. MLK Jr. St. N, St. Pete. @neighborhoodjoe on Instagram

Craft Craft, a new, highly-anticipated river cruise experience in downtown Tampa, is ready to finally set sail. Last week, parent company Yacht Starship announced that reservations for dinner and cocktail service aboard Craft are now open, with the first voyage set for March 8. “As we get closer to launching Craft, the river cruiser far exceeds our expectations and vision,” said Troy Manthey President and CEO in a press release. “I am confident locals and visitors will be equally as impressed with the culinary and cocktail river journey we’ll take them on!” Billed as Tampa’s first dining river cruise, Craft was initially announced last September, and is essentially a two-hour European-style river cruise up the Hillsborough River, beginning from the Channel District at the StarShip dock adjacent to Sparkman Wharf. At 130-feet in length and featuring only 11-feet of air draft, the upscale dining ship will be the largest commercial vessel currently on the Hillsborough, all while still being able to pass under five of the river's lowest bridges. crafttampa.com Coming Soon Greenlane St. Pete A health conscious fast-casual spot that promises much more than "rabbit food" will soon make its debut in The 'Burg. Reps for Greenlane say the restaurant just broke ground on its first St. Pete location at 8001 4th St. N, and will soon be neighbors with other nearby restaurants like Green Pagoda, Noble Crust and St. Pete Bagel Co. St. Pete's first Greenlane is slated to open sometime this spring, although there’s no debut date set in stone. Greenlane—which recently received some TMZ coverage due to regular customer and football star Rob Gronkowski aka "Gronk"—is known for dishing out healthy “salads and wraps at fast food prices.” The local chain opened its first location off of Gandy Boulevard in 2023 and is continuing its Tampa Bay expansion with St. Pete’s upcoming Greenlane drive-thru. Like its flagship location in Tampa, St. Pete’s 1,200 square-foot Greenlane will feature a drive-thru and pick-up window, but no dining room. Its salads, smoothies and wraps will also be available via delivery apps like Uber Eats, as well as through catering orders. Notably, everything on Greenlane’s health-oriented menu costs $10 or under, with its most expensive wrap/salad starting at $9.49. 8001 4th St. N, St. Pete. Gogreenlane.com

Zen Noodle Bar A popular Asian restaurant is expanding its Tampa footprint this spring. Earlier this week, Zen Noodle Bar took to social media to announce the opening of its second Tampa location at 3019 W Waters Ave. out of the former Token Ramen Kung Fu Tea space. A representative of the restaurant tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that its newest location is slated to open sometime this May or June, although the debut ultimately depends on how its build-out goes. Patrons of Zen’s Temple Terrace restaurant can expect a similar menu from its upcoming Tampa location, which includes a variety of East and Southeast Asian fare like dumplings, bao buns, spring rolls, banh mi, stir fried noodles, pork adobo and bulgogi beef bowls. Its soup selection is also quite extensive, serving everything from expected entrees like pork belly ramen and chicken pho to more specialty items like bo bun hue, a spicy Vietnamese soup served with beef shank, tendon and sliced ribeye. 3019 W Waters Ave., Tampa. @zennoodlestampa on Instagram

Events All the best events happening during Tampa Bay Beer Week 2024 Tampa Bay Beer Week 2024 runs from March 1-10 this year, and the Bay area-wide celebration is filled with nine days worth of festivals, unique beer releases, pop-ups from out-of-town breweries and tap takeovers that cater to all palates—whether you’re into funky ferments and barrel-aged beers or crispy lagers and straightforward ales. Head to tampabaybeerweek.com for more information on its multitude of beer-centric events happening in March. ICYMI

Tampa Filipino restaurant Lucky Tigre is moving, but remains open in SoHo for now West Tampa is about to come into some good fortune. Best of the Bay-winning Filipino sari-sari store concept Lucky Tigre is looking forward to opening a new location in West Tampa in the next month or two. Owner Julie Sainte Michelle Feliciano and her team have signed a lease on a property at 1713 Albany Ave. (across the street from a private park owned by Tampa's strip club king Joe Redner), according to Lucky Tigre social media and public records, but the building on the lot needs plenty of love before its doors open. Until then, Feliciano has also purchased a food truck which will reside on the same property to fund build-out costs for the actual building. The menu for the food truck is going to be slightly different from Lucky Tigre’s current menu since it will have better equipment and more capacity. The restaurant doesn’t yet have a name but once it gets up and running Feliciano wants it to be modeled after a classic Filipino diner. theluckytigre.com—Suzanne Townsend

Feeding Tampa Bay is taking applications for the next class of ‘Epic Chef’ competitors For the last eight years, nonprofit Feeding Tampa Bay has spent its summer putting local chefs through the thrilling gauntlet of its “Epic Chef” competition. The “Chopped”-style cooking tournament hosted at the Epicurean Theatre in South Tampa asks culinarians to create unique dishes with secret ingredients, revealed at showtime. In 2024, selected chefs will participate in a kickoff reception, plus preliminary rounds (July 22 & 29) that’ll send the winner to the “Epic Chef” finale on Monday, Aug. 5. The winner will receive the renowned Marty Blitz Award—named for the famed chef of Tampa’s Mise en Place—along with a $5,000 prize and custom knife roll. And for the first time ever, Feeding Tampa Bay is opening up applications to anyone who thinks they have what it takes to make it to the finale showdown and take home the “Epic Chef” crown. Only four chefs will be selected for the competition, and applicants must be 18 years old and come from one of the 10 counties where Feeding Tampa Bay provides food insecure families and individuals with much-needed relief. feedingtampabay.org—Ray Roa

27 Black-owned restaurants in Tampa Bay everyone should visit There's plenty of praise to pass around when it comes to Tampa Bay's restaurants. But any examination of our local dining scene isn't complete without recognizing our rich history and tradition of Black-owned bars and restaurants in the region. Since February is Black History month, here are some incredible spots you should check out. Creative Loafing Tampa Bay is currently offering a ticket deal for both its Brunched event on March 9 and Margarita Wars tasting and competition on May 10. For a limited time, folks can purchase joint GA tickets for $90 and VIP for $130 each, saving upwards of $20-$40 if you're looking to attend both events.

Sip Fresh, a California-based juice and smoothie company, recently announced its expansion to Central Florida. There’s no exact timeline for the opening of Sip Fresh’s new locations in Orlando, Sarasota and Tampa just yet, but locals will eventually be able to (healthily) indulge in its variety of smoothies, fruit bowls, shaken teas and more.

From now until March 21, folks can snag any of Fuzzy Taco Shop’s OG tacos for just $1 with the purchase of any item from its newly-added “Primo Baja” menu category, which boasts items like fish tacos, birria bowls or its “California Heat” tacos. A press release says that the promotion is limited to one $1 taco per Primo Baja item. Make sure to confirm if your local Fuzzy’s is participating in this month-long promotional deal.

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FLORIDA — Most of the United States is expected to see an unusually warm spring, according to a new forecast. But that doesn't seem likely for Florida, with the Sunshine State experiencing a cooler, slow start to spring, followed by an active start to the Atlantic hurricane season.

Although the vernal equinox on March 19 is typically observed as the first day of spring, meteorological spring starts on March 1. After a record-mild winter so far in many parts of the country, spring should arrive early much of the country, according to the forecast from The Weather Channel and Atmospheric G2.

"The only spot that might not endure the earlier-than-usual warmth over the next few months is the Southeast coast," the channel said in its latest outlook released Friday.

Here’s the outlook for Florida:

March: Expect below average temperatures for the state in March. Snowbirds lingering in Florida or spring breakers coming for sun may have to deal with temperatures closer to what they would expect at home this year, according to The Weather Channel.

Find out what's happening in Tampawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

April: Most of Florida will see temperatures slightly below average in April. Temperatures are likely to remain near or slightly below average in the Southeast, from the coastal Carolinas to Georgia and Florida.

May: The cooler temperature trend from Orlando and Tampa Bay south to Miami will continue as spring comes to a close. Temperatures are more likely to be close to average in Florida compared to the first two months of spring, the forecast said.

According to The Weather Channel, the warmest spot relative to May averages is likely to be the upper Midwest to northern New England.

The only areas of the country that aren’t expected to see earlier than normal warmth are areas of the Southeast. In the northern tier of states, spring is expected to be especially warm, while other areas of the country are expected to see above-normal or slightly above-normal temperatures,

A rapidly deteriorating El Niño climate pattern could mean a busier hurricane season and more active severe weather seasons or parts of the central U.S., Todd Crawford, vice president of meteorology at Atmospheric G2, said in a story for The Weather Channel.

“Given the expected rapid transition from El Niño to La Niña, and the increasing global warming trend, it has become difficult to forecast anything but anomalous warmth as we head towards summer,” he said.

Less scientifically, Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2. According to lore, that meant winter would continue another six weeks, or until about March 15.

News Releases are to be used for informational purposes only. Information provided should not be relied upon for any type of legal action.

For Immediate Release : Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office

February 22, 2024 Public Affairs Office | piocommandcenter@hcso.tampa.fl.us (813) 247-8060

Release Number: 24-43

On February 20, 2024, deputies responded to a welfare check call at the Preserve at Sabal Park Apartments in Seffner.

When deputies arrived, they, along with an investigator from the Department of Child and Families, met with Karyn Parrish, 28, and asked to speak with her two children.

During the interaction with the children, deputies encountered a child under the age of five who exhibited signs of distress, shaking, and crying.

The child had recently received a new haircut and displayed a bruise on their cheek nearly two inches in size. Deputies asked the child how they got the bruise, and the child stated, “Maybe my mom. Maybe she was slapping me around. She doesn't remember. Mommy tells her she doesn't remember things.'" Parrish later admitted she slapped the child at least three times.

Through investigative means, detectives also discovered videos on Parrish's phone in which she directed one of her children to strike their sibling with a belt. In one of the recordings, Parrish can be heard laughing and saying, "Hit harder. Hit hard, baby. Beat the crap out of the sly devil."

Detectives additionally uncovered a video in which Parrish informs her child that they are going to be tortured, and if they die, then so be it.

Karyn Parrish was arrested and charged with child abuse and transported to Orient Road Jail without incident.

The children were removed from the home and placed in the care of a relative.

"It is absolutely gut-wrenching and incomprehensible to have a case like this, where a mother would inflict such horrifying treatment on her own children," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "My heart aches for these two young and innocent children. As Your Sheriff, I promise you that our team will not rest until we ensure that all the children in our community are safe."

This is an active investigation. Any updates will come from the Public Affairs Office.

More and more people are finding themselves living paycheck to paycheck in the greater Tampa Bay region. In some places, rent has doubled. The cost of everyday goods — like gas and groceries — keeps creeping up. All the while, wages lag behind and the affordable housing crisis looms. Amid cost-of-living increases, WUSF is focused on documenting how people are making ends meet.

The bill (SB 1530) would make it illegal to sleep or camp on public property without a permit. The proposal would authorize cities and counties to establish designated homeless camps where people could legally stay overnight.

A Florida bill that would ban homeless people from sleeping in public places is garnering mixed reactions from Tampa leaders.

The proposal defines “public sleeping” as staying overnight in a public place without a tent or temporary shelter, and it defines “public camping” as sleeping outdoors with a tent, the presence of bedding or with personal belongings, according to the latest version of the bill.

The bill, which would take effect in October if approved, would permit residents or businesses to sue cities or counties that fail to disperse unlawful encampments on public property.

Tampa nonprofit leader Tammi Casagni fears the legislation would create more problems than solutions for the worsening homeless crisis in the region.

“One of my biggest concerns is that this bill really isn’t addressing the root issue of homelessness,” she said. “I feel like it’s making it illegal to be homeless, and I think that’s going to have a grave impact on the families that we work with.”

Casagni is the CEO of Dawning Family Services, a Tampa-based nonprofit that works exclusively with families experiencing homelessness, a group that she says is growing.

In 2023, the number of people experiencing homelessness in Hillsborough County jumped 35 percent compared to the year prior, according to the latest point-in-time survey data.

"I think it really starts to put families in a predicament where they're likely going to have to hide even further, even deeper, and are less likely going to come to nonprofit organizations in the community for help," Casagni said.

Although the bill, which was recently backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, would make it illegal to sleep or camp outside, it does offer one avenue of recourse: homeless camps.

Under the new rules, Florida cities and counties would be authorized to designate property where unhoused people would be permitted to take shelter overnight.

“One of my biggest concerns is that this bill really isn’t addressing the root issue of homelessness. I feel like it’s making it illegal to be homeless, and I think that’s going to have a grave impact on the families that we work with.”

Tampa nonprofit leader Tammi Casagni

However, the property “may not be located in an area where such designation would adversely affect the property value or safety and security of other existing residential or commercial property,” according to the latest version of the Senate bill.

The sites, which would be subject to inspection by the Florida Department of Children and Families, would be allowed to operate as homeless camps for no longer than one year.

The designated sites would also be mandated to meet minimum standards and provide certain services, including mental health and substance abuse resources by the region’s local Continuum of Care (CoC) agency.

Antoinette Hayes-Triplett, CEO of the Tampa-Hillsborough Homeless Initiative (THHI), said that she feels confident about providing such resources, and she is encouraged by the agency’s existing relationship with city and county officials. As the region’s Continuum of Care, the bill would require THHI to provide mental health and substance abuse resources for any homeless camps.

In clearing unlawful encampments, establishing new homeless camps and facing potential civil lawsuits, a bill analysis found that it's likely cities and counties will incur additional costs.

City of Tampa spokesperson Adam Smith, however, doesn’t expect the new law to significantly change the city’s operations.

“We currently clear encampments when we see or hear about them and try to guide the people living in them to any and all services available, such as Tampa Hope,” he wrote in an emailed response.

The emergency homeless shelter, which receives city support, has been operating since 2021.

The bill would make an exception to unlawful public sleeping or camping during a state of emergency, declared by the governor or local officials, and it would offer certain exemptions of minimum standards to cities and counties that are deemed “fiscally restrained.”

Gabriella Paul covers the stories of people living paycheck to paycheck in the greater Tampa Bay region for WUSF. She's also a Report for America corps member. Here’s how you can share your story with her.

Tags

Politics HomelessnessTampa Hope