On March 30, sophomore pitcher Bryce Archie took the mound as a starter for USF baseball on the road against AAC opponent Charlotte.
But 24 hours earlier, Archie had played quarterback for USF in a weekend scrimmage and boarded a plane to help the baseball team the next day.
When asked which one he prefers, Archie can't decide.
“It was always a question for me, but I love them just the same,” Archie said. “I love sports, I love ball…I really can't choose a favorite.”
The Bulls football team is scheduled to play its spring game on Saturday, and the sophomore will likely play the quarterback role.
After showing off his progress on the podium, he will hop on a plane to New Orleans and play for the baseball team in Sunday's series finale against Tulane.
He was a two-way athlete, playing quarterback and pitching on the football team during the spring season.
The to-do list for student-athletes can be quite long: workouts, practices, team meetings, games, and staying on track in school.
Archie said his family is the driving force behind his ability to juggle his many responsibilities.
“My family really encourages me to keep going every day,” Archie said after Saturday's baseball game against Wichita State. “My dad would text me good morning and say be great, I’m different and I need to act differently.”
The sophomore will begin his career at Coastal Carolina in 2022, choosing to play quarterback for the Chanticleers over UCF.
Bulls head football coach Alex Goresh was at UCF in 2020-21 and heavily scouted Archie from high school.
When Goresh returned to the Sunshine State in 2023 after his stint in Tennessee, Archie accessed the portal and joined him in Tampa.
He said the situation at Coastal was “not the best” for him, so he hit the portal to join Goresh as “the best opportunity” for his future.
“And it was USF,” Archie said.
In South Florida, Archie will be able to learn from Goresh and head baseball coach Billy Mohr, who has decades of pitching and coaching experience.
“Football was always first, but baseball was always in the conversation,” Goresh said. “When we found out Bryce was going to be here, Billy was the first one in the office like, 'Hey, don't get greedy with this guy.'
Mohr pitched at Tulane University before moving on to coaching at Illinois State University and eventually USF.
Most recently, he helped develop 2022 MLB All-Star Shane McClanahan from USF.
“It was great to learn from a player who's been there before…Hopefully, one day I can be better than him too,” Archie said.
Archie hadn't pitched in an official game in two years when he appeared as a reliever in the sixth inning against Marist on February 25th.
In his first appearance, he pitched well without allowing a run, and recorded his first strikeout in college.
Related: Marist's 4-game showdown, Bulls baseball dominates in all aspects
Since then, his season has been up and down, with 12 strikeouts, 18 hits and 11 runs allowed in 12.1 innings as a starter and reliever.
“Me and him didn't have a lot of time to sort things out,” Mohr said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for him once he’s done playing football (after the spring game) and I bring him full time.”
Archie also played as backup quarterback for Byram Brown last fall, appearing in the midseason game against FAU, going 4-for-7 and passing for 44 yards.
Goresh said in a March 5 press conference that he is looking forward to seeing what Archie can do in baseball as he prepares for the upcoming football season.
“We'll have to work on his availability and practice availability in some series, but, well, if he can help win games, that's definitely a big deal,” Goresh said. said.
Archie was a three-sport star who played football, baseball, and basketball at McEachern High School. He won the 7A regional football title and Player of the Year award as a quarterback in 2021.
Archie also played shortstop and pitcher that year. perfect game They ranked him the 55th best player in the state.
He was also named an Academic All-American in the state of Georgia and continues to major in health sciences at USF, demonstrating his commitment to excellence in all fields.
“I have had great support from my professors and USF,” Archie said. “When I first got here, they welcomed me with open arms. It honestly felt great.”
Mohr said he sees the same kind of talent in Archie that former USF pitcher and quarterback Tommy Everd showed during his time with the Bulls in the mid-2010s.
For now, he's just going to be himself.
“I describe myself as a dog,” Archie said. “I try to excel in everything I do.”
