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3:00 p.m. UPDATE:
According to USF, Montgomery was removed from the team in mid-November and Leal and Cerrelli left the team for personal reasons around that time as well.
USF has given no indication as to why Montgomery was dismissed from the team.
The USF baseball team will be down three veteran players when they open the season February 16 versus North Carolina as outfielder Cam Montgomery, and infielders Andres Leal and Nick Cerelli are no longer with the team.
OF Cam Montgomery, and IF’s Andres Leal and Nick Cerelli are no longer listed on the @USFBaseball roster.
— Nathan Bond (@BullsNathanSBN) December 14, 2017
Montgomery started 27 games this past year, while Leal started 26 games and Cerelli played in 14 games with 4 starts.
More to follow.
We’re hearing Montgomery was dismissed from the team and Leal and Cerelli quit shortly thereafter.
USF has not responded to text messages regarding the situation.
Montgomery struggled in 2017 hitting just .200/.364/.305 in 49 games and 29 starts. He did have a huge two-run double in the first game of the season versus Iowa to take a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. He promptly went eight games without a hit, even at one point having more HBP’s than hits on the year.
Leal hit .248/.347/.324 in 2017 after missing nearly all of the 2016 due to injury. He played at catcher, second base and third for the Bulls making 43 appearance and 27 starts. He tallied 84 starts over his USF career.
Cerelli only saw mop up duty as a freshman playing behind SS/2B Coco Montes and first round draft pick Kevin Merrell in the middle infield. Cerelli appeared in 14 games with four starts, hitting .238/.273/.286.
We will update this story with any new information.