Baseball Opens 2004 Season at New Orleans
2/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Baseball Opens 2004 Season at New Orleans
2/18/2004
PITTSBURGH--The University of Pittsburgh baseball team will open the 2004 season this weekend at the University of New Orleans. The Panthers will play a three-game set against the Privateers beginning on Friday night under the lights at 6:30 p.m.
The Panthers, who enter their 78th season of play, look to improve on their back-to-back 36-win seasons. Pittsburgh is led by All-Big East seniors Bryan Spamer and Mike Scanzano. Spamer hit a team-leading .375 in 2003 with 45 RBIs and 17 stolen bases while earning his second All-Big East selection at shortstop. Scanzano earned his first All-Big East selection at third base by batting .332 with 31 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. On the mound, the Panthers return a deep corps of pitchers led by seniors Nick Evangelista and P.J. Hiser. Evangelista posted a 3.32 ERA and led the 2003 Panthers with eight wins and 76 strikeouts. Hiser, a 2002 All-Big East selection, returns to the hill after a redshirt season in 2003. Under seventh-year head coach Joe Jordano the Panthers hold a mark of 160-141-3.
The Panthers begin play on Friday, Feb. 20 with a 6:30 game against the Privateers at Maestri Field. On Saturday the teams will meet again, with game time set for 1:30. The series finale will be played on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
The Privateers are led on the mound by All-America pitcher Thomas Diamond who is 1-0 on the season in 10 innings of work. Diamond has surrendered only two earned runs thus far in 2004 and has struck out 11 batters. Offensively, New Orleans is led by junior all-league outfielder Joe Pietro. The speedy Pietro was named the "Fastest Runner in the Sun Belt" and is rated as the third top prospect in the conference for 2004 by Baseball America.
New Orleans is coming off a 4-1 win over No. 9 Tulane on Tuesday evening. The Privateers are 3-3 in 2004 with wins over Southern, Alabama and Tulane. Under fifth-year head coach Randy Bush, New Orleans looks to improve on its 23-32 mark of last season.
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