Looking Back on the 2004 Panthers' Baseball Season
6/7/2004
Pittsburgh finished with a 38-18 record, just one win shy of tying the single-season school record.
Senior Bryan Spamer earned his third consecutive All-Big East honor.
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PITTSBURGH ? The University of Pittsburgh baseball team concluded its 2004 season last month, but it was a season to remember for the Panthers as they broke numerous school records and advanced to the conference tournament for the first time since 2000.
The Panthers (38-18, 17-9 Big East) finished their season with the second most wins in school history, including the team?s second appearance at the Big East Championships under head coach Joe Jordano. With 36 wins in each of the previous two seasons, Pittsburgh has had the best three-year stretch in the history of the program. In addition, four team records were broken this season totaling 591 hits, 410 runs, 61 home runs and 370 RBIs.
Pittsburgh broke six individual single-season records. Freshman Jim Negrych tied the school record for most hits with 76. Negrych also broke the school record for doubles with a total of 20. Senior P.J. Hiser topped the school record in home runs with 21 and RBIs with 67. Sophomore Ben Copeland now owns the school mark in runs scored with 63 and tied Bill Schmitt?s (1955) record in triples with seven.
Pittsburgh swept the major awards at the Big East Championships banquet and six players earned all-conference spots, the most in Pittsburgh history for a single season. Hiser, the second player in school history to receive Big East Player of the Year, Nick Evangelista, Co-Pitcher of the Year, and shortstop Bryan Spamer, all received first-team honors. Negrych, Rookie of the Year, and Copeland were named to the Big East Second Team. Earning a third-team spot was first baseman, Tom Cashman.
Jordano, in his seventh season with Pittsburgh, is the first coach since Mark Jackson (1995) to earn the Big East Coach of the Year award. Jordano led the Panthers to their second-best season in school history (38-18), just one win short of tying the school record for wins. He is only the second coach in school history to receive Coach of the Year honors.
Also highlighting the season was a doubleheader sweep over then-No. 4 Notre Dame. The Panthers were the only team this season to defeat the Fighting Irish twice.
