University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Baseball Hosts Cincinnati in Big East Opener
3/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 19, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh baseball team opens up Big East Conference play this weekend, hosting Cincinnati March 20-22 in its home opener at Trees Field. The Panthers are in the midst of a four-game winning streak, having won their last three games in Florida at the Papa John's Classic and a single against Youngstown State University, 7-6, Tuesday, March 17th. First pitch for Friday's game is scheduled for 3 p.m.
OPENING DAY AT TREES FIELD
The Panthers open their first three-game series as well as Big East play with a home opener against the Cincinnati Bearcats Friday, March 20. The last time the Panthers home opener brought a Big East opponent to town was the University of Connecticut, during the 1997 season. The Panthers opened the March 22-23 series with a 5-4 win against the Huskies before dropping the last two games.
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
The Bearcats are coming off of a four-game series with Western Michigan where they took three of four from the Broncos. The second game of the series featured Brian Garman who the Panthers will see on Friday. Garman went seven and two-thirds innings allowing only one earned run and one walk while recording five strikeouts in the 6-1 victory.
The third game of the series featured senior Mike Spina who belted two home runs and drove in five in the 14-10 comeback victory. Spina leads the Bearcats offense with a team-leading nine home runs on the season.
In the final game of the series senior Cameron Satterwhite and junior Beach Brooks collected back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning to mount a Bearcats comeback and eventual victory over the Broncos 4-3.
SERIES HISTORY
The overall series stands at 3-3 between the two teams. The Panthers dropped the first two of a three-game series last season with the Bearcats on April 11-13 at Marge Schott Stadium, but was able to steal a victory on the last day 3-2. Corey Baker threw his first complete game in the win, allowing only one earned run and one walk, while striking out four. First baseman Morgan Kielty went 2-for-4 while collecting 10 putouts. SERIES PLAY This will be the first three-game series of the season for the Panthers. Their previous scheduled series was set against New Jersey Tech in Gastonia, N.C., but was cancelled due to inclement weather. The Bearcats on the other hand have already played two, four-game series, winning six out of a possible eight games.
WE'RE GOING STREAKING
The Bearcats three-game winning streak has put them at 9-6 overall on the year. The Panthers are also hot, having won four straight games. Both teams are producing on offense by averaging more than six runs per game in each of their last four.
BEARCATS STRUGGLE EARLY
The Bearcats went 0-3 during the Inaugural Big East/Big Ten Challenge in Florida, losing the season opener 11-10 to Purdue in St. Petersburg, falling 6-1 to Michigan in Clearwater, and losing 6-5 to the only common opponent Cincinnati has faced this season, Ohio State, in Tampa.
HOMESICK
The Bearcats have continued their early season struggles away from the friendly confines of Marge Schott Stadium by going 1-3 while playing on the road. UC's lone road win came in the first game of its scheduled four-game series at Davidson, where they won 11-10 in extra innings. The remaining three games of their series was cancelled due to inclement weather conditions.
