University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Onward and Upward: Pitt Baseball's Season in Review
6/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Season Notes | Final Statistics
PITTSBURGH -- When Coach Jordano and the University of Pittsburgh baseball team set their sights on an ACC Championship, no one said it would be a feat easily accomplished. With the season now behind them, they firmly believe the difficulties of the 2015 campaign only serve as one more step on the program's journey towards reaching a level consistent excellence.
"This past season was a very challenging for our entire program," said head coach Joe Jordano. "We had some significant wins and some significant series wins this season and we remained very committed and worked very hard.  This is a testament to our staff and players who, despite being thin and young, stayed focused and played hard every pitch.  The experience this past season will make us stronger as a program moving forward."
Beleaguered by talent lost to the professional draft, injuries that robbed the team of key personnel, and improbable bouts of illness, the Pitt baseball team (20-32, 9-21 ACC) weathered the storm to throw some hefty punches with its back to the wall over the course of the year.
 
Memorable Moments
The Panthers made noise from the very beginning, hammering reigning A-10 champion Saint Louis, 18-1, on February 13 to mark the largest Opening Day margin of victory in school history.
After snow forced the teams to relocate to the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C., Pitt stole game one of its March 7-8 series with No. 1 Virginia, 1-0, to take a game from the Cavaliers while they sat atop the national rankings for the second straight year. T.J. Zeuch fired eight shutout frames, surrendered just four hits, and struck out eight in a dominant outing that saw him get the best of Virginia's reigning All-American and 2014 ACC Co-Pitcher of the Year Nathan Kirby.
On March 15, Pitt's series victory over another ranked foe, No. 11 North Carolina, came in dramatic fashion as senior Eric Hess delivered a walkoff RBI single to right center to take the decisive final game, 3-2. The Panthers had previously won the series opener, 12-9, thanks in part to a three-run single from freshman Charles LeBlanc with the game tied, 9-9, in the seventh.
Facing one of the most potent offenses in both the ACC and the country against Wake Forest on April 8-11, the Panthers slugged their way to a series victory thanks to bookended wins of 8-3 and 8-4, respectively. Zeuch's complete gamer in game one gave them an early series edge, while the team grabbed the lead in Sunday's rubber match courtesy of a three run jack by Boo Vazquez in the fifth inning and never looked back.
Pitt's final series of the year was a successful one, as the Panthers hosted and defeated Virginia Tech in two out of three to end the season. Pitt earned back-to-back shutout wins in games one and two, both with a score of 7-0, to mark the first time it had blanked its opponent in consecutive contests since 2011. With the pair of victories, the team ended the season winning four of the final six games -- three of which were played on the road.
 
Individual Standouts
Leblanc's strong 2015 campaign may be a sign of things to come for the young Canadian. The true freshman led the squad in average (.291), hits (57), RBIs (30), doubles (12), and total bases (84). He finished in the top three in 10-of-11 offensive categories.
Leadoff man Jacob Wright was a reliably productive bat at the top of the order. He reached base in 39 straight games to close out the year and boosted his on base percentage to a team-best .442. He was especially effective in the game's first at bat, raking .462 and scoring 12 times in that spot over the final 29 games.
Pitt's longtime lefty threat in the heart of the order, Boo Vazquez, was extremely effective after returning from illness. Appearing in all 30 games to close out the year after missing nearly a month, the senior batted .302 and was first on the team in home runs (5) and RBIs (22) over that span. He finished in the school's top 15 in nine all-time offensive categories and became just the 13th player in program history to record 200 hits, 100 runs, and 100 RBIs in the blue and gold.
Zeuch, 2015's regular Friday starter, carved his way through opposing lineups all season. His 90 strikeouts on the year ranked 69th in the nation and sixth in the ACC. He finished tied with Paul Nardozzi for fourth-most strikeouts in a single season in Pitt history.
 
Key Losses
Adversity and injuries are a part of any campaign, but the Panthers' hurdles this year were extraordinary. Below are players lost entirely or in part for the 2015 season in chronological order.
RHP Joe Harvey | 2014 MLB Draft
As a junior, Harvey logged 71.1 innings over 15 appearances (12 starts) in 2014 with a 2.90 ERA and led the team with 56 strikeouts. He threw 34.1 straight innings without allowing an earned run, with 27.1 frames coming against ranked opponents. Harvey has built a career 2.87 ERA as a reliever in the New York Yankee's farm system and is currently with Single-A Charleston.
RHP Luke Curtis | 2014 MLB Draft
The redshirt junior was used primarily in relief in his time at Pitt, compiling an impressive 2.17 ERA in 2014 over 29.0 innings in 16 appearances. He allowed just seven earned runs and struck out 25 on the year. Curtis is currently 3-1 with a 2.33 ERA for the Milwaukee Brewers' Single-A club in Appleton, Wisc.
RHP Cameron Hill | 2014 MLB Draft
An incoming transfer from Redlands CC, Hill never donned the blue and gold before signing with the Cleveland Indians. The right-hander has built an impressive pro resume to date, and currently is 2-1 with a 0.84 ERA for the Indians' Single-A affiliate this season.
RHP Erik Swanson | 2014 MLB Draft
Swanson was another expected incoming transfer that never made his way into the Panthers' lineup before turning pro. The 6'3" righty went 1-2 with a 4.63 ERA last season while pitching for the Texas Rangers' short season Low-A affiliate in Spokane, Wash.
INF Matt Johnson | Hand
Injury kept the senior from playing a single inning this season after starting 51 games for the Panthers in 2014. Johnson scored 24 runs and drove in 19 more last season.
INF Caleb Parry | Labrum
The sophomore's season ended prematurely with a shoulder injury during the series against VCU. Playing mostly third base, Parry had collected four extra base hits in seven starts.
OF Boo Vazquez | Mononucleosis
With symptoms surfacing around the VCU series, Vazquez missed from March 1-25 (14 games) before appearing against Youngstown State. Despite this, the senior still finished tied for second-most RBIs (27) and home runs (5) on the team.
RHP Matt Pidich | Tommy John
Last appearing on March 20 at Duke, Pidich's absence was felt in the `pen as the sophomore had quickly emerged as the Panthers' go-to reliever to protect late leads. He accrued a 1.72 ERA in eight appearances, collected two saves, and registered 23 strikeouts to just five walks. Matt had a pre-existing injury prior to attending Pitt.
INF Nick Yarnall | Mononucleosis
Yarnall was the only other Panther afflicted with mono, and missed action from April 12-29 (eight games). The sophomore went down while swinging a hot bat, finishing the season with a strong .330 average despite never quite resuming full playing duties following his illness.
 
Looking Ahead
"The day after the season ended, I had a series of very productive meetings with staff, players and support personnel," said Jordano. "I feel strongly that a few of the adjustments we have made and will continue to implement this summer will position us well heading into the fall.  We have a talented group coming in as well as a solid group returning.  I am very much looking forward to working with this group.  We are close and we are not going to rest until we get it right. Our future is bright."
The team's incoming 2016 recruiting class was ranked No. 32 in the nation by Perfect Game.
The Panthers would like to thank their fans for their continued support. Be sure to follow @PittBaseball on Twitter and PittBaseballACC on Instagram for offseason updates.
