Pitt Concludes Fall Ball with #FallBrawl at WVU

Pitt Concludes Fall Ball with #FallBrawl at WVU

10/25/2018 2:40:00 PM | Baseball

Panthers Head to Monongalia County Ballpark for Fall Finale

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh baseball team wraps up the 2018 fall ball season Friday evening, traveling to rival West Virginia for the #FallBrawl.

The Panthers and Mountaineers will get things going at 6 p.m. at Monongalia County Ballpark in Granville, W.Va. Admission to the game is free.

HOW TO FOLLOW

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LEADING OFF
The University of Pittsburgh baseball team will conclude the fall season, traveling to Granville, W.Va., for a meeting with rival West Virginia. The Panthers and Mountaineers will face off at Monongalia County Ballpark Friday evening as the Panthers look to remain unbeaten in fall action. Pitt is coming off of a 7-3 victory over Youngstown State last week after defeating the Toronto Mets 21-3 in the fall opener.

Pitt's offense took a hit with the graduation of Frank Maldonado and the draft departure of Liam Sabino, who led the offense in the 2018 season. The Panthers, however, will be aided by the return of sophomores Ron Washington Jr. and Chris Cappas, both of whom were named to the ACC's All-Freshman and All-Tournament teams, respectively. Power threat David Yanni, as well as juniors Alex Amos and Nico Popa, will also look to strengthen an offense that will rely on a plethora of newcomers.

Pitt's rotation will be bolstered by the return of Dan Hammer, who had a phenomenal season in the Cape Cod League, earning All-Star recognition in the nation's premier collegiate summer league. Joining the staff will be Derek West, who returns after being drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 28th round of the 2018 MLB Draft. Reliever Chase Smith will look to make an impact in his sophomore campaign, while freshmen Billy Corcoran and Mason Ronan will add depth to a staff that aims to impress in 2019.

SCOUTING WEST VIRGINIA
The game will be the second and final fall competition for the Mountaineers, who opened action with a 8-1 victory over Marshall on Sept. 21. In that outing, West Virginia plated runs in four consecutive innings, tallying eight runs off 10 hits in the win.

Freshman third baseman Philip Dull led the Mountaineers with two hits and two RBI, taking over on the mound in the ninth to throw a scoreless frame.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
Hear from members of the 2018 fall squad as fall practice is in full swing.

A full transcript of interviews can be found here.

PANTHERS DOWN YOUNGSTOWN STATE
Pitt concluded the home portion of its exhibition season Friday evening, defeating Youngstown State 7-3 at Charles L. Cost Field. Pitt scored five in the first two innings and extended its lead to 7-0 in the fourth. Sophomore Bryce O'Farrell tallied a pair of doubles, while Kris Soto, Chris Cappas, Kyle Hess and Nico Popa all recorded RBI on the afternoon.

The Panthers used nine pitchers in the game – getting solid performances from Christian Camacho, Chris Gomez, Mason Ronan and Brady Devereux.

A full photo gallery of the exhibition can be found here.

Postgame interviews…

OFFENSE ELECTRIC IN EXHIBITION OPENER
The Panthers took part in their first exhibition of the 2018 fall campaign, downing the Toronto Mets 21-3 at Charles L. Cost Field. Pitt scored at least one run in six of its eight offensive innings, homering four times and finishing the contest without any strikeouts. Senior Connor Perry would smack a pair of homers, including a grand slam, as he tallied six RBI.

Nine pitchers saw work on the mound as the Panthers got solid performances from veterans Dan Hammer and Derek West, as well as Christian Camacho and Billy Corcoran.

A full photo gallery of Friday's exhibition can be found here.

Postgame interviews…

ACC SCHEDULE
The Panthers announced their 2019 ACC slate this week, as all 10 of Pitt's league weekends are set. Pitt's conference opponents and weekends are listed below.

March 8-10 – at NC State
March 15-17 – vs. Virginia Tech
March 22-24 – at Virginia
March 29-31 – vs. Miami
April 5-7 – at Duke
April 12-14 – vs. Wake Forest
April 19-21 – vs. Notre Dame
May 3-5 – at Florida State
May 10-12 – vs. North Carolina
May 16-18 – at Georgia Tech

BRING IN BELL
The season ushers in the first for newly appointed head coach Mike Bell, who was introduced by Director of Athletics Heather Lyke on July 13. Bell joins the Panthers after a seven-year stint as the associate head coach and pitching coach at ACC powerhouse Florida State. Bell brings more than 14 years of NCAA Division I coaching experience to the Panthers and is just the fifth head coach in Pitt baseball history.

ROOKIE RETURNERS
The Panther offense will be aided by the return of a pair that turned in impressive rookie seasons. In their freshman campaigns, Chris Cappas and Ron Washington Jr. put up some of the team's best offensive numbers and they'll look to continue that trend in their sophomore seasons.

Cappas landed on the ACC All-Tournament team after a sensational showing at the league tournament, where he hit at a .545 clip with two RBI, a .909 slugging percentage and a . 583 on base mark. On the season, Cappas hit .298 with 15 RBI and was 7-8 in stolen base attempts.

Washington Jr. saw action in all but one game for the Panthers in 2018, making the start in 51 at both right field and designated hitter. The Houston native hit .284 on the season, adding a .428 slugging percentage and a .333 on base mark. He produced 33 RBI to rank fourth on the team, hitting seven doubles, two triples and six homers

SUMMER CATCH
Junior pitcher Dan Hammer had a summer to remember in the prestigious Cape Cod League, earning national recognition in his second stint with the Chatham Anglers. The hard-throwing righty was the East Division's starting pitcher in the 2018 Cape Cod League All-Star game and put up impressive numbers splitting time between the bullpen and the starting rotation.

The Panthers' righty was one of the best in the nation's top collegiate summer league, posting a 2-0 record and a 2.16 ERA in 25.0 innings for the Anglers, striking out 20 in the process.

The Chatham Anglers are no stranger to Pitt pitchers, having hosted 2016 First Round Draft pick T.J. Zeuch, as well as 2017 19th round pick Isaac Mattson and 2018 Sixth Round pick RJ Freure.

ALL SIGNS POINT WEST
Redshirt junior pitcher Derek West had a solid season in the Cape Cod League, pitching with the league champion Wareham Gatemen. After joining the Gatemen in July, West made four appearances, including two starts, competing to a 1.10 ERA in 16.1 innings. He allowed just two runs off eight hits and six walks, striking out 15 and holding opponents to a .143 average.

JOYFUL RETURN OF THE JUNIORS
The Panthers will be aided by the return of two junior position players this season, as both Alex Amos and Nico Popa are expected to rejoin the lineup after missing the majority of the 2018 campaign due to injury.

Amos had an incredible freshman year, leading the team with a .304 average and a .456 on base percentage, ranking second in both walks and runs with 35 and 40, respectively. Amos started every game at second base during his freshman year and made the start in every game there last season until injury sidelined his sophomore campaign.

Popa got out to a solid start for the Panthers in 2018, going 10-of-15 on stolen base attempts, while hitting .241 and putting up an on base percentage of .333. Popa started 50 of the 51 games that he appeared in during his freshman campaign and 31 of 36 before his sophomore season was cut short due to injury.

WENT WITH WILSON
Pitt will now partner with Wilson and its family of brands for a multitude of equipment needs, working with Wilson, Louisville Slugger and EvoShield to provide fielding gloves, bats, batting helmets, catchers gear and protective shielding.

Wilson is the official glove of the MLB and provides baseball products to a multitude of NCAA Division I institutions.

HIGHLY TOUTED HESS
The freshmen class will be aided by the addition of nationally coveted recruit Kyle Hess, who joins the Panthers from Donegal High School in Mount Joy, Pa. According to Perfect Game, Hess joins the Panthers as the third best outfielder in the state of Pennsylvania and the 12th best player in the state. A lefty bat, he is the 64th best outfielder in the country and is expected to be an immediate contributor at Pitt.

Hess earned All-American honors from Perfect Game and competed with All-Star Baseball Academy in West Chester, Pa.

BRALWING AT PNC
The Panthers announced that the 2019 home contest against rival West Virginia will take place at PNC Park as the Backyard Brawl makes its professional debut. The game marks the first time the two schools will meet at PNC Park and the sixth time the Panthers take the field at the newest home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pitt owns a record of 3-2 at PNC Park all-time with the previous five games coming against Duquesne. It will be the first time since the 2009 season that the Panthers lace up at PNC Park. Pitt has outscored opponents by a margin of 34-16 at PNC Park.

MAKING MIRACLES
The Panthers teamed up with the Miracle League of South Hills on Oct. 13, taking part in the league's season finale at Boyce Mayview Park. Pitt assisted on the field as the Rangers and Orioles battled to a 21-21 tie and each member of the Miracle League teams took home Pitt baseball tshirts. A full photo gallery of Saturday's event can be found here.

Junior Dan Hammer…
"It was great being out here at Miracle League. I had the opportunity to be here two years ago and it was great to be back to today. Just to see the kids smile, it was a great feeling."

Freshman Mason Ronan…
"It was a blast today to get out and work with some of these kids and make them really happy. These kids have a special place in my heart and to be able to work with them, it was really fun, and just to make their day it was a really humbling experience."

NEWCOMERS
There will be many new faces on the diamond for the Panthers this season as the program welcomes 17 newcomers. The incoming class features 15 freshmen as well as two transfers.

A complete 2018 fall roster can be found here.

DRAFTED YOUNG
A pair of incoming freshmen heard their names called in the 2018 MLB First Year Player Draft as both Billy Corcoran and Mason Ronan were tabbed by MLB clubs.

Corcoran was taken with the 1,079th overall pick by the Texas Rangers in the 36th round. A right handed pitcher from Milmont Park, Pa., he was a 2018 Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention and All-Region first-team honoree.

Ronan was tabbed in the 29th round by the Boston Red Sox with the 880th overall selection. A left handed hurler from Penn Cambria High School in Ashville, Pa., he was also a2018 Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention and All-Region first-team recipient.

PANTHERS TO PROS
Four Panthers took their careers to the professional ranks following the 2018 season as RJ Freure, Matt Pidich, Liam Sabino and Yaya Chentouf each inked pro contracts.

RJ Freure – Sixth Round – Houston Astros
Matt Pidich – Eighth Round – Cincinnati Reds
Liam Sabino – 35th Round – St. Louis Cardinals
Yaya Chentouf – 36th Round – Detroit Tigers

Also drafted in the 2018 MLB First Year Player Draft was Derek West, who was taken in the 28th round by the Atlanta Braves. West announced in June his decision to return to Pitt.

PAIR HEAD TO ARIZONAL FALL LEAGUE
For the second straight year the Panthers will have at least one representative in the highly coveted Arizona Fall League, as both Charles Leblanc and Hobie Harris are headed to the instructional league. Leblanc, a member of the Texas Rangers farm system, will compete with the Surprise Saguaros, while Harris, a member of the New York Yankees farm system, will lace up with the Glendale Desert Dogs.

Leblanc, a 2016 fourth round selection by the Rangers, was an offensive force for the Panthers, winning the ACC's batting title in 2016 after hitting an outstanding .409. His average was good for 13th in the nation that year and was the highest in the league since 2009. In his final season with the Panthers, he led the team in average, runs scored, hits, RBI, on base percentage and assists. His on base mark of .494 was good for 17th in the NCAA.

Harris, a 2015 31st round pick of the Yankees, struck out 81 career batters, compared to just 44 walks in 92.0 innings of work. He led the Panthers to a victory over No. 11 North Carolina in 2015 and appeared in 24 games, including two starts, before hearing his name called in the draft.

UP NEXT
The game concludes the fall season for the Panthers.

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