Team Preparation for 2019 Baseball Season Gets Underway Friday

Team Preparation for 2019 Baseball Season Gets Underway Friday

1/24/2019 4:50:00 PM | Baseball

Mike Bell, Panthers Hit the Field for Full Team Practices

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh baseball team will return to the field Friday afternoon as the program gets team practice underway in preparation for the 2019 season. The practice marks the first official team practice of the 2019 season for first-year head coach Mike Bell, as he looks to improve the Panthers' presence in the nation's top collegiate baseball conference.

The Panthers resume full team practice for the first time since the conclusion of the fall season . tuning up for the start of the 2019 campaign, which kicks off Feb. 15 in Kissimmee, Fla., in the Diamond 9 Sunshine State Classic.

BRING IN BELL

Mike Bell is entering his first season as head coach at Pitt after a seven-year stint as the associate head coach at ACC powerhouse Florida State. He brings 14 years of Division I coaching experience to the program and has coached 47 MLB draft picks, including 2006's No. 1 overall pick Luke Hochevar.
In 2012, he was named the Perfect Game Assistant Coach of the Year and prior to the 2017 season, was named the No. 13 recruiter in the country by D1Baseball.com. In the last 13 years, Bell has also helped lead three teams to four College World Series appearances - Tennessee (2005), Oklahoma (2010), and Florida State (2012 & 2017). In his time at Florida State, the program won three ACC titles in 2015, 2017, and 2018 and his pitchers have recorded 500 or more strikeouts.

RETURNING TO THE LINEUP

The Panthers will be assisted by the return of a pair of junior leaders, 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 a noteworthy freshman year, leading the team with a .304 average and a .456 on base percentage, ranking second in both walks (35) and runs (40). Amos started every game at second base during his freshman campaign and made the start in every game there last season until injury sidelined his season.
Popa got off to a solid start in 2018, going 10-of-15 on stolen base attempts, while hitting .241 and putting up an on base mark 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.

NUMEROUS NEWCOMERS

The Panthers will field a relatively young roster, as 15 members of the 2019 squad are new to the roster.
The group includes 13 freshmen and two transfers.

THE SCHEDULE

Pitt's 2019 slate will feature 25 games at Charles L. Cost Field in addition to the Backyard Brawl at PNC Park. The Panthers will take part in 20 road contests and 11 neutral site games.
The Panthers' ACC schedule will include NC State, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Miami, Duke, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Florida State, North Carolina and Georgia Tech.
Pitt will face off against 11 teams in the top 100 of the final 2018 RPI rankings, including four in the top 25. The slate consists of five 2018 NCAA qualifiers, including one NCAA College World Series participant.

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' ace 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.

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.

BRAWLING AT PNC PARK

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.

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.

MAKING HISTORY

The Panthers tallied 11 wins in regular season ACC play in the 2018 season, tying the program record for ACC victories in a single season.
Pitt last accumulated 11 ACC wins in its inaugural season in the league, going 11-19 in 2014, which included sweeps of Duke and nationally-ranked Georgia Tech, as well as a win over then top-ranked Virginia as well as nationally-ranked North Carolina and Clemson.
The Panthers finished the season with an overall record of 29-26, marking the 12th time in program history that the Panthers have won 29 or more games. Pitt's 29 wins rank 12th in Pitt history and are the most since setting the program record of 42 in 2013.

K EM UP

The Panther pitching staff set a single season strikeout record in 2018, recording 495 strikeouts, surpassing the previous record of 444 set in 2005.
Matt Pidich (99) and RJ Freure (95), led the group, placing them third and fifth on the single season strikeout list.
Starters Dan Hammer (58) and Derek West (47) lead the returners.

HOLDING DOWN THE PLATE

Last season, catcher Cole MacLaren started every game for the Panthers behind the plate, anchoring down the defense as one of just two catchers in the ACC to start every game at catcher.
MacLaren wrapped up the season as the team leader in walks (39) and sacrifice hits (6).
He led the Panthers to a 3-0 victory over Coastal Division rival Miami with a two-run single in the top of the seventh inning and an RBI single for insurance in the top of the ninth.

2018 MLB DRAFT

The Panthers continued to set a standard of success with the 2018 MLB First Year Player Draft, as five student-athletes and two incoming commits heard their names called.
RJ Freure was the first Panther to earn the honor as the pitcher was tabbed by the Houston Astros in the sixth round. Ace Matt Pidich followed with the 11th round selection of the Cincinnati Reds, while fellow pitcher Derek West was the 28th round pick of the Atlanta Braves. Liam Sabino was selected with the 35th round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals and Yasin Chentouf was taken in the 36th round by the Detroit Tigers. Incoming commits Mason Ronan (29th round, Boston Red Sox) and Billy Corcoran (36th round, Texas Rangers) were also selected.
Of the seven selections, three will return to the Panthers, as West, Ronan and Corcoran elected to continue their collegiate careers.

THE ACC TOURNAMENT

The Panthers made an historic run it the program's debut in the ACC Tournament, claiming back-to-back victories, including a win over top-seeded and eventual College World Series participant North Carolina in pool play.
Pitt opened its postseason run with a 2-1 win over eighth-seeded Georgia Tech, scoring twice in the seventh inning to hold off the Yellow Jackets.
Redshirt senior Matt Pidich tossed a gem in the opening game, going 7.0 innings, only one run off just three hits and one walk, whiffing eight. An RBI single from redshirt senior Caleb Parry gave the Panthers the lead before a three-bagger from Chris Cappas put Pitt on top 2-0.
The Panthers would have just over 24 hours to prepare for the top-seeded Tar Heels, but would advance to the semifinals with a stunning 5-4 win.
Tied at three through four innings, North Carolina would secure the advantage in the fifth. Pitt would again use the seventh inning to break out, plating a pair to take its first lead of the game.
Cappas was again vital to the offense, tying the game at 4-4 with an RBI double that put Parry in scoring position with one out. Cole MacLaren would execute a perfect suicide squeeze on the first pitch of the next at bat, allowing Parry to score and giving the Panthers a lead they would not surrender.

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.

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.