Friday, March 6
Miami, Fla.
3 PM
Pitt
at
Miami
Photo by: Harry Bloomberg/Pitt Athletics
Pitt Begins ACC Play at No. 6 Miami
3/5/2020 7:58:00 PM | Baseball
PITTSBURGH – Pitt baseball (10-2) opens ACC play for the 2020 season at No. 6 Miami (8-4) this weekend starting with Friday's game at 3 p.m. The two teams square off Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
ACC NETWORK DEBUT
HOW TO FOLLOW
STARTING PITCHERS
LAST TIME OUT: YOUNGSTOWN STATE
PANTHERS CRUSHING IT AT THE PLATE
MANY, MANY NEW PANTHER FACES
Returning Panthers
ALL TIME SERIES
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT-MIAMI
UP NEXT
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram
ACC NETWORK DEBUT
- Friday night's game will be the first game in program history to be broadcasted on the ACC Network, which was launched this summer.
HOW TO FOLLOW
- The other two games will be broadcasted through ACCNX.
- Fans can follow along with live stats HERE.
- Updates from the weekend also are provided on Twitter. Follow @Pitt_BASE for the latest news and updates about the team.
STARTING PITCHERS
- Friday: Billy Corcoran (2-0, 3.12 ERA, 0.82 WHIP) | Brian Van Belle (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.65 WHIP)
- Saturday: Mitch Myers (2-1, 2.16 ERA, 0.86 WHIP) | Chris McMahon (2-0, 1.45 ERA, 1.02 WHIP)
- Sunday: Matt Gilbertson (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.86 WHIP) | Slade Cecconi (1-1, 4.70 ERA, 0.91 WHIP)
LAST TIME OUT: YOUNGSTOWN STATE
- Pitt dropped its home-opener 7-5 against Youngstown State Wednesday.
- The Panthers have fallen down 5-0 before rallying to tie it up, scoring three runs in the eighth inning.
- Chase Smith threw the last three innings, allowing three hits, two runs and one walk with two strikeouts.
- Sky Duff drew a game-high four walks, tying his career-high (Villanova, Feb. 15, 2019).
PANTHERS CRUSHING IT AT THE PLATE
- Pitt has fielded a high-powered offense attack that has led to several blowout wins and allowed for three late-inning comebacks (Saint Joseph's, Iowa and Central Connecticut State).
- The Panthers rank No. 1 in the nation in doubles per game (3.33). Individually, Kyle Hess (0.67) ranks fourth, while two other players are also in the top-100: David Yanni, (82nd, 0.45) and Riley Wash, (82nd, 0.45).
- Pitt ranks in the top-50 in five other offensive categories: on-base percentage (eighth, .431), scoring (16th, 8.6 runs per game), slugging percentage (16th, 0.498), batting average (26th, .304) and home runs per game (47th, 0.92).
MANY, MANY NEW PANTHER FACES
- Head coach Mike Bell welcomes 21 newcomers to this year's team, the most of any ACC squad.
- These new players came from various routes before arriving to campus with nine JUCO transfers, 10 true freshmen out of high school and two Division I transfers.
- The newcomers have already been trusted on to make immediate impacts, with four positions featuring new players starting every game: centerfield (Jordan Anderson), first base (Bryce Hulett and Grant Santangelo), third base (Samuel Frontino) and catcher (Riley Wash and Nick Vera).
- Wash and Vera split duties behind the plate and combined to throw out all seven baserunners attempting to steal. Starting eight of 11 games played, Wash leads the team in OPS (1.214) and slugging percentage (.759). Seven of his seven 11 hits have gone for extra-bases (five doubles and two homers).
- Anderson has led off all but twice and recorded 11 hits, including three doubles and a triple, and a team-high six stolen bases.
- Hulett has gone 16-39 (.410) at the plate to lead the team in batting average with a homers, four doubles and nine RBI's, and Frontino has 12 walks in addition to five extra-base hits.
- The Panthers' pitching staff has relied heavily on the newcomers. Mitch Myers and Matt Gilbertson have both made three starts. Gilbertson is one of eight pitchers in the nation that hasn't allowed an earned run with at least 15 innings pitched this season. Myers has given up only four runs with 22 strikeouts to two walks.
Returning Panthers
- Pitt has 12 letterwinners return from last year's squad, including proven talent that has garnered ACC accolades.
- Nico Popa had a breakout 2019 season to be one of the best hitters in the league and earn ABCA/Rawlings All-Region First Team and All-ACC Second Team Honors. He led the conference in triples (five) and ranked fifth in batting average (.353). Also, he provided much power at the plate with 28 extra-base hits, including 15 doubles and eight homers, for 39 RBI's.
- Billy Corcoran showed he belonged right away as a freshman and will be counted on to be once again a weekend starter for the Panthers. In 2019 he ranked 2nd on the team in ERA (3.80) and WHIP (1.32) along with 54 strikeouts.
- Sky Duff (second base) and Kyle Hess (left field) are the two other returning starters for Pitt. Both claimed starting roles right away as freshman last season and look for breakout sophomore campaigns. Duff led the team with 40 walks, ranked fourth in batting average (.260) and had eight doubles. Hess had 10 extra-base hits and 33 RBI's.
- A third-team all-conference selection in 2018, Ron Washington Jr. looks to increase his numbers like he did last year. Limited to 39 games, he batted .306 last year with a team-high 17 double and two homers for a .465 slugging percentage.
ALL TIME SERIES
- Miami leads the all-time series 17-4 with the two programs playing for the first time on March 7, 2001 as Big East members.
- Pitt took game in the series last year, 11-10 (March 30).
- The Panthers won two of three games (2-1 and 3-0) down in Coral Gables in 2018.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT-MIAMI
- The Hurricanes are ranked in the top-10 in all five major polls with their top-ranking coming in at No. 6 by Collegiate Baseball.
- Miami fell 11-2 at Florida Atlantic Wednesday night, snapping a four-game winning streak with a sweep of Towson last weekend and USF before in a midweek game.
- The other three losses were in a sweep at home to then-No. 2 Florida two weekends ago when the team was ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation.
- Miami was picked as the ACC Coastal Division favorite in the preseason coaches' poll.
- Catcher Adrian Del Castillo, right-handed pitcher Brian Van Belle, infielder Alex Toral and infielder Raymond Gil were all selected to at least one preseason All-American team.
UP NEXT
- Taking advantage of the university's spring break vacation, Pitt goes to Tampa to play USF Tuesday at 7 p.m.
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
UTIL
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballPitt Baseball | The Cardiac Cats do it again and defeat Louisville 13-11!
Wednesday, May 21
Pitt's Jayden Melendez Hits The Bull
Wednesday, May 21
Pitt First Baseman Luke Cantwell's Beautiful Basket Catch
Wednesday, May 21
Highlights | Pitt 13, Louisville 11 | ACC Tournament
Tuesday, May 20