Friday, February 19
Port Charlotte, Fla.
2 PM
Pitt
vs
Indiana State
Pitt Begins 2021 With Indiana State in Snowbird Classic
2/18/2021 6:33:00 PM | Baseball
PITTSBURGH – Pitt baseball opens its 2021 season with a three-game weekend series against Indiana State in the Snowbird Classic. Friday and Saturday's game starts at 2 p.m., and the series finale Sunday begins at noon.
HOW TO FOLLOW
STARTING PITCHERS (2020 STATS LISTED)
RETURNING EVERY STARTER FROM 2020
LAST YEAR'S HISTORIC START
SECOND TIME IS HOPEFULLY THE CHARM
GRAD TRANSFER ADDITIONS
DÉJÀ VU
OPENING DAY
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT-INDIANA STATE
50-GAME SLATE
UP NEXT
HOW TO FOLLOW
- FloBaseball will stream all three games (subscription is required).
- Fans can follow along with live stats.
- Updates from the weekend also are provided on Twitter. Follow @Pitt_BASE for the latest news and updates about the team.
STARTING PITCHERS (2020 STATS LISTED)
- FRIDAY: Mitch Myers (2-2, 3.52 ERA, 1.04 WHIP) | Geremy Guerrero (1-0, 6.23 ERA, 1.38 WHIP)
- SATURDAY: Matt Gilbertson (2-1, 1.13 ERA, 1.33 WHIP) | Connor Cline (1-1, 3.18 ERA, 1.18 WHIP)
- SUNDAY: Billy Corcoran (2-0, 3.97 ERA, 0.95 WHIP) | Javin Drake (0-2, 3.09 ERA, 1.11 WHIP)
RETURNING EVERY STARTER FROM 2020
- Pitt fields one of its most experience teams in recent history as every single starting position player and pitcher returns from last year.
- Weekend starting pitchers: Billy Corcoran, Mitch Myers and Matt Gilbertson. The trio combined for 12 starts, a 6-3 record and ERA.
- Catcher: Riley Wash earned the lion's share of the starts (11) behind the plate last year and ranked in the ACC eighth in doubles (six) along with a .619 slugging percentage and .391 on-base percentage.
- First base: Bryce Hulett started in all but one game, ranked 25th in the ACC in batting average (.339) and had four doubles, a homer and 10 RBI's.
- Second base: Sky Duff is a two-year starter and last year ranked eighth in walks (19) and 73rd in on-base percentage (.507) in the nation.
- Third base: Samuel Frontino manned the hot corner all 16 games in his first season at Pitt and produced five multiple-hit and three multiple-RBI games for a .481 slugging percentage and .408 on-base percentage.
- Shortstop: David Yanni has started at this position since his freshman season in 2016 and last year ranked in the ACC first in assists (47) and seventh in doubles (6).
- Left field: Kyle Hess broke out last season and was one of the best hitters in the league, ranking in the ACC second in doubles, fourth in RBI's, sixth in hits and 12th in batting average (.373).
- Centerfield: Jordan Anderson was another junior college transfer who started right away last year, and led the team in stolen bases (six) and triples (one).
- Right field: Nico Popa is another starter since his freshman season (2017) and earned Second Team All-ACC honors in 2019.
- Designated hitter: Ron Washington Jr. ranked in the ACC third in RBI's (20), led the team in home runs (four) and RBI's (20) and recorded a .492 slugging percentage.
LAST YEAR'S HISTORIC START
- The Panthers opened last season 10-1 that included an eight-game winning streak, tied for the second-best start through 11 games in program history (1963, 1967 and 1993).
- Pitt registered seven double-digit hit and run games in the streak.
- Pitt went 3-1 in the 2020 version of the Snowbird Classic as the unofficial champions of the tournament with victories over Indiana State (11-1), Saint Joseph's (14-8, 14 innings) and Iowa (10-8).
- The Panthers scored 36 runs, the most in an Opening Weekend since 2016 (39 in four games).
- Pitt then swept Eastern Michigan (3-2, 10-4 and 3-2) in Sanford, Fla. and never trailed in the series.
- Myers and Gilbertson earned their first wins as Panthers, and Corcoran set a career-high in strikeouts for the second-straight contest, racking up nine in the series opener in six innings.
- Pitt finished off their third trip to Florida with four wins in the RussMatt Cental Florida Invitational, defeating Lehigh (15-4, 10-0) and Central Connecticut State (7-5, 14-2) twice.
- Hess went 7-17 (.412) at the plate in the tournament, including four doubles, a triple and home run, for 12 RBI's.
- The Panthers combined for 46 runs in the tournament, the most for one weekend of play this season despite not batting in any ninth inning and having five frames nullified due to two shortened games.
SECOND TIME IS HOPEFULLY THE CHARM
- Pitt has several members on this year's team it did not plan to have due to COVID-19. Seniors David Yanni, Nico Popa and Chris Gomez all elected to use the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA to extend their college careers.
- Playing his sixth season for the Panthers, Yanni is one of the most tenured baseball players in the area. Only Gregory Polanco has been a longer member of a Pittsburgh baseball team as Chad Kuhl, Adam Frazier and Jacob Stallings also enter their sixth season with the Buccos.
GRAD TRANSFER ADDITIONS
- The cancellation of last season also led to new additions to the squad. Pitt added five graduate transfers who were set to exhaust their eligibility last year: Stephen Hansen (Iona), Jordan McCrum (Monmouth), Ramon Padilla (Little Rock), Corey Sawyer (Seton Hall) and Matt Tarabek (Fordham).
- Hansen: was a four-year starting pitcher, including three seasons as a weekend starter, with a 3.95 career era, 157 strikeouts to 57 walks and 11-14 record.
- As a preseason All-MAAC Selection in 2020, made four starts with a 3.55 ERA with 24 strikeouts to six walks.
- Earned All-MAAC Second Team in 2019 with a 4-6 record, 3.23 ERA and 93 strikeouts to just 14 walks in 94.2 innings pitched.
- McCrum: made 44 appearances with 10 starts in four seasons at Monmouth with a 3.85 ERA, four saves and 102 strikeouts.
- As a starting pitcher in 2017, led the Hawks in starts (10) with a 4-3 record, 5.04 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 55.1 innings pitched.
- Had the second-lowest ERA (3.22) on the team as a freshman with a 2-1 record while also starting 13 games as an infielder.
- Made only three appearances in 2019 due to injury and didn't play in the shortened-2020 season.
- Padilla: Started in both seasons at Little Rock with a .255 batting average, 22 RBI's and seven doubles.
- Posted a .400 slugging percentage and .389 on-base percentage last spring with a pair of doubles.
- Played two seasons at Illinois Central College, appearing in 79 games while batting .281 with three home runs, 14 doubles and 50 RBI's.
- Tarabek: a four-year starter at Fordham, playing mostly at third base and also shortstop, with a career .377 slugging percentage, .321 on-base percentage, 78 RBI's and 34 stolen bases.
- Had a strong start to 2020, going 18-53 (.340) at the plate with two homers, 14 RBI's and four walks for a .422 on-base percentage.
- Served as a key player in 2019, helping the Rams win the A-10 Conference Tournament for an NCAA Regional Appearance, with 61 starts all at third base with 35 runs scored, 15 doubles, 32 RBI, 21 walks, and 14 stolen bases.
- Broke out as a sophomore with 16 extra-base hits for a .390 slugging percentage and 27 RBI as well as 16 stolen bases.
- A four-year letterwinner at nearby Hempfield and led the team to four WPIAL AAAA Section 2 Championships (2013-16) while earning all-section honors three times.
- Sawyer: served as a key reliever in all four years.
- Earned a save at Liberty in one of three appearances in 2020.
- Pitched to a 1-1 record with a 1.73 ERA and 32 strikeouts with 14 walks in 26.0 innings pitched as a junior and led Seton Hall in ERA and saves (four).
- Tossed two scoreless innings, without allowing a hit, including two strikeouts against Pitt on Feb. 24, 2018.
DÉJÀ VU
- Pitt faced Indiana State in last year's opening day on Feb. 14 in the same tournament in Port Charlotte and blew out the Sycamores 11-1.
- The Panthers used the long ball in for the win, as Washington Jr., Hess and Wash all hit homers with at least one runner on base.
- Corcoran started and threw five scoreless innings with a then-career high eight strikeouts and only three hits and two walks.
OPENING DAY
- Pitt is 40-40 all-time on Opening Day, having won nine-straight, dating back to the 2013 season.
- Last year in a doubleheader, the Panthers defeated Indiana State 11-1 and rallied for a 14-8 win over Saint Joseph's in 14-innings.
- Iowa gave Pitt its last lost on a season-opener, 7-5, in 2012.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT-INDIANA STATE
- Indiana State went 8-6 last year and had a weekend sweep of Elon and a series win over Kansas.
- The Sycamores secured their 12th-straight winning season while also finishing in the top-100 in RPI for eighth-straight year. In 2019, Indiana State won two games in the NCAA Regionals and finished 23rd in the final RPI rankings.
- Indiana State returns eight position starters and nine key pitchers.
- Infielder Jordan Schaffer (.339) led the team in hitting last year. Utility player Dominic Cusumano also hit .318 with 14 base hits and a .400 on-base percentage.
- Redshirt senior Tyler Grauer has earned several preseason accolades: First Team Preseason All-American by the NCBWA and a Third Team Preseason All-American by D1Baseball.com. Grauer appeared in seven games out of the bullpen, recorded a team-best five saves and finished with a 1.59 ERA over 11.1 innings with an 0-1 record, 23 strikeouts and just one walk.
50-GAME SLATE
- This season the Panthers will play a 50-game schedule.
- Pitt plays 12 ACC weekend series instead of the traditional 10 and a total of 27 games at Charles L. Cost Field.
- Pitt is scheduled to play more than half of its games (26) this season against opponents that have been ranked in the top-20 by at least one of the major preseason polls: No. 2 Louisville, No. 5 Virginia, No. 6 Miami, No. 9 Florida State, No. 11 NC State, No. 15 Georgia Tech, No. 16 Duke and No. 17 Wake Forest.
UP NEXT
- Pitt heads to Jacksonville for a Tuesday matchup at 6 p.m.
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