University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
North Carolina
Panthers Take On Tar Heels This Weekend at Charles Cost Field
3/16/2023 2:35:00 PM | Baseball
TOP OF THE ORDER
1. PANTHERS HOST NO. 18 NORTH CAROLINA IN FIRST ACC HOME SERIES OF 2023
The Pitt baseball team (8-8, 1-2 ACC) will host its first Atlantic Coast Conference series of the 2023 season on the second weekend of conference play, welcoming No. 18-ranked North Carolina (14-5, 1-2 ACC) to Charles Cost Field for a three-game set between Coastal Division foes.
Game one is scheduled for Friday (March 17) at 3 p.m. The Saturday (March 18) matchup is slated for a 3 p.m. start. The series finale is set for Sunday (March 19) with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
Pitt vs. North Carolina | Friday, March 17 | 3 p.m. | Charles Cost Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
ACC Network Extra | StatBroadcast
Pitching Matchup: Pitt Jr. RHP #43 Jack Sokol (2-0, 6.23 ERA) vs. North Carolina Jr. RHP #35 Max Carlson (0-1, 4.87 ERA)
Pitt vs. North Carolina | Saturday, March 18 | 3 p.m. | Charles Cost Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
ACC Network Extra | StatBroadcast
Pitching Matchup: Pitt Jr. RHP #17 Kyle Mosley (0-2, 7.27 ERA) vs. North Carolina Jr. RHP #27 Connor Bovair (1-1, 2.53 ERA)
Pitt vs. North Carolina | Sunday, March 19 | 1 p.m. | Charles Cost Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
ACC Network Extra | StatBroadcast
Pitching Matchup: Pitt Gr. RHP #32 Erubiel Candelario (1-0, 7.63 ERA) vs. North Carolina Jr. RHP #42 Jake Knapp (2-0, 2.33 ERA)
2. PITT WRAPS UP FIRST WEEKEND OF ACC PLAY WITH WIN OVER FLORIDA STATE
Kyle Hess hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to help lift Pitt to its first ACC win of the 2023 season with an 8-6 victory over No. 21-ranked Florida State last Sunday in Tallahassee. The game entered a lightning delay with one out in the bottom of the eighth and was ultimately called as final after seven innings.
Trailing 6-5 entering the top of the sixth inning, the Panthers put together a three-run frame to take the lead and ultimately win the game. Justin Acal drew a one-out walk, then stole second base. One out later, Acal scored on a single to right field by Johnny Long III, who advanced to second on a Florida State fielding error on the play. That set the stage for Hess to hit his first home run of the season, a two-run blast over the wall in center field.
Matthew Fernandez worked around a leadoff walk to retire the Seminoles in the home half of the sixth. Jonathan Bautista then came on in the seventh and forced Florida State to strand two runners. Fernandez struck out five in four innings of relief while Bautista fanned one in one scoreless inning of work. Fernandez was credited with the win to improve to 1-2 on the year. Bautista earned his first save of the season.
3. MAKING A CASE FOR ACE
Jack Sokol, who is scheduled to get the start on the mound for the Panthers in Friday's series opener, has certainly made= a case to be the ace of Pitt's pitching staff. In his three starts this season, the junior right-hander is 2-0 with a 3.31 ERA and 24 strikeouts against just four walks over 16.1 innings of work. Sokol struck out a season-high 10 over seven frames in a 10-2 win over Mount St. Mary's on March 4. He followed that performance up by going 5.1 innings and striking out nine while permitting just two earned runs on seven hits and two walks in what ended up as a 3-2 loss in 12 innings last Friday at Florida State.
WALK THIS WAY
Pitt ranks ninth in the country with 111 walks on the season. Noah Martinez is fourth in the nation with 21 walks while CJ Funk is seventh in the country with 20 free passes.
IMPACT TRANSFER
A transfer from Central Connecticut State, Noah Martinez has made an impact through 16 games with the Panthers this season.
Martinez is leading the team in batting average (.339), slugging percentage (.732), on base percentage (.506), RBI (23) and home runs (6) while tying for second in hits (19) and ranking second in runs (20). He is riding a team-high 11-game hitting streak into this weekend's series against North Carolina and is tied with Jack Anderson for the longest reached base streak on the team with 16. His six multi-RBI games are tied for the team lead.
OFF TO A GOOD START
Freshman AJ Nessler is off to a solid start to his collegiate career. Nessler ranks second on the team in RBI (17), is tied for second in hits (19) and ranks third on the team in batting average (.311) and fourth in slugging percentage (.459). He also leads the team with a pair of triples. His six multi-RBI games are tied for the team lead with Noah Martinez while his five multi-hit games are tied with Tommy Tavarez, Sky Duff and Jack Anderson for most on the team.
HIT PARADE
Jack Anderson leads Pitt with 20 hits and a .339 batting average on the year. His .455 on base percentage is good for second on the squad. He is tied with Noah Martinez for the current longest reached base streak on the team with 16 and is tied for the most multi-hit games on the team with five.
WE'VE GOT THE FUNK
CJ Funk has displayed both power and patience at the plate so far this season. His five home runs are good for second on the team behind Noah Martinez, and he has coaxed 20 walks, which is good for seventh in the country and second on the team behind Martinez. His .443 on base percentage ranks third on the team.
STRONG OUT OF THE 'PEN
Pitt has seen several relievers deliver big performances out of the bullpen so far this season. Dylan Simmons has struck out 16 while giving up just three walks in six appearances and nine innings. He has logged one save. Matthew Fernandez has fanned 21 while permitting just nine walks in five appearances and 15.1 innings. Nash Bryan has made seven appearances and recorded three wins and a save in relief, striking out 15 against just three walks in 12.1 frames. Jonathan Bautista is tied with Bryan with a team-high seven appearances and has struck out 14 in 12.2 innings. Quin Konuszewski has not allowed a run in four appearances and has struck out four in 2.1 innings.
SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA
Pitt is 11-15 all-time against North Carolina but owns a 7-5 record against the Tar Heels in games played at Charles Cost Field. The Panthers have dropped four of their last five against North Carolina, with the lone victory coming in the 2021 ACC Tournament - a 5-3 triumph. Pitt won the series over the Tar Heels in North Carolina's last trip to Charles Cost Field in 2021, taking the first two games by scores of 6-2 and 3-2 before dropping the finale, 10-9.
North Carolina is led by third-year head coach Scott Forbes, who has spent 22 years on the Tar Heel coaching staff after previously serving as associate head coach, batting coach, pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. He has helped lead the Tar Heels to seven appearances in the College World Series, seven ACC division titles and four ACC Tournament titles.
The Tar Heels enter the second weekend of ACC play with a 14-5 overall record but a 1-2 conference mark after dropping a home series to Virginia last weekend (L, 7-3; L, 8-4; W, 6-0) in Chapel Hill. North Carolina is ranked in all five major college baseball polls, including as high as No. 18 by D1 Baseball.
North Carolina is currently ranked sixth in the country in walks (123), sixth in doubles (47), sixth in home runs (39), ninth in hits (200), 12th in runs (174), 21st in slugging percentage (.555), 21st in ERA (3.43) and 22nd in on base percentage (.430).
Tomas Frick is pacing North Carolina's bats with a team-best .405 batting average, .824 slugging percentage and .482 on base percentage and a team-high 30 hits, 13 doubles and 25 RBI. He has also hit six home runs. Jackson Van De Brake is slashing .365/.746/.461 with 23 hits, including seven home runs. Mac Horvath has seen 17 of his 23 hits go for extra bases, including a team-high nine home runs. He and Van De Brake have each driven in 21 runs. Vance Honeycutt is ranked second on the team with 24 RBI and has registered 12 extra-base hits, including seven homers. He is tied with Colby Wilkerson for the team lead with 19 walks.
Max Carlson has struck out 23 over four starts and 20.1 innings, tying him with Kevin Eaise for the team lead in strikeouts. Jake Knapp is 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA and has fanned 17 in four starts and 19.1 innings. Connor Bovair has thrown a team-high 21.1 innings, striking out 17 and sporting a 2.53 ERA. Nine North Carolina pitchers have made at least five appearances on the mound. Matt Poston has not given up a run in seven appearances and 13.2 innings of relief, fanning 12 while allowing just three walks.
UP NEXT
Pitt's current seven-game homestand continues next Wednesday (March 22) as it plays host to Kent State at Charles Cost Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
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