Friday, March 24
Pittsburgh, PA
3 PM
Pitt
vs
Virginia Tech
Panthers Host Virginia Tech This Weekend
3/23/2023 5:03:00 PM | Baseball
TOP OF THE ORDER
1. PANTHERS CONTINUE ACC PLAY WITH THREE-GAME HOME SERIES AGAINST VIRGINIA TECH
The Pitt baseball team (9-9, 1-3 ACC) welcomes another ACC opponent to Charles Cost Field this weekend as the Panthers play host to Virginia Tech (13-7, 1-5 ACC) to close out its current homestand.
The series opener is set for Friday (March 24) at 3 p.m. Game two (Saturday, March 25) is also slated for a 3 p.m. start while the series finale on Sunday (March 26) will get underway at 1 p.m. All three games will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra.
Pitt vs. Virginia Tech | Friday, March 24 | 3 p.m. | Charles Cost Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
ACC Network Extra | StatBroadcast
Pitching Matchup: Pitt Jr. RHP #43 Jack Sokol (2-1, 8.41 ERA) vs. Virginia Tech So. RHP #15 Drue Hackenberg (1-2, 4.72 ERA)
Pitt vs. Virginia Tech | Saturday, March 25 | 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. Virginia Tech Jr. RHP #46 Griffin Green (0-1, 7.06 ERA)
Pitt vs. Virginia Tech | Sunday, March 26 | 1 p.m. | Charles Cost Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
ACC Network Extra | StatBroadcast
Pitching Matchup: Pitt TBA vs. Virginia Tech TBA
2. MIDWEEK WIN OVER KENT STATE
CJ Funk, AJ Nessler and Jack Anderson provided Pitt with three home runs en route to an 8-3 victory over Kent State on Wednesday at Charles Cost Field.
Holden Phelps gave Pitt a strong start on the mound, striking out four in three innings of work.
The Panthers went in front in the fourth inning on Funk's two run home run to center. The round tripper was Funk's team leading seventh of the season. Pitt tacked on three more runs in the sixth as Nessler blasted a three-run home run to center to make it a 5-1 lead for the Panthers.
The middle innings saw relievers Logan Evans, Kyle Mosley and Matthew Fernandez provide Pitt with four scoreless frames. Evans struck out two of the four batters he faced. Mosley permitted just one walk. Fernandez went two innings and fanned one.
Kent State cut into the Pitt lead with a two-run home run in the eighth, but the Panthers put the game out of reach in the home half courtesy of Anderson belting a three-run homer over the wall in left center.
Nash Bryan then came on to pitch the ninth and struck out the side to end the game.
3. MULTIPLYING HOMERS
Wednesday's win over Kent State marked Pitt's third game in a row with multiple home runs as the Panthers clubbed a season-high three against the Golden Flashes. Pitt has hit multiple home runs in eight games this year.
A total of seven Panthers have hit multiple home runs on the season so far, with CJ Funk (7) and Noah Martinez (6) leading the way.
THEY GET ON BASE
Three Panthers have double-digit reached base streaks going. Noah Martinez and Jack Anderson lead the pack with 18 straight games while CJ Funk is close behind at 15 in a row.
WALK THIS WAY
Pitt ranks 22nd in the country with 123 walks on the season. Noah Martinez is 10th in the nation with 23 walks while CJ Funk is 17th in the country with 22 free passes.
IMPACT TRANSFER
A transfer from Central Connecticut State, Noah Martinez has made an impact through 18 games with the Panthers this season.
Martinez is leading the team in batting average (.339), slugging percentage (.694), on base percentage (.506) and RBI (24) and is tied for the team lead in hits (21) while ranking second in home runs (6).
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 (20) and is third in hits (20) and batting average (.299) and fourth in slugging percentage (.478). He also leads the team with a pair of triples. His seven multi-RBI games lead the team.
HIT PARADE
Jack Anderson is tied for the team lead with 21 hits and ranks second with a .309 batting average on the year. His .447 on base percentage is good for third on the squad.
WE'VE GOT THE FUNK
CJ Funk has displayed both power and patience at the plate so far this season. His seven home runs lead the team lead, and he has coaxed 22 walks, which is good for 17th in the country and second on the team behind Martinez. His .662 slugging percentage and his .429 on base percentage both rank second on the squad.
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 20 while giving up just four walks in seven appearances and 11.1 innings. He has logged one save. Matthew Fernandez has fanned 22 while permitting just nine walks in six appearances and 17.1 innings. Nash Bryanhas made eight appearances and recorded three wins and a save in relief, striking out 18 against just three walks in 13.1 frames. Jonathan Bautista is tied with Bryan with a team-high eight appearances and has struck out 14 in 15.1 innings. Quin Konuszewski has not allowed a run in four appearances and has struck out four in 2.1 innings. Holden Phelps has made two appearances out of the bullpen in addition to three midweek starts. He's fanned 19 with just three walks in 17 innings of work.
SCOUTING VIRGINIA TECH
Pitt is 21-22 all-time against Virginia. The Panthers dropped last year's series in Blacksburg, 2-1 (W, 4-3; L, 22-6; L, 7-1). The Hokies are visiting Charles Cost Field for the first time since sweeping Pitt in 2021.
John Szefc is in his sixth season as head coach at Virginia Tech and is the reigning ACC Coach of the Year after guiding the Hokies to an NCAA Super Regional appearance in 2022.
The Hokies enter this weekend's series coming off of an 11-0 blanking of VMI on Wednesday. Virginia Tech has dropped five-straight conference games, however, including suffering a sweep at Miami last weekend.
Virginia Tech ranks among the country's leaders in several offensive statistical categories, including slugging percentage (9th; .575), doubles per game (10th; 2.60), home runs per game (T-17th; 1.95) and batting average (20th; .317). The Hokies also rank fourth in the nation in fielding percentage (.986).
Chris Cannizzaro is Virginia Tech's top bat, hitting a team-best .411 with a team-high 37 hits. He ranks second on the team in doubles (7) and home runs (5). Eddie Eisert has clubbed a team-high six home runs.
Drue Hackenberg has made five starts on the mound for the Hokies, going 1-2 with a 4.72 ERA and striking out a team-high 29. Five Virginia Tech relievers sport sub-3.00 ERAs, led by Brady Kirtner, who has made nine appearances out of the bullpen and owns a 0.00 ERA with 12 strikeouts against four walks over 7.2 innings.
UP NEXT
Pitt hits the road for a midweek game next Tuesday (March 28), visiting Penn State in a 6 p.m. matchup.
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram
1. PANTHERS CONTINUE ACC PLAY WITH THREE-GAME HOME SERIES AGAINST VIRGINIA TECH
The Pitt baseball team (9-9, 1-3 ACC) welcomes another ACC opponent to Charles Cost Field this weekend as the Panthers play host to Virginia Tech (13-7, 1-5 ACC) to close out its current homestand.
The series opener is set for Friday (March 24) at 3 p.m. Game two (Saturday, March 25) is also slated for a 3 p.m. start while the series finale on Sunday (March 26) will get underway at 1 p.m. All three games will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra.
Pitt vs. Virginia Tech | Friday, March 24 | 3 p.m. | Charles Cost Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
ACC Network Extra | StatBroadcast
Pitching Matchup: Pitt Jr. RHP #43 Jack Sokol (2-1, 8.41 ERA) vs. Virginia Tech So. RHP #15 Drue Hackenberg (1-2, 4.72 ERA)
Pitt vs. Virginia Tech | Saturday, March 25 | 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. Virginia Tech Jr. RHP #46 Griffin Green (0-1, 7.06 ERA)
Pitt vs. Virginia Tech | Sunday, March 26 | 1 p.m. | Charles Cost Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
ACC Network Extra | StatBroadcast
Pitching Matchup: Pitt TBA vs. Virginia Tech TBA
2. MIDWEEK WIN OVER KENT STATE
CJ Funk, AJ Nessler and Jack Anderson provided Pitt with three home runs en route to an 8-3 victory over Kent State on Wednesday at Charles Cost Field.
Holden Phelps gave Pitt a strong start on the mound, striking out four in three innings of work.
The Panthers went in front in the fourth inning on Funk's two run home run to center. The round tripper was Funk's team leading seventh of the season. Pitt tacked on three more runs in the sixth as Nessler blasted a three-run home run to center to make it a 5-1 lead for the Panthers.
The middle innings saw relievers Logan Evans, Kyle Mosley and Matthew Fernandez provide Pitt with four scoreless frames. Evans struck out two of the four batters he faced. Mosley permitted just one walk. Fernandez went two innings and fanned one.
Kent State cut into the Pitt lead with a two-run home run in the eighth, but the Panthers put the game out of reach in the home half courtesy of Anderson belting a three-run homer over the wall in left center.
Nash Bryan then came on to pitch the ninth and struck out the side to end the game.
3. MULTIPLYING HOMERS
Wednesday's win over Kent State marked Pitt's third game in a row with multiple home runs as the Panthers clubbed a season-high three against the Golden Flashes. Pitt has hit multiple home runs in eight games this year.
A total of seven Panthers have hit multiple home runs on the season so far, with CJ Funk (7) and Noah Martinez (6) leading the way.
THEY GET ON BASE
Three Panthers have double-digit reached base streaks going. Noah Martinez and Jack Anderson lead the pack with 18 straight games while CJ Funk is close behind at 15 in a row.
WALK THIS WAY
Pitt ranks 22nd in the country with 123 walks on the season. Noah Martinez is 10th in the nation with 23 walks while CJ Funk is 17th in the country with 22 free passes.
IMPACT TRANSFER
A transfer from Central Connecticut State, Noah Martinez has made an impact through 18 games with the Panthers this season.
Martinez is leading the team in batting average (.339), slugging percentage (.694), on base percentage (.506) and RBI (24) and is tied for the team lead in hits (21) while ranking second in home runs (6).
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 (20) and is third in hits (20) and batting average (.299) and fourth in slugging percentage (.478). He also leads the team with a pair of triples. His seven multi-RBI games lead the team.
HIT PARADE
Jack Anderson is tied for the team lead with 21 hits and ranks second with a .309 batting average on the year. His .447 on base percentage is good for third on the squad.
WE'VE GOT THE FUNK
CJ Funk has displayed both power and patience at the plate so far this season. His seven home runs lead the team lead, and he has coaxed 22 walks, which is good for 17th in the country and second on the team behind Martinez. His .662 slugging percentage and his .429 on base percentage both rank second on the squad.
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 20 while giving up just four walks in seven appearances and 11.1 innings. He has logged one save. Matthew Fernandez has fanned 22 while permitting just nine walks in six appearances and 17.1 innings. Nash Bryanhas made eight appearances and recorded three wins and a save in relief, striking out 18 against just three walks in 13.1 frames. Jonathan Bautista is tied with Bryan with a team-high eight appearances and has struck out 14 in 15.1 innings. Quin Konuszewski has not allowed a run in four appearances and has struck out four in 2.1 innings. Holden Phelps has made two appearances out of the bullpen in addition to three midweek starts. He's fanned 19 with just three walks in 17 innings of work.
SCOUTING VIRGINIA TECH
Pitt is 21-22 all-time against Virginia. The Panthers dropped last year's series in Blacksburg, 2-1 (W, 4-3; L, 22-6; L, 7-1). The Hokies are visiting Charles Cost Field for the first time since sweeping Pitt in 2021.
John Szefc is in his sixth season as head coach at Virginia Tech and is the reigning ACC Coach of the Year after guiding the Hokies to an NCAA Super Regional appearance in 2022.
The Hokies enter this weekend's series coming off of an 11-0 blanking of VMI on Wednesday. Virginia Tech has dropped five-straight conference games, however, including suffering a sweep at Miami last weekend.
Virginia Tech ranks among the country's leaders in several offensive statistical categories, including slugging percentage (9th; .575), doubles per game (10th; 2.60), home runs per game (T-17th; 1.95) and batting average (20th; .317). The Hokies also rank fourth in the nation in fielding percentage (.986).
Chris Cannizzaro is Virginia Tech's top bat, hitting a team-best .411 with a team-high 37 hits. He ranks second on the team in doubles (7) and home runs (5). Eddie Eisert has clubbed a team-high six home runs.
Drue Hackenberg has made five starts on the mound for the Hokies, going 1-2 with a 4.72 ERA and striking out a team-high 29. Five Virginia Tech relievers sport sub-3.00 ERAs, led by Brady Kirtner, who has made nine appearances out of the bullpen and owns a 0.00 ERA with 12 strikeouts against four walks over 7.2 innings.
UP NEXT
Pitt hits the road for a midweek game next Tuesday (March 28), visiting Penn State in a 6 p.m. matchup.
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram
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