Pitt
Notre Dame
Panthers Play Host to Notre Dame
4/5/2023 5:43:00 PM | Baseball
PANTHERS HOST NOTRE DAME IN ACC SERIES
The Pitt baseball team (13-13, 4-6 ACC) plays host to a three-game ACC series against Notre Dame (15-11, 5-7 ACC) this weekend at Charles Cost Field.
Game one is set for Thursday at 3 p.m. The second game will be played Friday with a 3 p.m. first pitch. The series finale is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. All three games will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra.
Pitt vs. Notre Dame | Thursday, April 6 | 3 p.m. | Charles Cost Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
ACC Network Extra | StatBroadcast
Pitching Matchup: Pitt Jr. RHP #43 Jack Sokol (3-1, 6.47 ERA) vs. Notre Dame Gr. RHP #44 Blake Hely (1-1, 4.28 ERA)
Pitt vs. Notre Dame | Friday, April 7 | 3 p.m. | Charles Cost Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
ACC Network Extra | StatBroadcast
Pitching Matchup: Pitt Jr. RHP #17 Kyle Mosley (0-3, 7.71 ERA) vs. Notre Dame Jr. RHP #41 Jackson Dennies (0-2, 3.04 ERA)
Pitt vs. Notre Dame | Saturday, April 8 | 1 p.m. | Charles Cost Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
ACC Network Extra | StatBroadcast
Pitching Matchup: Pitt Jr. RHP #55 Logan Evans (1-1, 8.53 ERA) vs. Notre Dame So. LHP #24 Jack Findlay (4-1, 2.73 ERA)
THEY GET ON BASE
Three Panthers have three double-digit reached base streaks going. Jack Anderson leads the pack with 26 straight games while CJ Funk is close behind at 23 in a row. Sky Duff has reached base in each of the last 13 games.
MULTIPLYING HOMERS
Pitt has hit multiple home runs in 12 games this year, including seven of the last 11 games. The Panthers have hit at least three home runs in a game three times this year, including a season-high four against Virginia Tech on March 25.
A total of eight Panthers have hit multiple home runs on the season so far, with CJ Funk (9), Noah Martinez (7), Jack Anderson (4), Justin Acal (4) and Jayden Melendez (3) leading the way.
WALK THIS WAY
Pitt ranks sixth in the country with 182 walks on the season. CJ Funk is sixth in the nation with 31 walks while Noah Martinez is ninth in the country with 30 free passes and Jack Anderson is 48th with 25.
IMPACT TRANSFER
A transfer from Central Connecticut State, Noah Martinez has made an impact with the Panthers this season. Martinez is leading the team in hits (30) and RBI (29) while ranking second in batting average (.305), slugging percentage (.579), on base percentage (.465), home runs (7) and walks (30).
Martinez was recently named to D1Baseball's Week 6 list of the top 50 first basemen in the country, coming in at No. 25.
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 (27), third in batting average (.292) and fourth in hits (28). His 10 multi-RBI games lead the team.
WE'VE GOT THE FUNK
CJ Funk has shown both power and patience at the plate this season. He leads Pitt with nine home runs and a .632 slugging percentage and ranks third on the team in RBI (26). His 31 walks lead the team while his on base percentage of .453 ranks third. His nine multi-RBI games rank second on the team.
MILESTONE WATCH
Sky Duff owns 147 career walks, which is two shy of breaking Pitt's career record of 148 owned by David Yanni (2016-21). With 48 career doubles, he is also six shy of breaking Pitt's career record of 53 owned by John Shultz (2008-11).
This season, Duff is tied for second on the team in hits (29) and leads the squad with nine doubles.
HIT PARADE
Jack Anderson currently leads the team with 30 hits on the season and is also tops on the squad in batting average (.313) and on base percentage (.468).
BRYAN THRIVING OUT OF BULLPEN
Nash Bryan has been an impactful arm out of the bullpen for Pitt this season. He leads the team in wins (4) and saves (2) and owns a 3.72 ERA. He has struck out 24 while giving up just eight earned runs on 15 hits and five walks over a team-high 13 appearances and 19.1 innings.
PILING UP STRIKEOUTS
Jack Sokol has struck at least five batters in five of his starts this season and has fanned at least nine in three of those games, including a season-high 10 in seven innings against Mount St. Mary's earlier this month. Sokol's 44 strikeouts this season are a team high.
PITT PICKS UP ROAD WIN AT YOUNGSTOWN STATE
Jayden Melendez and Sky Duff each hit two-run home runs to highlight a 13-7 victory for Pitt over Youngstown State Tuesday at Eastwood Field.
Eight of the nine hitters in Pitt's lineup collected a hit in the victory, with Kyle Hess leading the way by way of a 2-for-5 performance that included a triple, two RBI, a walk and a run scored. CJ Funk, Justin Acal and Anthony LaSala each collected a double to help the Panthers tally six extra-base knocks on the day. Pitt amassed 14 walks in the win, with Jack Anderson coaxing four of them and Funk drawing three.
SCOUTING NOTRE DAME
Notre Dame comes into this weekend's series at Pitt with an overall record of 15-11 overall and a 5-7 mark in ACC play. The Fighting Irish dropped two of three games at home to North Carolina last weekend (L, 10-8; L, 5-2; W, 9-1). Notre Dame most recently came away with a 12-0 home win over Northwestern on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Pitt will open next week with a pair of non-conference games. The Panthers will host Youngstown State on Monday in a 5 p.m. matchup, then travel to Ohio to visit Kent State on Tuesday in a 6 p.m. contest.
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