University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Panthers Head Out West for Las Vegas College Baseball Classic
2/29/2024 5:40:00 PM | Baseball
PITTSBURGH - The Panthers head to Las Vegas, NV to play in the inaugural Las Vegas College Baseball Classic this weekend against Oklahoma, Ohio State and California.
All games this weekend will be played at Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the Oakland A's Triple-A team the Las Vegas Aviators. D1Baseball.com will be exclusively streaming all games.
Pitt is coming off a 3-1 weekend at the Kleberg Bank College Classic in Corpus Christi, TX last week, earning wins over Washington and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Panthers had a dramatic walk-off win over Washington in the weekend opener as freshman Ryan Zuckerman hit a walk-off home run, his second of the game, in the bottom of the ninth inning.
While Pitt's offense has shined so far this season, their defense has been one of the best in the country. The Panther defense has only committed three errors on the year, their .987 fielding percentage is the fourteenth best in the country.
The Panthers 6-1 record to start the year is their best start since 2021. Pitt was ranked for nine consecutive weeks in 2021 and achieved the highest ranking in program history when they were the No. 14 team in the country.
POPA POPPING OFF
• Senior OF Dom Popa is off to a sizzling start this year, hitting .357 with nine runs scored, three doubles and is tied for the team lead in hits (10).
• He's recorded three multiple-hit games so far this season, including a three-hit game against Maine on opening weekend.
• Popa has recently taken over as Pitt's leadoff man and has led off both of those games with a hit.
FIRE-ING ON ALL CYLINDERS
• LHP Ethan Firoved has arguably been the Panthers best reliever so far this season. He's earned a win and save in his two appearances.
• Firoved has thrown eight scoreless innings out of the bullpen, surrendering only five hits while striking out a team-leading 12 batters.
• In his most recent appearance, against A&M-Corpus Christi, he earned a rare four-inning save, the first of his career.
• He is one of 28 pitchers in the entire country to have not allowed a single run in at least eight innings of work this year.
HOUDINI ACT
• Phil Fox and the Panthers escaped a bases loaded, no out, jam in the bottom of the ninth inning of a tie game on Monday afternoon.
• Fox inherited the seemingly impossible jam and would retire the next three batters to elude the trouble and put the game into extras.
• He threw two innings and retired six of the seven batters he faced. Pitt scored three runs in the top of the 10th and Fox earned his second win of the year.
• Fox has allowed no runs on only three hits over his 6.1 innings in relief. He owns a 2-0 record with one save.
LAS VEGAS COLLEGE BASEBALL CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Friday, March 1
Pitt vs. Oklahoma at 5 PM ET/2 PM PT
Cal vs. Ohio State at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT
Saturday, March 2
Pitt vs. Ohio State at 3 PM ET/12 PM PT
Cal vs. Oklahoma at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
Sunday, March 3
Ohio State vs. Oklahoma at 2 PM ET/11 AM PT
Pitt vs. Cal at 6 PM ET/3 PM PT
