Pitt Travels to Penn State for Tuesday Evening Tussle

PITTSBURGH - The Panthers travel to State College, PA to battle against in-state rival, Penn State, in their nonconference matchup this week.

Pitt and Penn State split the season series last year. The Panthers beat the Nittany Lions 11-3 at PNC Park in their most recent battle.

Pitt has 10 wins in nonconference play this season and are 4-1 against nonconference opponents in the month of March.

ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END

• Dom Popa's ACC-best 19-game hitting streak came to an end on Sunday afternoon against #14 Virginia.

• Popa's streak was the longest of his career and Pitt's longest since 2019 when his brother, Nico, also had a 19-game hitting streak.

• Including Popa's final three games of last season, he has reached base safely in 24 consecutive games.

DOM DOING DAMAGE

• Senior OF Dom Popa is off to the best start of his career, hitting .345 with 25 runs scored and a .464 slugging percentage. He leads the team in runs scored (25) and triples (1), is second in hits (29) and doubles (8) and is third on on-base percentage (.461).

• He's recorded eight multiple-hit games so far this season, including a three-hit game against Maine on Opening Weekend.

• Popa took over as Pitt's leadoff man during the second week of the season and is flourishing in his new role.

A TOUGH OUT

• Justin Fogel is among one of the toughest to strikeout in the country. He ranks 11th in the country in strikeout average (17.5), striking out only four times in his 70 at-bats.

FLAMIN' PHIL FOX

• Phil Fox has emerged as Pitt's go-to late-inning arm out of the bullpen. He has appeared in eight games and has given up just two runs. Fox is 2-1 with a save.

• He ranks eigth in the country in ERA (1.13).

• Fox has struck out 19 batters over his 16 innings of work this season.

B.A.M.

• Pitt's top of the order has been reaching base By Any Means necessary.

• Dom Popa has been hit by nine pitches so far this season, the third most by any player in the ACC.

• Panther first baseman, Luke Cantwell, leads the team in walks (23) and is tied for sixth in the ACC. He is also tied for ninth in the ACC in HBPs with six.