Pitt
Virginia Tech
Pitt Heads to No. 13 Virginia Tech for Fourth Weekend of ACC Play
3/27/2024 6:32:00 PM | Baseball
PITTSBURGH - The Panthers travel to Blacksburg, VA to battle a surging #13 Virginia Tech team in Pitt's first road contest in two weeks.
The teams are 3-3 in their last six meetings. Pitt took the series from the Hokies last season and Virginia Tech took two out of three the last time the Panthers visited Blacksburg.
To accommodate for the Easter holiday, this weekend's games were moved up a day and will be played Thursday-Saturday. Saturday's game at 4 PM will be televised on the ACC Network.
MIDWEEK RECAP
- Gavin Chillot and Kyle Mosley each threw scoreless innings in relief for the Panthers in Tuesday nights loss at Penn State.
- The freshman, Chillot, did not allow a hit or a run in his 1.2 innings tonight.
- Kyle Mosely did not allow a base runner and struck out two of the three batters he faced in the seventh inning. Pitt's starter Aidan Coleman allowed just one run on two hits in his 3.1 innings.
- Josh Spiegel recorded Pitt's only hit of the night while Dom Popa extended his on-base streak to 25 games with his two walks.
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 25 consecutive games.
DOM-INATING AT THE DISH
- Senior OF Dom Popa is off to the best start of his career, hitting .337 with 25 runs scored and a .453 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 (.462).
- 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 (17.75), striking out only four times in his 71 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 (24) and is tied for sixth in the ACC. He is also tied for ninth in the ACC in HBPs with six.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Thursday, March 28
Pitt at #13 Virginia Tech at 4PM on ACCNX
Friday, March 29
Pitt at #13 Virginia Tech at 4PM on ACCNX
Saturday, March 30
Pitt at #13 Virginia Tech at 4PM on ACC Network
