Offense Guides Baseball to 23 Victories in 2006
6/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 1, 2006
PITTSBURGH - 2006 Pitt Baseball Season in Review
The Panthers' 2006 season ended with 23 victories and an average of nearly seven runs scored per game but without a berth in the Big East Championships in Clearwater, Fla.
Pitt kept postseason hopes alive into the final day of the season against Georgetown, giving the program something to build on heading into the 2007 campaign. The Panthers scored in double figures nine times in the final 19 games and at least seven runs in all but five of those contests.
Junior second baseman Jim Negrych (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Francis) had an All-America caliber year, becoming the first Panther ever to be named a semifinalist for the prestigious Dick Howser Trophy, awarded to college baseball's best player.
Negrych hit .396 with 11 home runs and 60 RBIs, recording a .654 slugging percentage and getting on base in over 50 percent of his plate appearances. He had a career-best 19-game hitting streak from April 5-May 10, collecting 34 hits in 73 at-bats for a .466 average during the run.
Junior right-hander Billy Muldowney (West Chester, Pa./West Chester East/Duke) was the ace of the Pitt pitching staff in 2006, finishing 5-4 with a 3.16 earned-run average. He was one strikeout shy of becoming just the third Panther to record 100 K's in a season, with 99 of them in just 82.2 innings to rank among the top 25 nationally.
Negrych was an All-Big East First Team selection for his efforts, while Muldowney joined him on the podium as a Second Team selection. Junior outfielder Peter Parise (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) was also honored by the conference with a third-team selection. Parise hit .314 on the season with 38 runs scored, 13 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 31 RBIs. He was also among the team's leaders in stolen bases with 10 and had a .976 fielding percentage while also coming on to pitch in six games as a reliever.
Other bright spots for the Panthers included shortstop Jimmy Mayer (Somerset, Pa./Somerset) and junior transfer Seth Button (Elk Lake, Pa./Elk Lake/Gloucester College). Mayer hit .357 for the Panthers, leading Pitt with 52 runs scored, 76 hits and 16 doubles. He was also second on the team with 15 steals and started all but one game in the middle infield. Button hit .550 over his last five games with three of his nine home runs to finish the year with a .305 batting average. He raised that average over 100 points from April 18-May 20.
Button will return at first base to anchor the Panthers' infield in 2006 with third baseman Dan Williams (Berwyn, Pa./Episcopal Academy), who hit .273 with 29 RBIs. Senior David Cline (Mercersburg, Pa./Mercersburg Academy) finished his Pitt career with a .265 average in his final campaign, stealing a team-high 19 bases. Joining Parise in the 2007 outfield will be Sean Conley (Chippewa, Pa./Blackhawk), who hit .281 on the year with 34 RBIs.
The pitching staff struggled at times in 2006 but freshman Kyle Landis (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton) showed signs of becoming a top-notch weekend starter for the Panthers. He struck out 57 batters in just 56.1 innings and won three games. Sophomore Rob Brant (Mansfield, Pa./Mansfield) did not enjoy the same success he had as a freshman but still struck out 80 batters in 86 innings. Other key components of the 2007 Panther staff include starter Paul Nardozzi (Victor, N.Y./Victor) and Ryan Dunford (Buffalo, N.Y./Bishop Timon).
