PANTHER BASEBALL PREPARES FOR FALL PRACTICE
9/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Sept. 7, 2006
PITTSBURGH - The Pitt baseball team will begin its fall practice schedule Saturday, and will see it run through Oct. 20.
"When we get started, the main goal is to establish how we do business," head coach Joe Jordano said. "We are going to focus on a lot of team concepts and then move on to how they compete and hope to gather a comprehensive evaluation of talent."
The team will have the advantage of a strong incoming freshman class, which Jordano says has made the team two-deep in every position, something they have not had in a while.
"When we recruit and we bring someone in, we have the expectation that they will play every day and play immediately," Jordano said. "Because we have that strong class coming in, we are going to have some great competition, even between our returners."
Strength training has been a large part of the pre-season regimen and moving into a set team practice schedule, players will be timed on runs, as well as evaluated on throwing and in batting practice. During the five-week period, the team will also compete in inter-squad scrimmages in order for the coaching staff to better evaluate the competition for starting positions.
Veterans returning for the Panthers will be senior outfielder Peter Parise (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman), who leads all returners with a .314 batting average from a year ago. Pitcher Kyle Landis (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton) recorded a 3-2 record as a redshirt-freshman last season and Paul Nardozzi (Victor, N.Y./Victor) returns for his senior season after recording a 4-5 record in 2006.
Weekly updates on the Panthers' fall practices can be found on www.pittsburghpanthers.com.
