Parise and Ackerman Continue to Excel
9/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Sept. 19, 2008
PITTSBURGH – Although former University of Pittsburgh baseball standouts Pete Parise and Eric Ackerman are no longer teammates, the two are both enjoying success at the professional level. Parise is a reliever with the Palm Beach Cardinals, Class A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, while Ackerman is a starting pitcher for the Lancaster Barnstormers in the Atlantic League.
Parise began the 2008 season with the Quad Cities River Rats, posting a 3-1 overall record while appearing in 36 games. He limited opponents to a .225 batting average and carried a 7:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 48.1 innings pitched. In just 11 games with the Cardinals in the Florida State League, Parise posted a 2-1 record and struck out 12 batters in 16.0 innings pitched. In his last four appearances, he threw five and a third innings, allowing just one hit while striking out five. The Cardinals’ season ended earlier this month.
Ackerman is one of Lancaster’s top hurlers, ranking among the top-five on the staff in nearly all pitching statistics. Among starting pitchers with a minimum of eight starts, Ackerman ranks second in wins (5) and second in strikeouts (74). He is only one of two Barnstormers to throw a complete game this season and leads all pitchers with 125.2 innings pitched. Currently, the Barnstormers are in the midst of a five-game series with the York Revolution. They will close out the season on Sunday, Sept. 21.