Pitt
Notre Dame
Panthers Open Home Action with Notre Dame
3/16/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Pitt Game Notes
PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh baseball team will make its home debut this weekend, hosting ACC foe Notre dame in a weekend series at Charles L. Cost Field.
The series will get underway Friday at noon. with a doubleheader. The series is expected to conclude on Saturday at noon. With inclement weather expected in the region this weekend, changes may be made to the dates and start times.
The Panthers were set to square off with Saint Peter's in a pair of mid-week games Tuesday and Wednesday, but saw both contests canceled due to inclement weather.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Game One
- Stats: GameTracker
- TV: ACCNE
- Stats: GameTracker
- TV: ACCNE
- Stats: GameTracker
- TV: ACCNE
LEADING OFF
The University of Pittsburgh will make its home debut this weekend, welcoming ACC rival Notre Dame to Charles L. Cost Field. With the inclement weather expected in the region, Pitt and the Fighting Irish will square off in a doubleheader beginning Friday at noon. The series finale is expected to commence on Saturday at noon.
Pitt (7-7, 0-3 ACC) is coming off a challenging weekend at then fourth-ranked Louisville as the Panthers were swept by the Cardinals, who are now ranked atop the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association (NCBWA) Poll. Pitt opened the season on a tear, going 6-1 in its first two weekend tournaments, earning wins over Delaware and reining Big 10 champion Ohio State as well as a sweep over Siena. The Panthers have struggled of late, falling to Wofford, USC Upstate and Wright State in Spartanburg, S.C., before last weekend's sweep at Louisville.
SCOUTING NOTRE DAME
Notre Dame (4-11, 0-3 ACC) is coming off a mid-week win over Davidson, just days after a sweep at the hands of nationally ranked Clemson. The Fighting Irish are consistent on the offensive side of things as two guys are hitting above a .300 clip with five hitting at .250 or above. Nick Podkul is leading the way for Notre Dame, smacking a .362 average with four doubles, one triple and three RBIs. Both Matt Vierling and Kyle Fiala have double-digit RBIs with 13 and 12, respectively.
Brad Bass, Peter Solomon and Brandon Bielak have seen the most starts on the bump for the Fighting Irish, as the Notre Dame starters have struggled to open the season. Bass boasts the best ERA of the starting rotation at 5.31 with a 1-2 record. Solomon is at 1-1 on the season with a 6.05 ERA while Bielak enters with a mark of 0-3 and a 6.11 ERA.
SERIES WITH NOTRE DAME
Notre Dame holds a 41-20-0 all-time advantage over the Panthers in a series dating back to the 1951 season. The two teams met regularly as members of the Big East and have continued the trend as affiliates of the ACC. In ACC action, the Fighting Irish boast a 6-2-0 mark over the Panthers.
Last season, Pitt took two-of-three from Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., snapping a eight-game skid. The Fighting Irish earned series sweeps over the Panthers in 2014 and 2015 to open ACC competition.
INJURY REPORT
The Panthers suffered a tough blow at Historic Dodgertown as an injury to shortstop David Yanni will mean the shortstop will be out indefinitely. In addition to commanding the infield, Yanni was one of the only returning position players with significant starting experience as the sophomore was a consistent part of the 2016 defense at second base.
In six starts this season, Yanni hit .273 with five RBIs, drawing four walks and smacking one double.
WHO'S STREAKING
Senior catcher Manny Pazos brings the longest hit-streak into the weekend, sitting a two games. Caleb Parry, Nick Banman and Kaylor Kulina all have one-game marks. Parry saw a seven-game streak snapped earlier this season, the longest of any Panther batter on the year.
Parry holds a 15-game reached-base streak dating back to last season, the longest of any Panther hitter to date. Pazos, Kulina, Jacob Wright and Yaya Chentouf each have two-game reached base streaks. In addition to Parry's current 15-game stretch, Frank Maldonado boasted an 11-game mark which was snapped at USC Upstate.
PITCHERS LEAD THE WAY
The Panther pitching staff has been stellar to start the season, ranking fifth in the ACC with a team ERA of 3.27. The starting trio of Josh Mitchell, Matt Pidich and Josh Falk have shined in their collective 12 outings, led by Mitchell's 1.69 ERA.
Mitchell has gotten the call in four starts, but falling to 0-2 on the season. In his 21.1 innings pitched, Mitchell has allowed just four earned runs off seven walks and 22 hits, registering 18 strikeouts. Pidich brings a 2-1 record and a 3.52 ERA into the weekend, having surrendered nine runs off eight walks and 19 hits, striking out 16.
Falk has seen the most work for the Panther staff, as Pitt's only returning starting pitcher. In his 25.0 innings, he brings in a record of 2-2 and a 3.24 ERA. Falk has allowed nine runs off 11 walks and 17 hits, fanning a team-leading 22 batters.
FRUERE OFF TO A FURY
Freshman reliever RJ Freure has been one of the best out of the bullpen for the Panthers this season as the Canadian boasts a record of 2-0 and an outstanding 0.77 ERA. He's tossed 11.2 innings of work, recording a bullpen-leading 16 strikeouts, surrendering just one run off of six hits and a measly two walks.
THE 100 CLUB
The finale of the Sunshine State Classic was a memorable one for redshirt senior Jacob Wright as the outfielder made his 100th career start in a Panther uniform as Pitt downed Delaware by a score of 5-3.
Senior catcher Manny Pazos joined the 100 starts club in the second game of the ACC opening weekend series at No. 4 Louisville as the Panthers fell to the then fourth-ranked Cardinals 8-2 on the road.
Peter Parise holds the record for game started by a Panther, sitting at 208 from 2004-07. The most recent players to crack the top 20 list were John Schultz (184, 7th) and Zach Duggan (166, 11th) from 2008-11. Fellow 2011 alum and current Chicago White Sox catcher Kevan Smith checks in at No. 19 with 135 starts from 2009-11.
UP NEXT
Pitt will take part in its first mid-week game of the season, traveling to Kent, Ohio for a 6 p.m. meeting with Kent State. The Panthers will return home for another ACC weekend, hosting Virginia Tech in a three-game tilt March 24-26.
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