Pitt
Virginia
Panthers Prepare for Tough Test at No. 22 Virginia
4/6/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Pitt Game Notes
PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh baseball team hits the road for a three-game series at ACC powerhouse Virginia, traveling to Charlottesville, Va., for a weekend meeting with the 22nd-ranked Cavaliers.
Game one is set for 6 p.m. Friday at Davenport Field with game two scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday and the series finale to follow Sunday at 1 p.m.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Game One
- Live Stats: GameTracker
- TV: ACC Network Extra
- Live Stats: GameTracker
- TV: ACC Network Extra
- Live Stats: GameTracker
- TV: ACC Network Extra
LEADING OFF
Pitt (14-12, 6-6 ACC) takes to the road for a three-game series at nationally ranked Virginia, as the Panthers enter the weekend in the midst of a three-game win-streak and winners of six of their last eight. The Panthers defeated rival Penn State in front of a packed crowd at Charles L. Cost Field Tuesday evening as Pitt captured the 100th all-time meeting between the two programs, 3-2. In Pitt's last ACC series the Panthers took two-of-three from Duke on the road, improving to 6-6 in the ACC, in a tie for second in the Coastal Division standings.
Pitt will toss the same rotation as the Duke series as redshirt junior Matt Pidich will get the call Friday evening. The righty is 3-2 on the year with a 3.40 ERA. He's tossed 39.2 innings, allowing 15 earned runs off 34 hits and 15 walks, fanning 30. Leftie Josh Mitchell will take the bump Saturday, bringing a record of 1-2 and a 3.06 ERA into his eighth start of the season. The southpaw has tossed 35.1 innings, allowing 12 earned runs off 35 hits and 10 walks, striking out 31. Senior Josh Falk will look to continue his dominance Sunday afternoon as the righty enters the weekend with a record of 3-2 and an ERA of 2.25, which ranks ninth in the ACC. Falk has been stellar, tossing 48.0 innings, second in the league, allowing just 12 earned runs off 29 hits and 17 walks, fanning a team-high 46 batters, good for sixth in the ACC. Falk has held opponents to an average of just .176, which ranks fifth in the conference.
Offensively, freshman Alex Amos had led the way for the Panthers of late, with a .275 average in his 26 starts. Designated hitter Yaya Chentouf has been hot late, adding a .278 clip in 10 starts. Third baseman Nick Banman leads the club with 18 RBIs, while Caleb Parry (15) and P.J. DeMeo (11) all contribute consistently to the Pitt offense.
SCOUTING VIRGINIA
The No. 22 Cavaliers (23-8, 5-7 ACC) come into the series winners of five of their last seven games. Earlier in the week, Virginia tied a season-high with 18 runs in an 18-5 victory over Old Dominion. The Cavaliers offense has posted 10 or more runs twelve times this season. UVA has felt comfortable at home this season, posting a 15-4 record at Davenport Field.
The high-powered Cavaliers offense features six players batting .300 or better. Junior Adam Haseley leads the ACC with a .411 clip on the season. His 46 hits rank third in the ACC, while his .732 slugging percentage and .511 on base percentage rank second. Fellow junior Pavin Smith provides the power for the UVA offense with 42 RBIs and 10 home runs. Both of those marks rank third in the ACC. Sophomore Jack McCarthy leads the ACC in stolen bases with 18.
Righty Derek Casey will get the start Friday for the Cavaliers, bosting a mark of 2-0 and an ERA of 2.01, ranking sixth in the league. Casey has allowed just seven earned runs in his 31.1 innings pitched, surrendering 27 hits and three walks with 26 strikeouts. Noah Murdock will get the call in game two, making just his third start of the season with a 1-1 mark and 5.93 ERA. Murdock has allowed nine earned runs off 14 hits and eight walks in 13.2 innings pitched, fanning nine. Adam Haseley will conclude the series Sunday afternoon, bringing a record of 4-1 and a 3.43 ERA into the outing. Haseley has surrendered 16 earned runs off 42 hits and 10 walks in 42.0 innings pitched, adding 31 strikeouts to pace the UVA starting rotation.
SERIES WITH VIRGINIA
This will be the 16th, 17th and 18th meetings between the two programs all-time. Virginia holds a 12-3 record against Pitt with the Panthers last victory against the Cavaliers coming March 7, 2015 in Charlottesville, Va., with the Cavaliers then ranked No. 1 in the nation.
Last season, Virginia swept the three game series between the programs. During the second game of the series, Pitt battled the No. 20 Cavaliers to a 7-6 final, the closest game of the series. .
INJURY REPORT
The Panthers suffered a tough blow at Historic Dodgertown as an injury to 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
Redshirt junior Frank Maldonado brings the longest hit-streak into the weekend, sitting at five. Freshman Alex Amos sits at four, while Nico Popa, Yaya Chentouf and Manny Pazos each have three-game streaks going. Caleb Parry strung together the longest of the season, snapping a seven-game mark earlier this year.
Maldonado and Chentouf both carry 11-game reached-base streaks into the action, while Kaylor Kulina sits at eight and Amos is at seven. Parry again boasts the longest of the season, snapping a 14 game mark, while Jacob Wright also put together at 13-game mark earlier this year.
UP NEXT
The Panthers will return to Charles L. Cost Field for their first home ACC series since sweeping Virginia Tech three weeks prior. Pitt will square off with Coastal Division rival Miami April 14-16 before hitting the road for a pair of mid-week contests, traveling to Penn State April 18 and welcoming Kent State April 19.
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