Panthers Return to Kissimmee for Russmatt Central Florida Invite

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The University of Pittsburgh baseball team returns to Kissimmee, Fla., taking part in the Russmatt Central Florida Invitational, Friday through Sunday at Osceola County Ballpark.

The Panthers are set to meet Hofstra Friday at 5 p.m. before taking on Saint Peter's at 11 a.m. and Butler at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Pitt concludes the weekend Sunday at 1 p.m. in a meeting with Central Michigan.

The trip will be Pitt's final weekend tune up before ACC play gets underway.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Live stats will be available here.
Fans can follow @Pitt_BASE on Twitter and Instagram.

LEADING OFF

Pitt (3-3, 0-0 ACC) got back in the win column over the weekend, tallying back-to-back wins against USC Upstate and Bucknell in a rain-shortened Wofford-USC Upstate Tournament. The Panthers record now sits at the .500 mark as the Panthers outscored their opponents 14-5 over the weekend.
Offensively, senior Connor Perry has been the Panthers' leading force on the season, hitting at a .438 clip with a .750 slugging percentage and .526 on base mark. Power threat Ron Washington Jr. leads the team with five RBI, as four Panthers have tallied four or more RBI on the season.
Pitt will adjust its weekend rotation, sending junior transfer Christian Camacho onto the bump in the opener. Camacho had a strong performance against Bucknell last weekend, earning his first collegiate win, throwing 4.0 innings, allowing three hits and one walk, striking out five. Junior Chris Gomez will earn his first start of the season in Saturday's first game against Saint Peter's. Gomez has appeared once in relief this season, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings in the opener against Villanova, striking out three. Ace Dan Hammer will get the call in the Saturday nightcap, looking to continue on a strong start to the season. Hammer has earned back-to-back wins in his first two starts of the season, boasting a 2.89 ERA with just seven hits and one walk, compared to 18 strikeouts. Sophomore Chris Cappas will round out the weekend, earning his second start of the season. Cappas threw 2.0 strong innings of relief last weekend against Bucknell, striking out a pair.

SCOUTING HOFSTRA

Hofstra (1-3, 0-0 CAA) opened the season with a four-game series at Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. The Pride scraped together a one-run win in the second game of the series, but was outscored by the Cardinals 34-6 over the weekend.
The Pride hit .176 as a team in its opening weekend, collecting 22 hits, only four of which were extra base knocks. Freshman catcher Sean Flaherty tallied two hits in his four at bats, adding two walks in his three contests. Junior infielder Rob Weissheier recorded four of the team's five RBI, including a three-run homer.
Hofstra will put left hander Michael James on the mound in the opener, marking his second start of the season. James earned the loss in his first start of the 2019 campaign, going 4.0 innings, allowing four runs (two earned), off three hits and four walks, striking out a pair.

SERIES WITH HOFSTRA

The game will be the third all-time meeting between the two programs in a series dating back to the 1995 season. The game will be the first time the two teams have met since 1996.
The series is tied a 1-1 as the Pride earned a 7-2 win on March 10, 1995 and the Panthers captured a 3-2 victory on March 10, 2006.

SCOUTING SAINT PETER'S

Saint Peter's (0-3, 0-0 MAAC) opened the season with a three-game series at George Washington, succumbing to a sweep at the hands of the Colonials.
The Peacocks struggled against George Washington, managing just five runs on the weekend, being outscored 36-5. As a team, Saint Peter's hit .160, led by a trio of batters that sit at or above the .300 mark. Senior outfielder/pitcher Jarred Quintero and junior first baseman Jesse Matos each hit at a .333 clip, followed by junior outfielder/pitcher Hunter Mason's .300 mark. Junior outfielder/pitcher Anthony Ramos recorded two of the team's four RBI, going 2-12 with one double and a stolen base.
Left hander Edwin Feliciano will take the hill for the Peacocks in the first game of Saturday's slate, making his second start of the season. Feliciano brings in 3.1 innings of work, having allowed three runs off four hits and three walks, striking out a pair.

SERIES WITH SAINT PETER'S

The game will mark just the second all-time meeting between the two programs in a series dating back to the 2018 season.
The Panthers captured a victory in the only other meeting between the teams, blowing past the Peacocks 21-1 at Osceola County Stadium.

SCOUTING BUTLER

Butler (2-4, 0-0 Big East) enters the tournament on a three-game skid after dropping a pair in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Baseball Classic and a mid-week tilt at Indiana. The Bulldogs opened the season winners of two-of-three in a three-game series with Rider.
As a team, Butler is hitting at a .268 clip, led by five Bulldogs that sit above the .300 mark. Kyle Smith (.381) paces the group, followed by Brody McGrath (.333), Greg Gilbert (.333), Robbie McCargar (.313) and Harrison Freed (.308). Freed's eight RBI are the most amongst the Bulldog offense, while Smith's .857 slugging percentage and .519 on base mark pace the group.
Butler will go with right hander Sam Hubbe on the mound in the finale of Saturday's action, making his second start of the season. In his debut, Hubbe went 5.0 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) off six hits and one walk, striking out six.

SERIES WITH BUTLER

The contest will be the third all-time meeting between the two programs in a series dating back to the 2014 season.
The Panthers own a 2-0 series lead with both games occurring at neutral site locations.
Pitt captured a 15-7 victory in the first meeting of the series on Feb. 21, 2014 and walked away with a 3-0 decision in a March 3, 2018 meeting at Osceola County Stadium.

SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN

Central Michigan (6-2, 0-0 MAC) enters the weekend riding a six-game winning streak, rattling off six straight after opening the season 0-2. After dropping the first two games of a four-game series with Troy, the Chippewas have tallied wins against Troy (2), Prairie View A&M (2) and Lamar (2).
The Chippewas are hitting .261 as a team, led by the duo of Zach Gilles (.393) and Jacob Crum (.323). Crum's 10 RBI lead the team, as 10 different batters have tallied at least one RBI on the season on a team that has outscored opponents 59-28 on the season. Crum boasts a .742 slugging percentage and .400 on base mark, smacking three doubles, two triples and two homers and swiping a pair of bases.
Pat Leatherman will get the start on the mound for the Chippewas, already getting out to an impressive start in his senior campaign. The start will be the third of the season for the right hander, who owns a record of 1-0. In 11.0 innings of work, he's allowed just two earned runs off of four hits and two walks, fanning 11. Opponents are hitting just .111 of Leatherman, as he's surrendered just two extra base hits.

SERIES WITH CENTRAL MICHIGAN

The contest will mark the fifth all-time meeting between the two programs in a series dating back to the 2007 season.
The Panthers swept a two-game series in May of 2007, capturing a 6-5 decision before taking the second game 9-0. The Chippewas earned their first win of the series on May 7, 2008 in a 10-8 victory. Pitt won the last meeting between the two squads, a 19-2 victory on March 11, 2011.

PITT AT OSCEOLA COUNTY STADIUM

The series will mark the fifth appearance for the Panthers at Osceola County Stadium, the current residence of the Florida Fire Frogs, the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.
Pitt owns a record of 12-5 at the former home of the Houston Astros Spring Training complex, including a record of 1-3 this season.
The Panthers also played at Osceola County Stadium in week three of the 2018 season, competing to a mark of 5-0, including wins over Butler and Saint Peter's. In the last week three appearance at Osceola County Stadium, the Panthers outscored opponents 46-8.

WHO'S STREAKING

Outfielders Ron Washington Jr. and Nico Popa bring in the team's longest active hit streaks, sitting at four a piece. Six Panthers sit at one-game marks.
Cole MacLaren and Sky Duff own the team's longest active reached base streaks, each having reached safety in six straight. Washington Jr., Popa and Kris Soto sit at four, while Alex Amos and Bryce O'Farrell both sit at two.

PITT ON MARCH 1

The Panthers own a record of 4-4 all-time in games played on March 1.
Pitt's last win on March 1 came in a 6-0 decision to Sacred Heart in 2003.
Pitt's last loss on March 1 came in a 3-2, 10-inning decision to VCU in 2015.

PITT ON MARCH 2

The Panthers own a record of 7-4 all-time in games played on March 2.
Pitt's last win on March 2 came in a 3-2 decision to Massachusetts in 2018.
Pitt's last loss on March 2 came in a 3-2, 11-inning decision to Western Kentucky in 2014.

PITT ON MARCH 3

The Panthers own a record of 9-8 all-time in games played on March 3.
Pitt's last win on March 3 came in a 9-0 decision to Massachusetts in the second game of a doubleheader in 2018.
Pitt's last loss on March 3 came in a 4-3 decision to Wofford in 2017.

HAMMER TIME

Junior Dan Hammer has gotten out to a strong start as the ace of the Panther rotation, racking up impressive numbers in his first two starts of the season.
In two outings, Hammer has amassed 18 strikeouts, pacing the Panther staff, ranking fourth in the ACC and 23rd in the nation.
His 18 Ks in 9.1 innings of work, calculates a 17.36 strikeout per nine inning mark, which leads the ACC and ranks 12th in the country.
Even more impressive, the Philadelphia native has surrendered just one walk on the season, ranking fourth in the nation with an 18.0 strikeout to walk ratio and 98th in the country with a 0.96 walks per nine innings mark.

PERRY PACING PANTHERS

Senior Connor Perry has earned a role in the starting lineup and is pacing the Panther offense in a majority of offensive categories.
The outfielder is hitting a team-best .438, ranking fifth in the ACC and 93rd in the nation. He owns a team-leading .750 slugging percentage and .526 on base mark. The lefty bat has collected two doubles and one homer, drawing three walks and is a perfect two-of-two in stolen base attempts.
Perry has also been solid defensively, having yet to commit an error and adding 12 putouts as the anchor in center field.

CAPPAS RETURNS TO THE MOUND

Sophomore two-way player Chris Cappas has made his return to the mound in the early stages of the 2019 season, after limited pitching in his rookie campaign.
Also seeing time in the outfield, Cappas was a reliable offensive threat for the Panthers in his freshman season, earning All-Tournament honors at the 2018 ACC Baseball Championship after hitting .545 with three extra base hits and two RBI with a .909 slugging percentage and .583 on base mark in the tournament.
The Lynbrook, N.Y., native has made two appearances for the Panthers' pitching staff in his sophomore season, including one start. He's allowed two earned runs and struck out five in 5.2 innings of work, walking just one batter.

SMITH NAMED TO STOPPER WATCHLIST

Sophomore reliever Chase Smith was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watchlist, an award annually given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball.
The Georgia native made 22 appearances as a true freshman, third most on the team. He held opponents to just a .191 average, competing to a record of 1-1 with one save and a 3.16 ERA.
Smith is one of five ACC pitchers to garner the recognition and marks the second straight season in which a Pitt reliever has earned the preseason distinction (Yasin Chentouf).

MALVERN CONNECTION

Freshman pitchers Billy Corcoran and Brady Devereux are no strangers to one another, as the duo comes to Pitt after stellar careers at Malvern Prep in Malvern, Pa.
The pair won three state championships at Malvern, collecting the state title in 2015, 2016 and 2018.
Both nationally touted recruits and highly sought after Pennsylvania player, both ranked in the top five amongst right handed pitchers and in the top 20 in the state of Pennsylvania by Perfect Game.

BRING IN BELL

Mike Bell is entering his first season as head coach at Pitt after a seven-year stint as the associate head coach for ACC powerhouse Florida State. He brings 14 years of Division I coaching experience to the program and has coached 47 MLB draft picks, including 2006's No. 1 overall pick Luke Hochevar.
In 2012, he was named the Perfect Game Assistant Coach of the Year and before the 2017 season, was named the No. 13 recruiter in the country by D1Baseball.com. In the last 13 years, Bell has also helped lead three teams to four College World Series appearances - Tennessee (2005), Oklahoma (2010), and Florida State (2012 & 2017). In his time at Florida State, the program won three ACC titles in 2015, 2017, and 2018 and his pitchers have recorded 500 or more strikeouts.

SUMMER CATCH

Junior pitcher Dan Hammer had a summer to remember in the prestigious Cape Cod League, earning national recognition in his second stint with the Chatham Anglers. The hard-throwing righty was the East Division's starting pitcher in the 2018 Cape Cod League All-Star game and put up impressive numbers splitting time between the bullpen and the starting rotation.
The Panthers' righty was one of the best in the nation's top collegiate summer league, posting a 2-0 record and a 2.16 ERA in 25.0 innings for the Anglers, striking out 20 in the process.
The Chatham Anglers are no stranger to Pitt pitchers, having hosted 2016 First Round Draft pick T.J. Zeuch, as well as 2017 19th round pick Isaac Mattson and 2018 Sixth Round pick RJ Freure.

ALL SIGNS POINT WEST

Redshirt junior pitcher Derek West had a solid season in the Cape Cod League, pitching with the league champion Wareham Gatemen. After joining the Gatemen in July, West made four appearances, including two starts, competing to a 1.10 ERA in 16.1 innings. He allowed just two runs off eight hits and six walks, striking out 15 and holding opponents to a .143 average.

UP NEXT

The Panthers make their home debut, hosting regional foe Youngstown State March 5 at 3 p.m. at Charles L. Cost Field.
Pitt will open the ever-challenging ACC slate on the road, taking on NC State in a three-game series March 8-10 in Raleigh, N.C.

#H2P | Twitter | Instagram

Panthers Return to Kissimmee for Russmatt Central Florida Invite

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Alex Amos

Christian Camacho

Chris Cappas

Billy Corcoran

Brady Devereux

Sky Duff

RJ Freure

Chris Gomez

Dan Hammer

Cole MacLaren

Bryce O'Farrell

Connor Perry

Nico Popa

Chase Smith

Kris Soto

Ron Washington, Jr.

Derek West

Panthers Return to Kissimmee for Russmatt Central Florida Invite

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Alex Amos

Christian Camacho

Chris Cappas

Billy Corcoran

Brady Devereux

Sky Duff

RJ Freure

Chris Gomez

Dan Hammer

Cole MacLaren

Bryce O'Farrell

Connor Perry

Nico Popa

Chase Smith

Kris Soto

Ron Washington, Jr.

Derek West

Related Videos