Backyard Brawl at PNC Park Set as Panthers Host No. 20 WVU

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh baseball team will return to PNC Park for the first time in 10 seasons, hosting rival and 20th-ranked West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl Tuesday evening.

Pitt and the Mountaineers will get things started at 6 p.m. at the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates as the Panthers take the field in Pittsburgh for the last time this season.

TICKETS

Tickets can be purchased via the Pittsburgh Pirates.

HOW TO FOLLOW

The game can be seen live on the ACC Network Extra via WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app.
Live stats will be available via PittsburghPanthers.com.
Fans can follow @Pitt_BASE on Twitter and Instagram.

LEADING OFF

Pitt (20-31, 7-20 ACC) returns to PNC Park for the first time since 2009, hosting No. 20 West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl. Pitt enters the game after a thrilling series win over then 11th ranked North Carolina, as Pitt completed a come-from-behind win in the finale to secure the series.
The Panthers' offense is led by a hot hitting Nico Popa, as the junior sits at a .352 average, raking seventh in the ACC. He leads the league in triples (5), ranking seventh in hits (70). He adds 15 doubles and six homers, tallying a .568 slugging mark and .425 on base percentage. Senior Connor Perry has had a dominant season, hitting for a .304 average, with 12 doubles, one triple and a team-high 15 homers, which rank third in the conference.
Sophomore Chris Cappas will get the start on the mound for the Panthers, his ninth of the season. Cappas has been strong of late, having surrendered just one earned run in his last two starts combined. He's given up four walks compared to 15 strikeouts, letting up just six hits in 12.0 innings in his last two, bringing in a record of 3-3 and a 4.82 ERA on the season.

SCOUTING WEST VIRGINIA

West Virginia (31-18, 13-11 Big 12) enters the game ranked 20th in the nation, having put together some impressive performances of late. The Mountaineers have won six of their last seven weekend series, including shockers over No. 19 Oklahoma, No. 23 Oklahoma State and No. 11 Texas Tech.
The Mountaineer offense has been quiet in the 2019 campaign, hitting at a .247 average as a team with Tyler Doanes' .293 average pacing the group. Marques Inman's 35 RBI lead the team while Darius Hill paces the group in extra base knocks, tallying 17 doubles, two triples and five homers.
Southpaw Nick Snyder will take the hill for West Virginia, making his 10th start of the season. He owns a 2.05 ERA with a record of 7-1, having surrendered just 11 earned runs off 27 hits and 23 walks in 48.1 innings, striking out 75. Snyder started the first Backyard Brawl of the 2019 season, going 5.0 innings, allowing just one run off one hit and three walks, striking out five in a no decision.

SERIES WITH WEST VIRGINIA

The game will be the 158th all-time meeting between the two programs in a series dating back to the 1939 season. The Mountaineers own an 84-73 all-time advantage and have won five straight dating back to the 2016 campaign.
West Virginia owns a slight edge in Pittsburgh with a mark of 19-18, as this is the first time the two teams will meet at PNC Park.
Pitt's last victory came in a 4-1 decision at Monongalia County Ballpark on April 12, 2016.

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