As the spring sports season rapidly approaches, Pitt baseball enters its 2024 campaign looking to exceed expectations despite placing at the bottom of Atlantic Coast Conference preseason rankings. Following a disappointing 2023 season on the diamond, the Panthers found themselves under .500 (24-31, 10-18 ACC) for the first time since 2019.
However, Pitt’s roster looks distinctively different from last year’s squad. Over the course of the offseason, Panthers head coach Mike Bell brought in multiple highly coveted transfer students to fill critical losses from the team last season. With many pivotal starters returning for the Panthers, Pitt could cause uproar in the Coastal Division of the ACC.
Although the Panthers have seen many new faces enter their clubhouse, key players from last year’s squad are looking to step up into elevated roles. Senior outfielder C.J. Funk enters the 2024 season as one of the Panthers’ most prominent leaders at the plate and in the outfield. The No. 68 ranked outfielder in the country, according to D1Baseball, slashed a .274 batting average, a .441 on-base percentage and a .522 slugging percentage. Funk also posted a .967 fielding percentage. Last season, Funk emerged as a power threat for the Panthers, hitting 13 home runs while driving in 43 runs.
Senior right-handed pitcher Jack Sokol returns as front-line starter for the Panthers in their 2024 campaign. Sokol last season started in 14 games and recorded a win-loss record of 6-5. In 68 innings pitched, Sokol recorded an ERA of 7.54 against competitive ACC conference opponents. Sokol showed his capability of producing high strikeout totals, recording over 69 on the year.
Of the notable transfers to join the Panthers lineup, D1Baseball recognized three Pitt transfers on their preseason top players list. Junior first baseman Luke Cantwell, a transfer from Fairleigh Dickinson University, landed as the No. 30 first baseman in the country. In his 2023 season at FDU, Cantwell had quite an impressive season from the plate with a slash line of .331, .490 and .709. With 13 home runs and 51 RBIs last season, Cantwell’s potential presence in the middle of the Panthers’ lineup could create great run production.
Senior transfer second baseman Tyler Bischke from New Orleans was also awarded high preseason honors, ranking as the No. 16 second baseman in the country. Last season at New Orleans, Bischke produced great numbers at the plate, slashing .309, .397 and .530. Bischke was awarded First Team All-Southland Conference last season with the Privateers.
Right-handed pitcher Ryan Andrade, a transfer from Rhode Island, ranked as the No. 132 pitcher in the preseason rankings. Last season, Andrade primarily appeared in the bullpen, where he amassed a 4.09 ERA in over 20 appearances. Andrade excelled on the mound in tight situations, sending batters back to the dugout 38 times in the form of strikeouts. Andrade gives the Panthers a strong back-end bullpen presence with the potential to become a starter.
The 2023 season saw the Panthers lose three critical contributors in the infield due to graduation – Noah Martinez, Jack Anderson and Sky Duff. In his five seasons at Pitt, third baseman Sky Huff became the second-all-time leader in games played in a Panthers uniform — finishing with a career-hitting line of .285, .420 and .398. First baseman Noah Martinez produced a slashing line of .306, .558 and .442 in one season at Pitt with a fielding percentage of .998.
Martinez led the team in three major hitting categories, with 13 home runs, 63 hits and 53 RBIs. Anderson saw success in 2023, starting in all 55 games while hitting .295 with six home runs and 35 RBIs.
However, the Panthers won’t miss their presence at Charles L. Cost Field entirely. The Panthers organization appointed Anderson as director of baseball operations and Duff as graduate manager for the 2024 season.
The Panthers enter the season in one of the most competitive conferences in the country. In Baseball America’s preseason rankings, six total teams in the conference rank within the top 25 — No. 1 Wake Forest, No. 10 Clemson, No. 12 Duke, No. 13 NC State, No. 14 Virginia and No. 15 North Carolina.
With Duke, Virginia and North Carolina all playing in the Coastal Division of the ACC, Pitt will likely come as underdogs for a lot of weekend series. Although the Panthers face quite a daunting schedule, the increased competition within the conference can boost the team ranking with huge series wins and give Pitt tremendous experience going forward.
The Panthers will start their season in Port Charlotte, Florida, in a nonconference series opener against Maine this weekend, with the first game starting Friday at 12 p.m. EST.