Pitt baseball (11-10, 1-8 ACC) heads east to take on in-state rivals Penn State (12-9, 1-2 Big Ten) this Tuesday in State College. After an 8-1 start to the season, the Panthers have lost nine of their last 12 games. 

The Panthers travel east following a three-game, three-loss series to No. 14 Virginia. While it looked like this season was a turnaround, the Panthers seem doomed to repeat the results of their last campaign. This game represents a turning point, as the Panthers get a quick break from the gauntlet of ACC conference play and take on a Big Ten foe. 

Here’s what to look for in the upcoming matchup.
Pitt’s batters continue to thrive

One positive on the Panthers’ season is that the batters are still hitting well. Eight batters on Pitt’s roster are still hitting at a .300 batting average and above and have notched 155 RBIs as a team. The Panthers also rank in the bottom half of ACC teams in total strikeouts.

Pitt’s pitching is a liability

Continuing a trend from last year, Pitt’s pitching is a problem. Pitt has a team ERA of 6.59, the third-worst in the ACC. They’ve allowed the most doubles in their conference, with 52 in only 21 games. One of the Panthers’ starters, junior Ryan Andrade, has an ERA of 10.38 in six games and 21.2 innings pitched. The lowest ERA of any starting pitcher belongs to first-year Aidan Coleman, who has a 4.76. 

Penn State can’t field like ACC Teams can

Penn State enters the matchup against the Panthers with a solid fielding percentage — 0.964. While this seems pretty good, this would rank as tied for last in the ACC with Louisville. 

In addition, the Panthers have 24 errors on the season compared to Penn State’s 28. Fifth-year infielder Grant Norris has seven errors for Penn State, so the Panthers could look to target their hits his way. 

Prediction

This game has a decent possibility of staying within a few scores. The Panthers’ bats could dominate, but the final result will likely rely on the quality of Pitt’s pitching.

I predict that the Panthers bats show up but are overshadowed by a lack of pitching prowess. Penn State will have a couple of errors, but they will take advantage of subpar pitching and pull out the win. 

Pitt will lose in a complete game, 8-5.