Baseball: In midst of record winning streak, Pitt success acknowledged

Fresh off a hot start, the Pitt baseball team broke into the national rankings this week. It… Fresh off a hot start, the Pitt baseball team broke into the national rankings this week. It is in the top 30 of several national polls, and its highest ranking is No. 24 in the Collegiate Baseball rankings.

The team also broke one of the longest-standing records in school history. In 1965, the baseball team won 10 games in a row. When Joe Jordano coached this year’s Panthers to victory over St. John’s on Sunday, it marked the team’s 11th straight, bringing Pitt’s record to 18-4.

Pitt has a chance to extend that historic streak when it travels to Rutgers today for the first of a three-game series.

Pitt is ranked No. 29 in the Perfect Game USA’s weekly top 50. Last week the Panthers were unranked.

Pitt is one of the highest-ranked Big East teams, trailing only No. 11 Louisville. The Panthers will host the Cardinals next weekend at Trees Field.

Jordano said that the rankings are great, but he cautioned his players of becoming overconfident.

“[I] likened it to being in the lead after two furlongs of the Kentucky Derby,” Jordano said in an interview with The Pitt News. “We need to finish.”

The team’s success is accompanied by individual success from several Panthers. Three of Pitt’s starting pitchers — Corey Baker, Matt Iannazzo and Nathan Hood — are undefeated with a combined record of 14-0.

Despite that successful pitching, Jordano still thinks there is room for improvement.

“Obviously [they] have pitched well. But I feel they have not peaked yet,” he said.

He also pointed out the talent of the rest of the pitching corps.

“Our [bullpen] has done a solid job as well,” he said. “Pitching is always the key to a successful year.”

Also, senior shortstop Danny Lopez was named to the Brooks Wallace Award watch list. The award is given to the nation’s best shortstop. Lopez leads the team with 37 runs scored and 16 stolen bases. He also has three homeruns.

“Danny is a very solid player. He has great actions and has great foot speed,” Jordano said.

Jordano said Lopez is unlike most team leaders.

“Danny leads in his own way,” he said. “He is not very vocal, but his actions speak volumes.”

Lopez joins three other Big East shortstops on the watch list: Connecticut’s Nick Ahmed, Louisville’s Adam Duvall and West Virginia’s Jedd Gyorko.

Jordano spoke to the team to acknowledge its recent accolades, but he then turned his attention to the rest of the season.

“Following our talk prior to Tuesday’s practice, we went back to work,” he said.

He said his goal for the season is simple, “Be the best we can be everyday.”