Baseball resumes Big East play

If those around the Pitt baseball program have written off the year and excluded the… If those around the Pitt baseball program have written off the year and excluded the Panthers from the Big East championships in late May, they should know better.

It was only one year ago when the Panthers reversed a 2-7 Big East start by finishing 13-3 down the stretch, grabbing one of the four playoff berths and eventually losing in the championship game.

While this year’s Panthers (15-20, 4-11) are farther into the Big East season, the conference tournament has expanded to eight teams, putting the Panthers right in the hunt for a playoff berth.

After spending much of the season on the road, the Panthers opened a four-game home stand Wednesday night beating Akron at Trees field, making it two wins in a row as they prepare for the South Florida Bulls (18-20, 7-8). The two teams meet this weekend for the first time ever as conference foes.

The Bulls come into town in sole possession of sixth place in the conference, but their place in the tournament is anything but secure.

Only three wins separate South Florida and the last-place teams in the conference, meaning with a series sweep or win this weekend, the Panthers could find themselves directly on the tournament bubble.

“We’re one series away,” head coach Joe Jordano said this week. “If we can’t win that series, we don’t deserve to make the playoffs.”

While the Panthers will enjoy the home field advantage, the timing may not be in their favor since the Bulls are winners in four of their last five, including a conference series win last weekend against Louisville.

After starting the season 5-1 in the conference, the Bulls lost eight in a row, including sweeps at Cincinnati and at home against Notre Dame. However, it appears they have regained their swagger and could move into third place with a sweep of the Panthers.

Leading the way for South Florida has been a trio of hitters led by Kris Howell and his team-high .352 batting average.

Howell leads the team in hits and has driven in 17 runs on the year. Addison Maruszak is behind Howell in average but atop the Bulls in several offensive categories including runs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Maruszak is hitting .325 and has driven in 21 runs. The Bulls’ power source has been Brandin Daniel, who leads the team with three home runs and 28 RBIs, while hitting a solid .285 clip.

The Bulls’ pitching staff has had an up-and-down year that has been more than disappointing at times. Starter Casey Hudspeth, South Florida’s lone Pre-Season All-Big East selection, has struggled en route to a 4-4 record with a 4.67 ERA.

Hudspeth, however, has shown flashes of overpowering stuff, striking out 68 batters in less than 62 innings pitched.

“We’re taking it one game at a time,” Jordano said. “Casey Hudspeth is one of the best pitchers in the nation.”

The rest of the expected rotation this weekend includes Davis Bilardello, who is 1-3 with a 4.36 ERA, and Daniel Thomas, who is 2-4 with a 4.82 ERA. The bullpen is anchored by closer Chase Lirette, who had a productive summer in the Cape Cod League — considered the nation’s premier summer league for college baseball players. This season Lirette has appeared in 23 games, producing a 2-2 record with a 2.60 ERA and five saves to his credit.

As a team, the Bulls, who were predicted to finish third in the conference right behind the Panthers in the pre-season, are seventh in the conference in hitting with a .285 team average and sixth in pitching with a 4.62 ERA.

For the Panthers, they are coming off a near series win last weekend against Villanova in which they dropped two of three, but picked up two non-conference wins against MAC opponents Ohio and Akron this week, outscoring the two teams 25-7.

“We’re a team that there’s very little margin for error,” Jordano said. “The last couple of games we’ve played clean baseball.”

Jim Negrych continues to do it all for the Panthers offense, hitting .429, which is good enough for top five in the Big East, with a team-leading six homers and 36 RBIs. Shortstop Jimmy Mayer continues to be productive out of the two-hole for the Panthers hitting .333 with a team-high 13 doubles and adding 11 stolen bases.

Two freshmen have continued to contribute for the Panthers as well. Morgan Kielty blasted a grand slam Wednesday against Akron, his fourth home run of the season, giving him 24 RBIs for the year, which is second to Negrych.

Rob Lawler has also found a spot in the everyday lineup after spending most of the season on the bench. Lawler, who has now started seven games for the Panthers, hit his first collegiate home run against Akron and is now batting .333 with 10 hits and three RBIs.

Like South Florida’s starting rotation, the Panthers big three have been somewhat inconsistent, but have settled in as of late.

Each of the three pitchers holds an ERA under 4.30, headlined by Billy Muldowney’s 3.58 and his 3-3 record. Robert Brant has lowered his ERA to 4.25 with his record standing at 3-5 while Paul Nardozzi continues to lead the team with four wins and a 3.64 ERA.

First pitch of the series is set for 7 p.m. on Friday at Trees Field.