Baseball: Panthers play host to top-ranked Virginia for weekend series

Though it might seem like an unlikely outcome, Pitt’s baseball team has a chance to sit atop the Coastal Division standings in the ACC at the end of this weekend.

The Panthers’ conference record currently sits at 7-5, which as of now is good for fourth in the Coastal. A sweep of the Virginia Cavaliers — currently ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation according to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America — and at least one loss by the Miami Hurricanes would thrust Pitt all the way to the top of the division standings.

It’s a fortuitous position to be in, considering the Panthers’ mixed in-conference play.

After a 1-5 start in conference play in its inaugural season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Pitt (15-13, 7-5 ACC) appeared to have righted its ship, winning the next six conference games by sweeping Duke and Georgia Tech.

But after two consecutive losses this past Tuesday and Wednesday to the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Youngstown State Penguins, this weekend’s ACC series against the heralded Cavaliers marks Pitt’s biggest challenge this season.

The Cavaliers, who are No. 3 in Baseball America’s latest top-25 poll, boast a 25-4 record  — including a 10-2 mark in conference play — and are riding an eight-game winning streak.

The series opener will take place Friday afternoon, with the first pitch slated for 3 p.m. at Charles L. Cost Field. Game two on Saturday will also commence at 3 p.m., while the series finale will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Despite knowing that this series is another significant one as Pitt continues to plow through its ACC conference schedule, the Panthers maintain that the ranking in front of their opponent’s name has little meaning.

“This weekend is a pretty important weekend for us, just like any other,” redshirt junior starting pitcher Joseph Harvey said. “We are going into the weekend expecting to win the series and also sweep it, just like any other. It does not matter who we are playing. We expect to win.”

Junior second baseman Matt Johnson spoke with the same confidence and determination.

“We will have to be at our best in all phases of our game to win, but I know that we’re definitely capable of that,” Johnson, who came to Pitt this year after transferring from Paris Junior College in Texas, said. “When we put it all together, we can play with anyone.”

Pitt head coach Joe Jordano said a key aspect of the series will be how well the team is able to overcome their past two losses, particularly the disappointing 7-6 defeat at Youngstown State.

“To say the least, [the Youngstown State loss] was a disappointing ball game,” Jordano said. “We certainly are going to need a good short-term memory and prepare for Virginia, one of the premier teams in the nation.”

While no starting pitchers have been officially announced for the Virginia series, senior Rhys Aldenhoven (2-1, 3.79 ERA) is listed as questionable to start the series opener on Friday afternoon. And while the Cavaliers haven’t officially committed to a starter, either, a potential matchup looms against Virginia’s ace left-handed pitcher Nathan Kirby (5-1, 1.24 ERA), who sports the best ERA of any starting pitcher in the ACC.

Regardless of who is on the mound, the Panthers will still have their hands full against a potent Virginia lineup. 

The Cavaliers’ .287 batting average ranks third among ACC programs, and the offense has generated at least seven runs in seven of the past 10 games. Junior outfielder Mike Papi (.354 avg, 5 home runs, 26 RBIs) and junior infielder Branden Cogswell (.324 avg, team-leading 36 hits) usually bat third and first, respectively, and have led the way, but there aren’t many weak spots in the lineup.

Junior outfielder Derek Fisher might have been the most feared part of the lineup, but he suffered a broken hamate bone in his right wrist on March 12 and has been out of action since.

Fisher (ranked 10th), Papi (39th), junior third baseman/pitcher Nick Howard (43rd), Cogswell (47th) and junior outfielder Brandon Downes (53rd) were all ranked among the top 100 college prospects by Baseball America in January.

But Downes has struggled to the tune of a .230 average and Howard has been a much better pitcher than hitter, posting a 1.88 earned run average in 13 relief appearances against just a .674 on-base plus slugging percentage at the plate.

While the other Cavaliers who haven’t been slumping are certainly going to test Pitt, the team attitude has been nothing short of confident.

Clearly, the Cavaliers present a formidable challenge for the Panthers. Don’t tell Johnson that, though. 

“It’ll be a great weekend for us,” Johnson said. “And it will be a historical weekend, at that.”