hokies look to rebound in No. 15 pitt's acc home opener

Sam Alves

March 26, 2021

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — A third of the way through its ACC schedule, No. 15 Pitt will play its first home conference series this weekend, facing off against Virginia Tech in a matchup of teams heading in opposite directions.

The Panthers (12-5 overall, 8-4 ACC) lead the way in the ACC Coastal, stationed above No. 24 North Carolina and No. 11 Georgia Tech –– both with 8-4 conference records as well –– via an overall winning percentage tiebreaker.

Meanwhile, the Hokies (10-8 overall, 6-6 ACC) find themselves unranked after going 1-3 in their last week of action, losing at home to UNC Greensboro and falling twice at Clemson.

“I think it’s the deepest the league has been since I was in the ACC — period,” manager John Szefc said in a midweek press conference. “You have teams that have way better facilities now than they had then (as head coach at Maryland in 2013 and 2014). You gotta keep surviving and working your way through it.”

Pitt handled visiting Bucknell in its home opener earlier this week, winning 17-9 in a midweek non-conference tuneup. Senior second baseman David Yanni led the way for the Panthers, tallying a grand slam and a two-run triple.

Yanni enters the weekend riding a seven-game hitting streak, during which he has recorded 14 RBIs and five home runs. The Panthers won five of those seven contests in their series victories at Georgia Tech and Virginia. The Hokies will have to tame the Panthers’ hottest hitter to get back in the series win column.

On the infield for Tech, freshman Fritz Genther will look to build on his effort in the Clemson series. Genther’s four-RBI outing, which included a home run and two runs scored of his own, proved to be the difference in the Hokies’ lone win of the series last Saturday. Genther also doubled in Sunday’s late loss to the Tigers.

Sunday's typical starting pitcher, Anthony Simonelli, will be available for the Hokies after missing his last two starts with a strained oblique, Szefc announced.

But as the Hokies add one player, they lose another. Saturday starter Chris Gerard, who posted 10 strikeouts and no earned runs over 10 frames in his last two starts, will be out of the lineup for Tech with a pulled groin. He is expected to miss at least a week.

It’s been a while since the home team took the diamond leading its division midseason in the Steel City, so the Hokies will have their hands full trying to knock off the Panthers –– who now stand where Tech was not too long ago.

Series Details:

Location: Charles L. Cost Field; Pittsburgh, PA

First Pitch Times:

Friday: 3 p.m.

Saturday: 3 p.m.

Sunday: 1 p.m.