PITTSBURGH–The University of Pittsburgh baseball team today released its 2015 schedule, as announced by head coach Joe Jordano.
The Panther’s opponents include seven teams that appeared in the 2014 College World Series (Florida State, Virginia, Miami, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Kent State, and Youngstown State). Of those, five are Atlantic Coast Conference opponents–four of which join Pitt in the conference’s Coastal Division.
Jordano’s emphasis for 2015 was on building a schedule that was challenging from start to finish.
“This is a really strong schedule beginning with three very competitive games on opening weekend with Ohio State, St. Louis, and Kansas State in Port Charlotte,” says Jordano. “Then we compete in the USC-Upstate/Wofford Tournament – which is always very competitive – before heading to Virginia for two consecutive weekends against VCU and opening ACC play with a series at Virginia.”
The team begins the year by travelling to the Snowbirds Classic in Port Charlotte, Fla., followed by the USC Upstate/Wofford Tournament in Greenville, S.C.
Pitt opens the Snowbirds Classic, and the season, on Feb. 13 against reigning three-time Atlantic 10 regular season champion St. Louis. The Billikens’ Colton Frabasilio is the twin brother of Pitt’s own senior infielder Jordan Frabasilio. Rounding out the scheduled contests are Kansas State and Ohio State on Feb. 14 and 15, respectively.
The Panthers next face Wofford, USC Upstate, and East Tennessee State on the road in the USC Upstate/Wofford Tournament from Feb. 20-22. Pitt travelled to South Carolina to face Wofford every year from 2010-2012, and competed in the USC Upstate Tournament last season.
After travelling for a series against VCU, Pitt returns to Virginia the next weekend, March 6-8, to open ACC play against the Cavaliers. In last year’s series in Pittsburgh, the Panthers edged No. 1 Virginia, 2-1, on a walk-off from Jordan Frabasilio. The victory was the first upset of the nation’s top team in program history. Virginia went on to advance within one game of the NCAA title, falling to Vanderbilt in a deciding game three of the College World Series.
The Panthers then begin a homestand lasting from March 10-18 spanning eight games and featuring both conference and non-conference foes alike.
Following three midweek games out of conference with Niagara, the weekend opponent will be North Carolina on March 13-15. After dropping its first two contests against the Tar Heels last season, Pitt captured a Sunday victory against then No. 17 UNC in Chapel Hill to secure its first road victory over a ranked opponent since 2003.
On March 17, Penn State returns to Pittsburgh for the first time since 2012. It will be the 96th time the two schools have met, with the last coming in 2013 when Pitt won a shootout, 10-8. The Panthers have won two straight in the series.
Akron closes out the week-long homestand on March 18, then it’s back to the road for Pitt. Sandwiched between road three-game series’ with Duke and NC State on the weekends, the Panthers pay a visit to nearby Youngstown State. Duke suffered a three-game sweep when they visited the Panthers last season in Pitt’s first home ACC series.
Beginning with the West Virginia, Pitt plays nine of its next 10 games in the friendly confines of Cost Field. The Backyard Brawl resumes on March 31 in its 148th incarnation. The Panthers host West Virginia for a single game contest at 6 p.m. The two play a home-and-home this season, with Pitt travelling to Morgantown on May 12.
Pitt hosts another longtime foe, Notre Dame, on April 3-5. The programs last went head-to-head in Pittsburgh in 2013 – a series that saw Pitt sweep the No. 16-ranked Irish.
After a mid-week bout at Akron, the Panthers are at home versus CWS qualifier Youngstown State. The Panthers host Wake Forest in their first meeting since 1940 on April 10-12 before finishing the homestand against yet another CWS qualifier, Kent State, on April 14.
Next, Pitt heads south to Tallahassee, Fla., to take on reigning Atlantic Division champion Florida State on April 17-19. Despite their 2014 regular season success, the Seminoles were bounced in the CWS Regionals last year.
Following four midweek games after returning from FSU, which features three home games with Fairfield and a return trip to Penn State, Pitt opens a two-day, three-game series with last year’s regular season Coastal Division champion Miami, starting on May 2. The then No. 20 Hurricanes managed to sweep Pitt last year, but not before being taken to the limit in a ten-inning, 1-0, second game of the series.
The team’s last conference road trip will be to Georgia Tech, May 8-10. The Panthers swept the No. 23-ranked GT squad in Pittsburgh last season to extend their conference home winning streak to 18 at the time. The Jackets went on to win the ACC Baseball Championship tournament despite beginning the draw as a No. 9 seed.
Pitt finishes its regular season play by hosting Virginia Tech for a three-game series on May 15-17.
“It is a schedule that will challenge us early,” says Jordano, “and it is my goal that it will prepare us for our second season in the very competitive and prestigious ACC.”
