PITTSBURGH – Entering his 20th season at the helm of the University of Pittsburgh baseball team, head coach Joe Jordano has announced his squad’s schedule for the 2017 season.
Pitt is set to square off with nine of the 2016 NCAA qualifiers, including a pair of super regional teams as well as a College World Series squad.
With the announcement of the 2017 schedule, tickets to all home games will go on sale. Fans can purchase tickets here, with advanced single game seats at a $3 cost. Fans can also purchase tickets at the gate on gameday for $5 apiece. Groups of 15 or more are eligible for a discounted rate of $1 per person. For more information on tickets, call 1-800-643-PITT (7488).
“We are very excited about our 2017 spring schedule. There is no question it is extremely competitive and will be a true test for our team,” said Jordano. “This early schedule will test our young team and present a formidable challenge. Those early weekends will hopefully prepare us for potential post-season berth.
“The ACC is incredibly tough and will be very strong again this year. We open up our ACC schedule at Louisville, and it will be our first time facing the Cardinals since our Big East days, not an easy place to play. We will also host North Carolina, Notre Dame, Miami, Virginia Tech and for the first time at Cost Field, NC State. We will also host regional rivals, Penn State and West Virginia, so our home fans will see plenty of great baseball this spring.”
The Panthers will open the season in the Sunshine State, hosting Kansas State, Ohio State and Delaware at Osceloa County Stadium in Kissimmee, Fla., from Feb. 17-19. A two-game series with Siena in Vero Beach, Fla., at Historic Dodgertown will follow before the Panthers travel to the USC Upstate Tournament March 3-4 to take on Wofford, USC Upstate and Wright State.
ACC play gets underway March 10-12 as the Panthers face a tough challenge early on, traveling to Louisville, KY for a weekend series with the Cardinals.
The Panthers open the home portion of the 2017 slate on March 14, welcoming St. Peter’s to Charles L. Cost field for a pair. The first ACC series at the Cost will follow as Notre Dame visits March 17-19.
Pitt will travel to regional foe Kent State on March 21 before returning to Pittsburgh for a weekend ACC series with Virginia Tech March 24-26.
The first of a pair of Backyard Brawls will take place on March 28 in Pittsburgh, followed by three games with Duke March 31-April 2. Continuing the big-rival midweek games, the Panthers host Penn State April 4 before a three-game swing in Charlottesville, Va., as Pitt faces off with 2015 NCAA Champion Virginia.
The Panthers will return home for a weekend series with College World Series participant and ACC Coastal Division rival Miami April 14-16. A pair of mid-weeks with Penn State (April 18) and Kent State (April 19) will follow.
The April 19 meeting with Kent State kicks off a swing of nine home games for the Panthers as the challenging ACC slate continues with North Carolina April 21-23. The Panthers will host SIU Edwardsville for a doubleheader and single game April 28-29 and will kick off the month of May with a pair of contests against Maryland Eastern Shore.
Pitt will resume ACC play May 6-8, traveling to Georgia Tech for a meeting with the Yellow Jackets. Four more home games follow as Pitt hosts Youngstown State (May 10) before a weekend series with North Carolina State at Cost Field.
The remainder of the Panthers’ season will take place on the road as Pitt heads to Morgantown, W.Va., for the second Backyard Brawl before traveling to Wake Forest to conclude the regular season May 18-20.
The 2017 ACC Baseball Tournament is set for May 23-28 in Louisville, Ky., as the expanded tournament will take 12 teams, with a four-group pool play determining the four squads that will advance to the semifinal round. Last season, Clemson claimed the ACC title as all 10 ACC tournament qualifiers earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament, the most schools to come from one conference in NCAA history.
