Weekend Preview: Eagles Play Three in Pittsburgh

THE FACTS
MATCHUP: Boston College (12-6 2-4 ACC) at Pittsburgh (9-8, 2-4 ACC)
WHERE: Charles L. Cost Field in Pittsburgh, Pa.
WHEN: Thursday, March 24 at 3 p.m. | Friday, March 25 at 1 p.m. | Saturday, March 26 at 1 p.m.
RECORD vs. PITTSBURGH: Pittsburgh leads the all-time series, 24-23

HOW TO FOLLOW
Video: Thursday | Friday | Saturday
Live Stats: Thursday | Friday | Saturday

THE MATCHUP
Pitching Matchups
Thursday: RHP Mike King (3-1, 2.76 ERA) vs. RHP Josh Falk (2-1, 2.21 ERA)
Friday: LHP Jesse Adams (2-2, 5.48 ERA) vs. RHP Aaron Sandefur (1-2, 3.67 ERA)
Saturday: RHP Jacob Stevens (2-0, 0.31 ERA) vs. RHP T.J. Zeuch (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

Scouting the Panthers

Pitt is coming off a 1-2 weekend against then 11th-ranked Florida State to open Cost Field. FSU won the first two games, but the Panthers won the final game, 5-2.
In the first weekend of conference play, the Panthers also lost the first game at sixth-ranked North Carolina before also winning the last game – 5-0.
The Panthers are led by sophomore infielder Charles LeBlanc, who has a .388 batting average with 17 RBIs. Only senior infielder Ron Sherman has plated more runs than LeBlanc, notching 18. Junior outfielder Nick Yarnell, senior outfielder Aaron Schnurbusch and senior catcher Alex Kowalczyk lead the way and tie for sixth in the ACC with five home runs apiece.
The Eagles will face right-hander Josh Falk on Friday. Falk has made seven appearances, including two starts, and racked up 18 strikeouts, 11 hits, 19 runs – just five earned – and 12 walks over 20.1 innings. In Friday's loss to Florida State, he threw 5.2 innings and allowed four hits, seven runs – one earned – three walks and struck out five.
Saturday's starter is righty Aaron Sandefur, wo leads the Panthers with 23 Ks. Over 27 innings – five starts – he has allowed 24 hits, 16 runs – 11 earned – and 13 walks. He picked up the loss to FSU on Saturday, going four innings and allowing four hits, five runs – all earned – four walks and four strikeouts.
Right-hander T.J. Zeuch earned the win over the Seminoles on Sunday in his first appearance of the season. He allowed just one hit over six innings while giving up two unearned runs, two walks and striking out eight.
Pittsburgh ranks seventh in the ACC with a .300 team batting average but is 13^th in the league with a 5.04 team ERA. The Panthers' .942 fielding percentage is last in the league.

THE SERIES

Dating back to 1966, the Eagles and Panthers have met 47 times. Pitt holds a slight, 24-23 advantage in the all-time series.
This will mark the Eagles' first trip to Pittsburgh since 2004, when the Panthers took two of three in the old Big East rivalry. BC won the first game, 4-2, in 10 innings, before Pitt earned the series victory with two wins.
This is the second time the two teams will meet in ACC action. Pitt took two of three in Chestnut Hill in 2014 as each team won a game by one run before the Eagles lost an early 8-0 lead to fall, 16-11, in the third contest.
The only sweep came in 2003 when the Eagles won all three games at Pellagrini Diamond.

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE EAGLES

Boston College's 12-6 record is the best start since 2005 when the Eagles went 12-5 to begin the year.
The Eagles are also 2-4 in conference play for the first time since 2011.
The Eagles traveled to No. 19 Clemson, but could not get things going against the Tigers, falling in all three contests, including losing a ninth-inning lead in Sunday's contest. It was the first time in 2016 BC lost a game after leading in the eighth inning.
Freshman RHP Jacob Stevens finally allowed his first earned run in his collegiate career. He threw 29.0 innings with a 0.00 ERA. On Sunday, he gave up a solo home run to No. 19 Clemson's Eli White for the first earned run allowed in his career. His 0.31 ERA ranks fifth in the nation and first in the ACC.
Redshirt sophomore RHP Bobby Skogsbergh returned to action for the first time on Feb. 21 since March 24, 2015 as an injury sidelined him after only three appearances last season. In three of his first four outings, he retired the side in order. In 10.1 innings of relief work this season, he has allowed just two walks and four hits while striking out seven. In his seven appearances, he has given up runs (two) just once.
Sophomore Jake Palomaki did not reach base in the first game of the 2016 season, ending his 37-game on-base streak and his 11-game hit streak. He has recorded at least one hit in the 11 of the 18 games this season, bringing his two-year total to at least one hit in 43 of the 68 games played at BC. He has also reached base in 54 career contests and is currently on a seven-game on-base streak. His 46 walks drawn in 2015 is a BC single-season record and his 11-game hit streak ranks 12th in BC record books.
Senior RHP John Nicklas has tallied three win in seven appearances. In 9.0 innings of relief, he has allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out 12. He gave up his first run of the season to Clemson's Seth Beer in the bottom of the 10th inning on March 20. With his 69th career appearance Nicklas is tied for ninth in BC record books.
Junior Michael Strem has recorded at least one hit in 14 of the Eagles' 18 games this season and at least two hits in six games. His 10-game on-base streak came to an end in the opening game against No. 19 Clemson on March 18 but he led the Eagles with a 3-for-5 day in the third game and tallied a hit in the second game.

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Players Mentioned

Jesse Adams

Mike King

John Nicklas

Jake Palomaki

Bobby Skogsbergh

Jacob Stevens

Michael Strem