The Panthers fell to South Florida, 2-1, on Monday night time at USF Baseball Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

The bats had been quiet for each groups, as Pitt righty Holden Phelps and USF lefty Nolan Hudi had been practically flawless. Phelps gave up simply three hits and two runs, together with placing out seven batters. Phelps had a 2.77 ERA. Hudi allowed 5 hits, one run and struck out 10 batters. Which was good for a 4.70 ERA. There was a mixed 11 hits in the entire sport, six from Pitt and 5 from USF.

First baseman Noah Martinez received issues began for the Panthers with a house run to heart subject within the prime of the primary to present Pitt a 1-0 lead. It was Martinez’s sixth dinger of the season. Phelps had 1-2-3 innings within the backside of the primary and second. Pitt had two runners in scoring place within the prime of the second however had been unable so as to add to its lead.

Phelps continued to deal, retiring the primary 12 batters he confronted and placing out six in 4 innings. The Bulls lastly received on the scoreboard within the backside of the sixth, because of RBI singles by Bobby Boser and John Montes. Quin Konuszewski settled issues down and retired the aspect with a strikeout to finish the inning. USF left a stranded runner on base.

Konuszewski gave up two hits to begin the underside of the seventh and was changed by Matthew Fernandez. With two runners on and no outs, Fernandez labored out of the jam to maintain it a one-run sport.

The Bulls had been left with two runners on base within the backside of the eighth, organising a one-run deficit for the Panthers heading into the ninth.

Jack Anderson began off with a leadoff single to heart however that’s all of the Panthers may muster as USF pulled off a slim 2-1 win.

The Panthers start ACC play on Friday towards Florida State in Tallahassee. First pitch is at 6 p.m. and the sport could be streamed on the ACC Community.

It’s been a rollercoaster trip for Jeff Capel since he was employed as Pitt’s head coach on March 27, 2018.

The rent of Capel by Heather Lyke was universally praised, and it was simply assumed that Pitt basketball would return or exceed the extent that Jamie Dixon had them at earlier than it crumbled and hit all-time low throughout the Kevin Stallings period.

With Capel’s status as an ace recruiter and expertise evaluator underneath former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, alongside along with his recruiting ties across the nation and his earlier expertise at VCU and Oklahoma, it gave the impression to be a wedding made in heaven.

Nevertheless, like in most marriages, issues aren’t at all times good. It takes time to clean out some tough edges and work on issues.

After 4 seasons of struggles, it seemed as if Capel and Pitt might be heading towards a divorce. Information of 14-19, 16-17, 10-12 and 11-21 made Capel and his workers the goal of criticism from Panther followers however thankfully, Lyke and the Pitt administration didn’t share the identical opinion.

Regardless of the dismal outcomes and no obvious gentle on the finish of the tunnel, Lyke caught together with her determination and perception that Capel was the correct man for this job.

As we’ve witnessed this season, that was the correct determination and it was highlighted on Monday with Capel being named the ACC Males’s Basketball Coach of the 12 months.

Pitt’s been in a position to have a lot success this season and one thing that ought to encourage the fan base for the longer term is one thing that folks began to query about Capel — his skill to recruit and correctly develop expertise.

When a staff is struggling as badly as Pitt’s been, it’s laborious to persuade people who share a special opinion. Though it wasn’t true and has by no means been true, the overwhelming opinion was that Capel was overrated as a recruiter and solely had success at Duke due to the Duke model and the truth that he was sitting alongside Coach Ok.

As we’re discovering out, that’s not the case and the actual drawback was the combo of youngsters Capel dropped at Pitt. Not saying they have been dangerous folks, however they have been simply personalities and egos that couldn’t co-exist. That occurs at most school packages, which is without doubt one of the causes the switch portal is stuffed each offseason.

In his first two years, Capel signed gamers like Au’Diese Toney, Xavier Johnson, Trey McGowens, Justin Champagnie, John Hugley and Femi Odukale and every of these gamers has proven throughout their time at Pitt, and in addition on the packages they’ve transferred to, that they’re productive gamers.

Nevertheless, the combo of Toney, Johnson, McGowens and Champagnie wasn’t going to work at Pitt, which is the explanation for 3 of them transferring. Blame Capel if you’d like for them not having the ability to play in concord, however his on-court expertise analysis was appropriate.

After being compelled to hit the reset button and intestine his roster, Capel needed to begin over and basically usher in a complete new roster.

It appeared like a near-impossible activity to try to add the amount of gamers that have been wanted but additionally to recruit sufficient proficient gamers to a program that was at all-time low. Regardless of getting the chance to play within the ACC, who would need to turn out to be part of this mess?

As we’ve watched this season, Capel was in a position to accomplish this daunting activity and it got here all the way down to his eye for expertise and his skill to develop it.

On the time of their signing with Pitt, neither Nike Sibande, Jamarius Burton, Blake Hinson, Greg Elliott, Nelly Cummings nor Federiko Federiko have been family names and positively weren’t getting their telephones blown up by main school packages.

Hinson hadn’t performed basketball in two years, Burton by no means discovered a task in his earlier two stops at Texas Tech and Wichita State, Elliott averaged simply 5 factors per sport in his time at Marquette and Federiko was considered as a long-term venture at finest.

Due to the chance, the system, the setting and the teaching they obtained this season at Pitt, all of these gamers excelled and completed issues individually that not many thought potential.

Three of these gamers excelled and developed in a big-time method as Burton was named to ACC first-team, Hinson to the ACC second-team and Sibande, who accepted his position all season, received ACC Sixth Man of the 12 months.

That’s a significant feather within the cap for Capel and one thing that can little question be utilized in recruiting the switch portal this offseason.

I’d should think about that Capel being the ACC Coach of the 12 months is one thing that will probably be talked about a couple of instances because the Panthers look to construct upon this season as they attempt to signal expertise to their recruiting Lessons of 2024 and 2025.

Though Burton, Cummings, Elliott and Sibande will probably be shifting on after the season, the 2023-24 roster will probably be stuffed with a bunch of skills reminiscent of Hinson, Federiko, the Diaz-Graham twins, Dior Johnson, John Hugley (perhaps) and incoming freshmen reminiscent of four-star guards Jaland Lowe and Carlton Carrington.

A yr in the past right now, the dialog surrounding Pitt basketball was primarily Jeff Capel’s buyout, now all of it offers with the upcoming ACC Event and if Pitt will qualify for the NCAA Event.

Pitt basketball is again due to Capel and the endurance and perception that Lyke had in him.

To reference a standard saying from my good friend and main Pitt supporter Charlie, “Successful Is Enjoyable” and it’s the identical in relation to this 2022-23 Panthers basketball staff.