The Pitt Panthers baseball team has had a very successful start to the season. Entering the weekend, they were 14-4, but they had not played elite competition yet. 

This weekend, they faced off against Georgia Tech, which Baseball America has ranked as the third-best college baseball team and best in the ACC. The Panthers lost two of three games, but they did score a combined 27 runs.

On Friday, David Leslie took the mound for Pitt. He did not have his best outing, as he gave up nine runs in three innings. Only five of the runs were earned runs, but on paper, it was not good.

AJ Nessler and Trey Fenderson both had good games, both putting up three RBIs each, but Pitt could not come back from trailing 8-0 in the second inning. 

Saturday was the best day for Pitt. They gave up three runs in the first, but the Panthers battled back and scored five against Tennessee transfer Dylan Loy. After taking a 5-3 lead, they did not give it back all game, and ended up winning 14-9. Kai Wagner hit a home run and had six RBIs, while Eddie Smink had a nine-out save to secure the win.

Sunday was just a poor performance for Pitt. Things did not go right and they gave up 12 runs, but only six were earned. Georgia Tech beat Pitt 12-4 to end the series.

Georgia Tech has a lot of young talent on the team. Drew Burress and Vahn Lackey are projected first-round picks in the 2026 MLB Draft, but they did not shine over the weekend. Throughout the three games, Burress only got one hit, and he averaged a strike out per game. Lackey was decent, getting a hit per game, but he did not look like a first-round pick.

After Pitt’s first major series, their record still shines at 15-6. They play Kent State at 3 p.m. today and then Youngstown State at home Wednesday. They should be able to win those, but then they have a three-game series against Louisville, which could be a challenge.