News and Notes 7/22

Pitt comes in at #5 in Dennis Dodd's top five schools for football and basketball. This is a slight surprise to me - not that they don't belong there, but Pitt never seems to get the credit they deserve for having a top basketball and football program. It's not yet been sustained as they had some down football seasons this decade, but the school's teams have had quite a bit of success.  The best part, though, is that it doesn't look like it's slowing down anytime soon.  Both programs have recruited extraordinarily well and could be successful for quite a while.

My bets for the others? If we're talking about the past 2-3 years, let's go with Texas, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Florida not in that order. Pitt fans might not be happy with it, but you could also make the case for WVU even instead of the Panthers.  But his article seems to indicate Pitt made it instead of WVU.

I normally don't mention Bleacher Report too much on here, but a writer for the site believes that Mark Myers can seriously contend for the backup QB job.  I don't see how that's even a remote possibility - especially in a year when they are starting a new quarterback.  No way Wannstedt doesn't use Pat Bostick as his safety net if Sunseri struggles.

Another gambling site predicts big things for the Panthers, calling them a darkhorse to win the whole shootin' match.

And Panther baseball coach Joe Jordana wins the ABCA East Region Coach of the Year Award.

Joe Leonard Drafted

Pitt star Joe Leonard was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the third round of today's MLB Draft:

"I knew I had a good season and everything really worked out for me," Leonard said. "I was just sitting at home with my family and my girlfriend and my name popped up on the computer screen. I was so happy. It was a great moment."

He was the highest draft pick under head coach Joe Jordano, who has been around for 17 years. In the school's history, Pitt has only had eight players drafted in the first ten rounds, but Leonard is the school's fourth in the past five years.

Jordano sees big things for him:

"Right now, he might not put up the power numbers that the pro guys are looking for, but the power is in there," Jordano said. "At the next level ... they'll probably get him to lift the ball a little more. Then, he'll hit the ball out of every park in the country. He's going to be a monster."

And Tony DeMacio, the Braves scout who found Chipper Jones 20 years ago, thinks they've got a great player as well:

In Leonard, a 6-foot-5, 220-pounder, the Braves believe they’ve found a power bat. The 2010 Big East player of the year hit .433 in 55 games as a junior and set school records in hits (104), at-bats (240), doubles (23) and RBIs (71). He hit eight home runs, and that’s while playing for a Pitt team that focused on using the opposite field.

“They don’t teach guys to pull up there,” DeMacio said. “Everything he hits is the other way. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s got a great body to develop yet, and he’s a very good defensive player, too, for his size.”

Finally, a Braves blogger thinks he will sign quickly if offered slot money for his round - even if he can't get the name of the school right:

A solid pick for Atlanta, as they take a polished defender at the hot corner with a good bat. He still needs to develop more power in his swing, but the intangibles are there, especially the 6'5" 220 lbs. frame. A college Junior from Pittsburgh University (my emphasis), he is rated as the top prospect in Pennsylvania, and is the son of a former first round pick. He doesn't have any truly plus-plus skills (maybe his defense), but he is a well-rounded player who should be competitive at the next level. He is said to be willing to sign quickly for slot money.

Pitt Baseball Still on the Move

After going 2-1 last week, Pitt baseball is still on the move, climbing up to #20 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll just out yesterday. The team remains unranked in the ESPN/USA Today and Baseball America polls. The #20 ranking is the highest in school history.

Also in baseball-related stuff, head coach Joe Jordano is headed to the...wait for it...Erie Hall of Fame. He ranks second in school history with 359 wins and with another good season next year, could catch the all-time leader, Bobby Lewis, who has 402. As one of the top teams in the Big East, he could be up for his second conference Coach of the Year award this year. Like most, I don't follow the baseball program all that closely. Still, great to see the school really starting to excel in several sports.

Pitt's best player? That would be Joe Leonard.

And if you can believe it, ESPN actually runs a baseball version of Bracketology. Seriously. Pitt is projected to make the tournament in the regional with #1 overall seed Texas.