Ben Kline Commits

Pitt landed its second 2011 linebacker recruit in the past few days - this one is Ben Kline out of York, PA. He thinks he could compete playing time right away:

"It seems like a good situation during my visit," Kline said. "The coaches were all great, and I'm confident they'll give me an opportunity to compete for playing time my first year."

Perhaps, but that may be a tough order with Max Gruder, Tristan Roberts, and Dan Mason among others in front of him.

Coach Wannstedt learned of the commit during the Tony Dorsett Celebrity Golf Classic.

He reportedly had offers from West Virginia, Michigan, Maryland, UCONN, Rutgers, Boston College, and Vanderbilt.

Kline was a three-star from both Scout and Rivals.

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.

Quinton Alston Commits

Pitt landed its fourth recruit for the 2011 season - linebacker Quinton Alston. Pitt continued its commitment of finding New Jersey area recruits as Alston hails from Sicklerville, NJ.

Scout has him as a three-star while Rivals does not currently have him ranked.

Alston had more than 20 offers from schools including West Virginia, Wisconsin, Boston College, Iowa, Purdue, Louisville, and South Florida.

Last season as a junior, he registered 80 tackles and four sacks.

Here's a nice highlight film.

Pitt Radio Broadcasts on the Move

Pitt's football and basketball radio broadcasts, will be moved from Clear Channel's 94.5 FM to Pittsburgh's new FM sports talk radio station, 93.7 The Fan. Apparently, the move is not yet official.

Bill Hillgrove will apparently remain the play-by-play broadcaster for both sports.

One thing that Bob correctly notes is that as this is The Fan's only major Pittsburgh broadcasting contract to date, Pitt will receive their full attention. The station's hosts already talk a decent amount of Pitt sports, but that will probably increase. The move should really benefit Pitt fans in the area who tune into sports talk radio, hoping to hear/discuss the teams.

Joe Leonard - The All-American American

Sorry, pro wrestling flash.

Pitt has its second Baseball All-American in as many years with the news of Joe Leonard being named to Louisville Slugger's All-American team. He made the third team.

That seems a little low for someone who was the Big East Player of the Year and is a semi-finalist for the Dick Howser award - an award for the nation's best player. But then again I know next to nothing about college baseball.

Last season, Chris Sedon made the team. Pitt has four in the past decade alone.

News and Notes

Nothing major out there today, but a few things to mention before things pile up:

Tom Herrion gets a nice piece discussing his opportunity at Marshall, some of his past coaching experience, and, of course, the quarter:

Making the quick drive from his old job to his new one, Tom Herrion stopped to grab a bite to eat in Morgantown, W.Va.

While Herrion finished up his meal, a gentleman slid out of his nearby booth and came over to Herrion's table.

"Excuse me, weren't you the assistant at Pitt?" the man said.

And when Herrion admitted that, indeed, he was the assistant coach made famous after getting pegged by a flying coin during a Panthers game at West Virginia, the man took a quarter out of his pocket and set it on the table.

"Not all West Virginia people are bad," he said and walked off.

Former Pitt recruit and Seton Hall standout Herb Pope, meanwhile, is still recovering and is back in Pittsburgh. It's unclear if he will play next season at Seton Hall.

Brian Bennett at ESPN.com wraps up his Big East position rankings. Pitt ranked fourth in the secondary and fifth at Tight End.

Just a quick note on the tight ends. I've mentioned this before, but I really believe this position will be more productive than expected. With the loss of Dorin Dickerson and Nate Byham, I'm sure many fans are looking for a large decrease in production there. But I believe that Offensive Coordinator Frank Cignetti will again find ways to get the tight ends involved. And with a new quarterback and retooled offensive line, you can look for some short, safe passes this year to the tight end 'security blanket.' I think fans will be pleasantly surprised, even though it's almost a guarantee that there will be a decrease in production at that spot.

And Dion Lewis was called college football's most productive runner and a top five Heisman candidate by the Sporting News. The publication also ranked Pitt 19th and named Lewis, Jason Pinkston, Jonathan Baldwin, and Greg Romeus to its All American teams.