Kent State University
University of Pittsburgh
Golden Flashes Head to Pittsburgh for Non-Conference Rematch
4/28/2026 8:08:00 PM | Baseball
KENT, Ohio – Kent State baseball hits the road for a non-conference midweek contest at Pittsburgh on Wednesday, April 29. The Golden Flashes enter at 31-11 overall and 17-7 in MAC play, the best winning percentage in the conference and 15th-best in the nation at .738.Â
Last Time Out Against Pittsburgh
The first meeting at Schoonover Stadium on March 17 wasn't close. Pittsburgh jumped out to a 5-0 lead after a five-run second inning that chased Gavin Jones after just 1.2 innings, and the Panthers put the game away with an eight-run eighth, capped by a Jackson Cooke pinch-hit grand slam as the Panthers won 13-4. Antonio Doganiero was dominant over seven innings, and the Flashes were never able to generate consistent offense against a Pittsburgh staff that had complete control for most of the afternoon.
Kent State by the Numbers
The Flashes are scoring 8.1 runs per game, second in the MAC and 35th nationally, while hitting .288 as a team with 53 home runs, 231 walks, and 103 stolen bases. Ripken Reese (.321, nine HR, 38 RBI) and Sawyer Solitaria (.317, 12 HR, 37 RBI, .444 OBP) give the lineup a genuine one-two punch, while Brody Williams (.299, seven HR, 39 RBI), Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe (.292, 31 RBI), Alejandro Covas (.314, 15 SB), and Brady Marshall (.279, .453 OBP) round out one of the MAC's deepest lineups. On the mound, Kent State leads the MAC in ERA (4.76), WHIP (1.34), and hits allowed per nine innings (8.34).
Pittsburgh Is One of the Most Dangerous Offenses in the Country
The Panthers rank first nationally in walks drawn (306), fifth in home runs (86), and second in scoring (9.5 runs per game). Lorenzo Carrier is the centerpiece, batting .400 with 16 home runs, 57 RBI, and a .563 on-base percentage that ranks third in the nation. Caden Dulin (.364, 11 HR, .636 SLG), Sebastian Pisacreta (.292, 13 HR, 43 RBI), AJ Nessler (.337, six HR, 35 RBI), and Carter Dierdorf (.299, nine HR, .506 OBP) give Pittsburgh a lineup with legitimate threats in every spot. The Panthers have hit 86 home runs from nine different contributors.
Pittsburgh's pitching staff carries a 5.69 ERA and has allowed opponents to score 401 runs, suggesting Kent State's offense can get to their arms if it works counts and extends innings the way it couldn't in the first meeting.
First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. Eastern.
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