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Pitt’s Myers, Popa, Duff and Yanni Make Up Record-Breaking All-ACC Class

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Pitt baseball landed four players on the 2021 All-ACC third team, which was announced on Monday afternoon, marking a new program record. Fifth-year senior outfielder Nico Popa, starting pitcher Mitch Myers and infielders David Yanni and Sky Duff made up the milestone crop of Panthers on the all-conference team.

Pitt sits in a seven-way tie for second in players named to All-ACC teams with Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami and Notre Dame. NC State led the conference by landing seven players on the all-conference teams. Virginia and Wake Forest earned three selections and Virginia Tech had one. 

Myers was one of the league’s premier starting pitchers. He finished fourth in the ACC in ERA (3.17), sixth in innings pitched (76.2) and ninth in strikeouts (78). Myers was undeniably the ace for the 2021 Panthers, leading the weekend starters in ERA, WHIP and opponent batting average while finishing the regular season second in wins. 

The highlight of his season came early, when he outdueled the eventual ACC Pitcher of the Year Parker Messick of Florida State on February 26. Myers shutout the then-No. 9 Seminoles over six innings, striking out 13 and leading the Panthers to a 2-0 win.   

Duff was a stalwart leadoff hitter in his third  Pitt. He currently holds a .365 batting average — good for fourth in the conference — and an on-base percentage of .462 — the fifth highest mark in the ACC. Duff led the Pitt offense in both categories. He also posted career-highs in home-runs (2), hits (57), runs scored (33), and slugging percentage (.532).

Popa, a Pittsburgh native and do-it-all right fielder, ended his final regular season as a Panther with a .316 average, a single-season-high nine home runs and an error-less record in the field. In five seasons, he committed a total of just six errors, four of which came during his freshman season. Popa — an All-ACC second team honoree in 2019 — is the only Panther to ever earn All-ACC distinction twice. 

Yanni, like Popa, is approaching the end of his career at Pitt, but has already cemented his name in program record books. Yanni will leave Oakland as the Pitt leader in games played (222), starts (211) and walks (146). This season, he led the Panthers in home runs (12) and slugging percentage (.616). 

Pitt travels to Charlotte this week for the ACC Tournament. They will play North Carolina on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and NC State on Thursday at the same time. Both games will be available to stream on ACC Network Extra.

Sandy Schall, Coldwell Banker
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