Jerry DiPaola stories, Page 133
Pirates officially tab Oscar Marin as pitching coach
Oscar Marin, who has been a pitching instructor at many levels since 2010, was officially named Pittsburgh Pirates pitching coach Tuesday morning by general manager Ben Cherington. Marin, 37, spent last season as the bullpen coach with the Texas Rangers. He served the Seattle Mariners in 2017 and 2018 as...
2 tight ends announce plans to transfer to Pitt
Pitt received a double dose of good news Monday for one of its biggest roster deficiencies when junior college tight end Daniel Moraga said he plans to enroll next year. He joins Florida graduate transfer tight end Lucas Krull, who made a verbal commitment to Pitt earlier in the day....
Jeff Capel declines to get specific about interruption in Pitt-Duquesne series
For the second week in a row, Duquesne received one voting point (25th) in the Associated Press poll. But the undefeated Dukes (9-0) won’t get a chance to test themselves against their neighbors 2 miles up Forbes Avenue. The old rivals, who have met 87 times, aren’t playing each other...
Trey McGowens comes off bench, helps Pitt rally past Northern IllinoisVideo
The best coaches know what buttons to push to ignite their players. They can sense when to do it, and just as importantly, how to do it. Pitt’s Jeff Capel figured that out over the past few days and decided to bench starting sophomore guard Trey McGowens at the beginning...
Pirates’ Gregory Polanco will be OK for spring training, but shoulder will need monitoring
Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Gregory Polanco’s extended recovery from shoulder surgery continues, but he should have no restrictions when he reports to spring training. But that doesn’t mean his shoulder problems are finished. Todd Tomczyk, the Pirates’ director of sports medicine, said Polanco’s shoulder will require regular management, possibly including...
Pitt receives commitment from graduate transfer tight end Lucas Krull of Florida
In Pitt’s continuing search for tight ends, coach Pat Narduzzi on Monday landed a verbal commitment from Lucas Krull, a graduate transfer from Florida. Krull (6-foot-6, 257 pounds) was a backup tight end at Florida the past two seasons, totaling nine receptions for 108 yards. He also completed a 15-yard...
NCAA women’s volleyball Final Four opens Thursday at PPG Paints Arena
Four of the top women’s volleyball teams in the nation will be in Pittsburgh this week to compete for the NCAA Division I championship, beginning Thursday at PPG Paints Arena. Baylor, Wisconsin, Minnesota and defending champion Stanford qualified for the volleyball Final Four by advancing through the first four rounds...
Penguins’ Jack Johnson takes quiet approach to wearing ‘A’
Veteran defenseman Jack Johnson said he has been honored to wear the letter ‘A’ on his Pittsburgh Penguins jersey as an alternate captain while Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Brian Dumoulin and Patric Hornqvist have been injured or ill. “It’s always an honor to wear a letter on an NHL jersey,”...
Penguins’ Bryan Rust shooting, scoring at a quicker paceVideo
Bryan Rust has no need to apologize for shooting more often this season. He fills a void on a Pittsburgh Penguins roster that has been depleted by injuries. Plus, he makes a good point when he says, “This year, I may have shot the puck more than I have in...
Duquesne’s Keith Dambrot enjoys membership in the fraternity of the undefeatedVideo
Duquesne is off to its best start in 48 years, thanks in large part to a defense that is allowing an average of 56.9 points per game (11th in the nation). That’s a distinct improvement over coach Keith Dambrot’s first two years at Duquesne. The Dukes, who have yet to...
While in Akron, Duquesne will visit school founded and funded by LeBron James
When Duquesne travels to Akron’s Ellet High School on Saturday to play Radford, the game’s final score and what happens between the whistles will matter. And not just because the Dukes (8-0) are one of five undefeated teams left in college basketball. The video Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot will carry...
4-star running back prospect Henry Parrish decommits from Pitt
One week before early signing day, Pitt lost one of its top targets in recruiting Wednesday when running back Henry Parrish said he is no longer committed to the Panthers. Parrish, rated a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, rushed for 2,319 yards and 31 touchdowns this season for Christopher Columbus High...
Penguins’ Chad Ruhwedel provides steady presence on defense
Thanks in no small part to goaltender Tristan Jarry’s recent efforts, the Pittsburgh Penguins have allowed only 85 goals in 31 games. But don’t ignore the defensemen’s contributions. Only two Eastern Conference teams, the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins, have surrendered fewer goals this season, and the Penguins have...
Eastern Michigan ‘fired up’ to meet Pitt in Quick Lane Bowl
Chris Creighton, the football coach at Eastern Michigan, was speaking to about 300 people at his team’s banquet Sunday night when the words “Quick Lane Bowl” appeared on his phone. When he relayed the good news to the crowd, “The place went nuts,” he said. “I mean, it went nuts.”...
Penguins get face-off practice assist from Matt Cullen
Matt Cullen was back at practice Wednesday with the Pittsburgh Penguins but with no intention of making a comeback at the age of 43. At the request of coach Mike Sullivan, Cullen conducted face-off practice, a job he occasionally has performed throughout the season. “It’s an area of the game...
NCAA D-II soccer championships coming to Highmark Stadium
Eight soccer teams from seven states will be in Pittsburgh to compete for the NCAA Division II soccer championships beginning Thursday at Highmark Stadium. The men’s and women’s semifinals are 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Thursday. The finals are noon and 3 p.m. Saturday. This is...
PiratesFest date finalized for PNC Park
PiratesFest will return to PNC Park on Jan. 25, with autograph sessions — free and otherwise — and appearances by team executives and past and present players. The all-day event will include several activities for season-ticket holders and others, beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing until 5 p.m. Admission is...
Duquesne crushes Columbia, improves to 8-0 for the first time in 48 yearsVideo
If he believes it’s necessary, Keith Dambrot will scream at his team like an angry parent. Five minutes later, Duquesne’s coach will sit, chat and joke with reporters like he’s known them for years. (Sometimes even after a loss.) Duquesne is 8-0 for the first time in 48 years after...
Pitt defensive back Therran Coleman enters transfer portal
Defensive back Therran Coleman, who made his only indelible mark on the Pitt football program when he intercepted a pass to nail down an overtime victory against Syracuse in 2018, decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal. Coleman, a Brashear graduate, played sparingly throughout his four seasons at Pitt, splitting...
Pitt lands berth in Quick Lane Bowl, will play Eastern MichiganVideo
Pitt found out Sunday night just how damaging two late-season losses can be to a team’s bowl hopes. The Panthers accepted an invitation to the Quick Lane Bowl where they will play Eastern Michigan at 8 p.m. Dec. 26 at Ford Field in Detroit. Eastern Michigan (6-6, 3-5) finished in...
Pitt women advance in NCAA volleyball tournament in straight-sets win against HowardVideo
A year ago, the Pitt women’s volleyball team won its first-round match in the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers matched that achievement Friday night, easily eliminating Howard with their 21st straight-sets victory in front of a crowd of 1,631 at Petersen Events Center. The 25-9, 25-21, 25-14 victory was one of...
Jeff Capel labels Pitt’s game against No. 1 Louisville ‘amazing opportunity’Video
Pitt coach Jeff Capel understands playing the No. 1 team in the nation matters to any team at any time. “It’s an amazing opportunity for us, and we’re excited about it,” Capel said Thursday before joining his Pitt team on a trip to Louisville to play the No. 1 and...
Pirates manager Derek Shelton’s path guided by ‘hard-nosed’ competitivenessVideo
Ron and Kathy Shelton never needed a babysitter. Almost from the first day he could stand, young Derek always was next to his dad, who was a prominent high school baseball and basketball coach in Illinois for 25 years. “That was our babysitter, the ball,” Derek Shelton said. Ron Shelton...
New Pirates manager Derek Shelton unafraid of fans’ expectationsVideo
When Derek Shelton was a college and minor league catcher, he was not afraid of home-plate collisions. So handling Pittsburgh Pirates fans’ dissatisfaction with the recent past is an issue he said he’s willing to confront. Shelton, 49, was introduced Wednesday as the 41st manager in Pirates history, but the...
Pitt honors Brandin Knight upon his return to the Pete
Former Pitt All-American point guard Brandin Knight returned to Petersen Events Center on Tuesday night as a Rutgers assistant, and was greeted with a video tribute during the Panthers’ 71-60 victory. Knight, one of only four Pitt players to have their jersey (No. 20) retired, was a four-year starter during...
