Poll: Will Pitt Win The Coastal Division

Other than their series against the Florida State Seminoles, the Pittsburgh Panthers (22-16-1, 11-6) have won every series against an ACC opponent this season. With just two series against a conference opponent remaining (Virginia Cavaliers and Louisville Cardinals), will Pitt be able to capture the Coastal Division?

The Panthers are currently in second place in the division with the North Carolina Tar Heels occupying first place with a record of 12-5 in ACC games. Two of those loses came at the hands of Pitt while in Chapel Hill, NC in the middle of last month; the Panthers won the series 2-1.

So what road blocks does Pitt face in their quest to win the division, if any?

You’d like to think they have a good chance of sweeping Virginia this weekend. The Cavaliers are 3-15 in conference play and currently last, not only in the division, but in the entire ACC. The Panthers have yet to sweep any conference opponent; they did go 2-0 against the Virginia Tech Hokies but the third game was cancelled due to weather.

Louisville seemingly presents more of a challenge. They are 7-7 in the Atlantic Division, but are 27-14 on the season. Both of those series will be played at Vartabedian Field in Pittsburgh where the team is 4-2, so perhaps that will be an advantage for Pitt.

Of course, if North Carolina wins out then it won’t really matter how well the Panthers due as far as the division is concerned. They finish the season on the road against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets then the Syracuse Orange. Neither is a cakewalk, but Georgia Tech is the only team of the two to boast a winning record against ACC opponents.

With all that said, how do you think Pitt will finish the season?