Introducing former Pitt baseball player Nick Parnell to the Cardiac Hill roster

“You picked Pitt? Seriously?!” That was my father’s response when I informed him of my big decision to pick Pitt as my 2007 National Champions in my March Madness bracket. That decision to pick Sam Young and the Panthers was the closest I had ever been to Pitt at the time. Born in Texas and growing up in Virginia, the Big East was not exactly the go-to conference on our living room TV. So, picking Jamie Dixon’s squad to run the table certainly came as a surprise to my all-things-ACC-loving father.

Fast forward a decade later, and I now consider myself the proudest Pitt man in the commonwealth of Virginia. Thanks to the Pitt baseball program recruiting me out of junior college, I had the privilege to don the navy blue and Vegas gold during Pitt’s first two seasons in the ACC. I say privilege, literally. Wearing PITT across my chest genuinely meant something more. Having the opportunity to represent a fantastic university in an outstanding city was a dream come true.

Though it was the final stage in my playing career, Pitt was only a single step in my baseball journey. After graduating, I moved home to work on the coaching staff at the University of Richmond. I then followed that post up with two stops in professional baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays, working in baseball operations and amateur scouting.

While I no longer watch baseball for a living, my admiration for Pitt and the baseball team specifically, still remains. I am coming to Cardiac Hill to provide a semi-insider’s point of view on the Pitt baseball team both leaning on my experience as a player and my time in professional baseball. Baseball in the ACC is truly a treat to watch, and my hope is that Pitt fans can see that and embrace it. I look forward to the opportunity to share my thoughts on Pitt’s play on the field, alums in the professional game, and more. Conference play starts this weekend and I am thrilled to to share stories and analysis on the season here with you. Hail to Pitt!