Olivia Dunne, a famous LSU Tigers gymnast and social media star, took to Instagram to express her excitement and pride in her boyfriend Paul Skenes’ performance during Spring Training with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The rookie pitcher and No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft showed off his skills by throwing a 102 mph fastball followed by a transition to an 88 mph pitch. Skenes retired three consecutive batters against the Baltimore Orioles.
"Something slight," Dunne posted on her Instagram story.
Dunne’s Instagram story showcased Skenes’ skill on the mound. Heston Kjerstad, who was hitting for the Orioles, was up against the young pitcher.
Skenes showed off his control and strength by retiring Kjerstad with a flyout after throwing for more than 100 miles per hour. Skenes also retired Jackson Holliday, the Orioles’ leadoff hitter and the first pick in the 2022 draft, via groundout.
The prospect kept up his great outing by playing All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman and getting a deep flyout to right field. That ended an amazing 1-2-3 debut inning for Paul Skenes.
The Pirates lost to the Orioles in a future-talents matchup despite Paul Skenes' heroics
The Pittsburgh Pirates lost to the Baltimore Orioles 9-8 despite Skenes’ impressive outing.
The former No. 1 MLB draft picks had a superb game, which added to the excitement for baseball fans. Skenes pitched six and two-thirds innings while giving up four earned runs and striking out ten players.
Fans of Skenes and Olivia Dunne, who has approximately eight million TikTok followers, praised the pitcher’s abilities and the exciting showdown between bright new talents.
As Skenes continues to make waves in spring training, baseball fans cannot wait for the flamethrowing right-hander to make his MLB debut, which, according to analysts, could come as early as this season.