A former Major League catcher with Pittsburgh roots is returning to the region in a different role than usual.
Per Kendall Rogers of D1 Baseball, Devin Mesoraco will join the staff for the Pittsburgh Panthers baseball team as a volunteer assistant.
Mesoraco was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1st Round (15th overall) of the 2007 MLB Draft. He made his major-league debut on September 3, 2011.
An abundance of injuries hampered Mesoraco's time in Cincinnati. Over parts of eight seasons (2011-2018) with the Reds, Mesoraco never reached more than 400 at-bats in a season.
Mesoraco's career year came in 2014, when he earned a National League All-Star appearance. That season, Mesoraco hit a career best .273 with 25 home runs and 80 runs batted in. His 25 homeruns were 8th most in the National League.
About a month into the 2018 season, on May 8, Mesoraco was traded to the New York Mets in exchange for pitcher Matt Harvey. In less than one full season in Queens, Mesoraco hit .222 with 10 home runs and 30 runs batted in.
Mesoraco made his last Major League appearance on September 29, 2018.
In 16 games prior to the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2020 season, Pitt went 10-6 with an 0-3 record in Atlantic Coast Conference play. The university has not reached the NCAA Tournament since 1995.
Mesoraco is a native of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, located about 75 miles from downtown Pittsburgh.
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