by: Luke Shevchik

PNC park during a pirates game. Photo submitted by: Paige Storkel

The city of Pittsburgh is known for its passionate sports fans who support their beloved teams through thick and thin. 

The Pirates and Steelers are two of the most iconic and storied franchises in the city. 

Up to the 2023 NFL draft, fans of the Steelers were excited to see what the team was planning.  

The Steelers had several draft picks, including the 11th overall pick in the first round. They selected Broderick Jones, an offensive tackle.       

“They needed an offensive tackle the most,” sophomore Jake Robl said. “I am very pleased with their draft picks, and amped for this upcoming season.” 

In the 2^nd round, the Steelers settled on Joey Porter, Jr., a cornerback from Penn State when people seemed to be very pleased about.  

Other draft picks included Keeanu Benton, a defensive tackle from Wisconsin later in the 2^nd round; Darnell Washington, a tight end from Georgia in the 3^rd round; Nick Herbig, a linebacker form Wisconsin in the 4^th round; Cory Trice, a cornerback from Purdue, and Spencer Anderson, an Offensive Tackle from Maryland, both in the 7^th round. 

Meanwhile, on the North Shore the Pirates have been taking care of business so far this season.  

The Pirates have faced some struggles in recent years, with a losing record in each of the previous five seasons.  

“I didn’t think we would be sitting in this position and playing this well,” senior Sam Spigarelli said. “Taking aside the losing streak recently, we have been playing fantastic.”  

The Pirates strolled through the month of April, winning 20 out of their first 28 games.  

The hot start had plenty to do with veterans like Carlos Santana, Bryan Renyolds and Pittsburgh’s fan favorite Andrew McCutchen playing above the radar.  

Additional assets include closing pitcher and Pittsburgh native David Bednar, along with the entire starting rotation.  

Mitch Keller has pitched eight games totaling 56 strikeouts, a 4-1 record and an ERA (earned run average) of 2.72.  

The outfield also includes some new faces with Connor Joe and Ji Wan Bae, who both have made extreme impacts for the team. 

Since the month of May the Pirates have entered a slump, dropping 10 of their last 12 games, taking them from a 20-9 record in April to a 22-19 record. With the Milwaukee Brewers sweeping Kansas City, the Pirates find themselves a game and half back of 1^{st place} in the NL Central division as of this writing.  

The Buccos look to catch fire again with a two-set stand coming up with the Detroit Tigers after a dominating 4-0-win to avoid the sweep in Baltimore, while the Steelers look ahead to the new season with hopes of returning to the playoffs.