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Olivia Dunne was over the moon for her boyfriend, Paul Skenes, as the top prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization was called up to the big leagues after less than a year in the minors.
Skenes got the call on Wednesday as he dominated at Triple-A Indianapolis in his first few starts. The Pirates selected Skenes with the No. 1 pick in the MLB Draft last year.
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Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes are in a relationship. (Getty Images)
Dunne and Skenes revealed their couple status late last year, and the LSU gymnast has been teasing in recent days that the pitcher would get called up. She posted a video on TikTok about how they found out he was getting the call to the major league mound.
“POV: you both wake up from a nap and find out he’s in the MLB,” she screen-capped her clip.
“… here we go,” she added on her Instagram Stories.
He did make that start against the Buffalo Bisons on Monday, but it did not go according to plan. Skenes gave up his first home run of the year to Will Robertson, though he ended up striking out four batters and being pulled after 66 pitches.
Still, the Pirates like what they see.
Olivia Dunne of the LSU Tigers looks on before a meet against the Florida Gators at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on Feb. 23, 2024 in Gainesville, Florida. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
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“He’s been checking just about every box since the season started and responding incredibly well,” Pirates GM Ben Cherington told Audacy’s 93.7 “The Fan” on Sunday.
Skenes has been mowing down the competition at Triple-A and owned a 0.99 ERA over his first seven starts despite Monday’s hiccup.
Skenes has given up just 17 hits over 27.1 innings with three earned runs allowed. He has also struck out 45 batters while walking eight.
Not only is Skenes the Pirates’ top prospect, but MLB.com has him ranked the No. 3 prospect in all baseball after he finished with a 13-2 record during LSU’s College World Series run in 2023. He was a shoo-in to be drafted first overall by the Pirates, and they gave him a record $9.2 million signing bonus when he inked his first contract.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, #30, warms up before the fourth inning of the spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays at CoolToday Park in North Port, Florida, on March 3, 2024. (Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports)
So, it will not just be Pirates fans looking out for May 11 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. All of baseball will be watching to see how Skenes performs on the biggest stage in the sport.
Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
