Olivia Dunne went through a mix of emotions while watching her boyfriend, Pirates top prospect Paul Skenes pitch against the Orioles on Thursday.
The LSU star gymnast — who took in the game from Louisiana, where the Tigers have a home meet on Friday — shared a TikTok video of her nervously watching the Spring Breakout prospects exhibition game while streaming it on her laptop with the caption: “Watching my boyfriend pitch like.”
Dunne, who leaned anxiously over a couch, cheered for Skenes when he appeared to strike out a Baltimore batter.
“This batter is good,” she said. “I’m nervous… Come on, Paul! Woo!”
The 21-year-old gymnast then pointed at the screen and gushed, “He’s happy I can tell.”
Things took a turn at the end of the video.
Dunne, a top NIL earner and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model, put her hands on her head in frustration and dropped her head into her arms.
The Orioles topped the Pirates, 5-2, in the spring training outing, but 21-year-old Skenes had an impressive outing.
The No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft struck out the O’s No. 6 prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. — and then Jackson Holliday, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, while throwing 100-plus mph heaters.
Dunne also shared a video of Skenes striking out Bradfield with the caption, “slayed that.”
Dunne and the Lady Tigers will compete at home in their last regular season meet against North Carolina on Friday before the start of the SEC Championships on March 23.
“Let’s go Bucs!” Dunne wrote in her caption, including the hashtag #girlfriend.
The MLB commented with: “Your computer is too big how’d you get that thing through the door,” to which Dunne replied, “a forklift.”
The Pirates added, “Let’s go Bucs” with a yellow heart emoji.
Skenes, who led the Tigers to a national championship during the 2023 College World Series, will start his 2024 season in the minors.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington informed the right-hander last week, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Cherington did not say if Skenes will start the season with Triple-A Indianapolis or Double-A Altoona.
The Pirates like what they’ve seen out of Skenes in spring training and are impressed with his maturity, but the club wants to see him adjust to a professional schedule before adding him to the rotation.
