Skenes was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 and is expected to make the major leagues this year

OLIVIA DUNNE shared a selfie with fans of her and star pitcher boyfriend Paul Skenes amid his incredible run.

Dunne and Skenes were the power couple of LSU athletics, and while the gymnast just finished her final year of college, Skenes is lighting it up in baseball’s minor leagues.

Olivia Dunne shared a picture on Instagram with her baseball boyfriend Paul SkenesCredit: Instagram/livvydunne

Paul Skenes is the top pitching prospect in MLB and is lighting up Triple ACredit: Getty
Dunne shared a selfie on her Instagram story featuring the couple in the car, apparently headed for a date night. They were dressed elegantly, with Skenes sporting a dress shirt and Dunne wearing a black dress.

Skenes doesn’t have much downtime, as the star pitcher is constantly under scrutiny from the Pittsburgh Pirates for a potential call-up to the big leagues. The LSU product is showcasing why he was the top pick in last year’s draft, dominating the competition in his first seven games.

So far this season, Skenes has pitched 27.1 innings, allowing only three earned runs while striking out an impressive 45 batters. It wasn’t until his seventh start in Triple-A that Skenes surrendered his first professional home run, a solo shot to Buffalo outfielder Will Robertson.

In that same game, Skenes allowed two runs for the first time this season, which raised his ERA, albeit to a still impressive 0.99. The Pirates are anticipated to bring Skenes up to their major league rotation at some point this season, but he needs to work on building his endurance first. Skenes has yet to throw more than 75 pitches in a start, and Sunday marked the first time he pitched on four days’ rest.

Nevertheless, the Pirates are pleased with his progress so far, and Skenes may not be far off from earning that call-up.

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“We talk about boxes being checked, and today would be another one,” Cherington told 93.7 The Fan.

“It’s the first time, as a professional … that he’ll be starting a game on four days’ rest.

“It may not seem like a big deal, but it is the first time it’ll happen, and it’s another box to check.

“He’s been checking just about every box since the season started and responding incredibly well.”

DUNNE AND SKENES’ SUMMER OF LOVE

Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes managed to keep their relationship a secret before finally going public last summer.

The pair met at LSU, but it’s not clear when they started dating.

Rumors of a romance began when Dunne watched LSU win the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska last summer.

And Dunne then posted selfies from Fort Myers in Florida, where Skenes was playing.

He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and began his pro career by playing in minor leagues in the Sunshine State.

The final clue came when Dunne posed in a Pirates cap before the pair finally went public.

Young pitching talent has been a specialty of the Pirates’ this year, with rookie Jared Jones having a hot start to his MLB career.

Jones has pitched 41 innings with a 2.63 ERA and 52 strikeouts.

Having Skenes and Jones at the top of the pitching rotation would be a formidable duo for the Pirates going forward.

They still need to figure out the hitting side of things, as their .224 team batting average is one of the worst in baseball.

Skenes is expected to be called up to the major leagues at some point this season