They are the baseball love story. He, Paul Skenes, the fastest rising pitching star in the game. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ rookie of the year and a top finisher for baseball’s top pitching award, the Cy Young.
She, Olivia Dunne is about as famous as he is. A current member of the LSU Tigers women’s gymnastics team, influencer and internet personality. She is also a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. She’s got more than five million followers on instagram.
Boy Meets Girl at LSU
How’d they meet? Dunne explained to rapper and basketball player Flau’jae Johnson on her “Best of Both Worlds” podcast.
“I was like, ‘There he is. He’s cute.’ He didn’t even have a mustache yet,” Dunne said.
It turns out that Skenes best friend was dating Dunne’s roommate and presto. So when she showed up at one of his games wearing a shirt with his number on it, the cat was sort of out of the bag.
Finally with rumors swirling, Skenes came clean. The world would find out about the two being one when he told everyone in an August 2023 interview with the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette.
Skenes Has New Pitches
Paul Skenes, Fastball & Cutter Overlay.
Why that NEW Cutter makes hitting even more unfair. pic.twitter.com/pWUIpOAFe3
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 2, 2025
So, one of baseball’s best pitchers is getting even better. And where did he learn this new cut fastball? Well according to Dunne, she taught it to him, says right there on her instagram account. Who am I to argue?
He’s actually come to spring training with more than one new pitch, no word if she had a hand in helping him learn the other. Baseball better watch out if she goes back into her pitch factory next off season and comes up with even more!
