What had long-been suspected has finally been made official.
Paul Skenes, the #1 pick in this year’s MLB draft, is dating LSU gymnast and internet sensation Olivia Dunne.
The relationship was publicly made official when the two attended a recent LSU football game together. It was their first public appearance as a couple.
Skenes, the new Pittsburgh Pirate is expected to be one of the best pitchers in all of baseball soon. He was dominant at LSU leading the Tigers to this year’s national championship.
He spent his abbreviated professional season in the minors – but is expected to develop into one of the best pitchers in all of baseball one day soon.
He took to Instagram to show-off his new girlfriend, captioning a photo of them: “Back in the boot!” – a nod to their shared adopted home of Louisiana.
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In response, Dunne, who recently began her senior year at LSU, expressed her affection with a simple yet heartfelt comment, writing, “My [heart].”
During a recent interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Skenes spoke of the challenges of being in the spotlight as a high-profile couple.
“It can be a pain in the butt sometimes, to be honest, in terms of actually going somewhere. If one of us went out in Baton Rouge by ourselves, there’s probably gonna be someone there asking for something – picture, autograph, whatever,” he said.
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Skenes also expressed his desire for Dunne to be able to enjoy his games without the pressures of fame.
“It’s nice to be able to have that conversation. She does get it. I do wish she could come to a baseball game and just enjoy it. It does irk me. I don’t have any control over it. She really doesn’t either. I’m sure it’ll get better as I go up levels, but that’s something I want for her,” he said.
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Dunne has gained recognition as the NCAA’s highest-earning female athlete, boasting an NIL valuation of $3.2 million, according to On3 Sports.
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Meanwhile, the 21-year-old Skenes achieved a significant milestone in his baseball career when he was promoted to the Pirates Double-A affiliate, the Altoona Curve, in August.
He has been as advertised thus far and routinely hit triple digits on the radar gun throughout the summer.
Olivia Dunne is dating the MLB 2023 #1 overall pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skenes pic.twitter.com/6HjmIo6fjt
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) August 20, 2023
Unfortunately, Skenes’ promising first season was cut short when he was transferred to the Development List earlier this month, marking the end of his rookie year.
However, Pitsburgh knows exactly what they have in him. They clearly want to protect his arm as best they can as they groom him for the Majors.
As their respective careers continue to rise, Skenes and Dunne’s relationship appears to be growing stronger.
Let’s see if they can make it…
