A floor exercise in front of thousands of fans may seem daunting to some, but it’s nothing for Livvy Dunne compared to the nerves she gets watching her boyfriend, star Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, on the mound.
In a video posted by Bleacher Report on Tuesday, the popular LSU gymnast said she gets more nervous when Skenes pitches than when she’s competing.
“I get more nervous watching Paul because it’s just different when you’re not doing it and you’re not in control,” Dunne said. “But I am confident in his abilities and I kinda channel those nerves into excitement for him.”
Dunne joked that she hoped the right-hander would be more nervous for her than himself when watching her compete before saying that she didn’t know how he’d feel.
“I honestly don’t know anyone that thinks the way he does. I genuinely don’t know what he would say,” she responded.
Dunne has been a frequent presence when Skenes has been pitching for the Pirates, showing up most recently at PNC Park on June 5 when he was on the mound against the star-studded Dodgers.
The Pirates won the game, 10-6, and Skenes struck out Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts.
The 21-year-old gymnastics star had previously gushed over her baseball-playing boyfriend in a TikTok video during a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition event.
“I cried,” Dunne said about the moment Skenes made his MLB debut in May. “I was just so proud of him and I know how hard he worked for that very moment and the work that he puts in everyday.
“I think he makes me a better athlete as well and a better person. I’m just so proud.”
Entering Tuesday, Skenes is 3-0 in five starts since being called up and has a 3.00 ERA along with 38 strikeouts to his name.
