Olivia Dunne Learns About Paul Skene’s Post MLB Plans Involving Military Service

Olivia Dunne shares what her boyfriend MLB star Paul Skenes will do after his MLB career and it is related to the military.

By Blesson Daniel

Updated on May 23, 2024 | 07:31 PM IST | 131.4K

Olivia Dunne with Bf Paul Skenes [Credit-Instagram@livvydunne]

In this Article

Paul Skenes’ military motivation comes from his family roots
Paul Skenes has gained high praise since his MLB debut

Olivia Dunne's MLB superstar boyfriend, Paul Skenes, will most likely serve in the military once his professional career ends. The 21-year-old pitcher has had an electric start to his MLB career after the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him first overall in last year's draft, with 18 strikeouts in only 10 innings.

Paul Skenes’ military motivation comes from his family roots

Skenes' life may have been drastically different, as the Pirates star pitcher had a strong military history. He opted to attend the Air Force Academy because he had two uncles who were in the Navy and one in the Coast Guard. Skenes aspired to be an F-16 pilot and grieved when he moved from the Air Force Academy to LSU following his sophomore year.

Skenes went on to be the Pirates' first-round choice in the 2023 MLB Draft, but it's probable he'll join the military to serve the United States when his playing career is finished. His girlfriend, Dunne, a top gymnast at LSU, had learned about the development via his old coach, Mike Kazlausky.

"He didn't want to leave," Kazlausky told The Times-Picayune. "The Department of Defense at the time could not come up with a great solution for Paul to be able to be a professional athlete right after his junior year. He will serve his country in some manner moving forward. It's just going to be a matter of when. Paul and I have spoken about that piece. We'll get him back in the military once his professional playing days are over. It's a big deal for Paul to be able to serve our country."

Paul Skenes has gained high praise since his MLB debut

The pitching sensation has been dominating in Major League Baseball, with his girlfriend Dunne watching from the stands. "It's not easy to pitch ever, regardless of the circumstances," Skenes said. "But it's always easier to pitch when you have fastball command because you have to have that."

Skenes even received compliments from Cubs manager Craig Counsell. He said, "Today he stuck with basically the two pitches; the fastball and the sinker, split, whatever you want to call it. And the split was really good, and they were competitive every single time really. There's enough velocity difference on those two pitches that it makes it really difficult."

Dunne has stated that whether Skenes enters the military or not, she is proud of her boyfriend. "I have so many amazing memories with him but I know how hard he has worked for this moment," added Dunne. "Seriously, there's nothing that can top this, I'm just so proud."

Skenes made an impressive big league debut, striking out the first two hitters he faced: Mike Tauchman with a 100.9 mph four-seam fastball and Seiya Suzuki with an 84.2 mph slider. After walking Cody Bellinger, he retired Christopher Morel with a flyout to deep center to end the first inning without scoring.