Livvy Dunne Plays April Fool's Prank on Pirates' Paul Skenes
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes and LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne still find ways to enjoy each other's company, despite not always being together during their respective seasons.
Dunne posted a TikTok, where she showed her private Snapchat story, as she put up for sale Skenes' stuff while moving out.
Some of this included his XXL All-Star Game shirt for $10, his personalized Pirates mitt for $50, his size 15 Jordans shoes for $15, a fire pit for $50, a vinyl of the Red album from Taylor Swift for $20, his XXL Air Force camoflauge bomber jacket for $20.
Skenes, in a text to Dunne that she put in the TikTok, showed him asking if he had to buy all of his stuff back. Dunne replied, jokingly, that it was April Fool's Day, as she was pulling a prank on him.
He replied that he didn't know it was April Fool's Day, that he liked her prank and that it was "better than the oil rig thing."
Skenes and Dunne both started dating each other back at LSU and the two have been inseparable ever since.
Dunne is also the most followed NCAA athlete on social media, including 5.3 million followers on Instagram and eight million followers on Tik Tok.
She is also in her fifth season with LSU gymnastics, where she helped LSU win their first National Title in the 2023-24 season, as well as setting a career-high of 9.900 on floor twice. She also spent time o the U.S. National Team back in 2017.
Dunne has also played a role in LSU having another great year in 2025, as they are 18-2 overall and won their third SEC Regular Season Title, sharing it with Oklahoma, as well as their sixth/back-to-back SEC Tournament Title.
She will head to the NCAA Regionals at University Park, Pa., with Penn State hosting, just a two-and-half-hour drive away from Skenes in Pittsburgh.
LSU will compete amongst No. 16 Arkansas, Michigan, Maryland and West Virginia in the Second Round on April 3 and then the top two teams will face off in the Regional Final on April 5.
Skenes starred at LSU in 2023, after transferring from Air Force. He had a 13-2 record in 19 starts, 1.69 ERA in 122.2 innings pitched, gave up just 23 earned runs and seven earned runs, while notching 209 strikeouts to just 20 walks, leading the program to a national title that season.
He would enter the 2023 MLB Draft, where the Pirates took him with the No. 1 overall pick. He also signed with the franchise on a $9.2 million signing bonus, the highest ever given to a player at the time.
Skenes dominated in the minor leagues and soon made it up to the majors on May 11 of the 2024 season.
He started 23 games, had a 1.96 ERA in 133 innings, allowed just 29 earned runs, 94 hits, six home runs and 32 walks, while recording 170 strikeouts and holding opposing hitting to a .198 batting average. He also had a 11.50 K/9 and a WHIP of 0.95.
He was the first member of the Pirates to start for the National League in the All-Star Game since Jerry Reuss did it in 1975, 49 years ago. He was also just the fifth rookie to start an All-Star game, with Hideo Nomo of the Los Angeles Dodgers last doing so before him in 1995, en route to winning NL Rookie of the Year.
Skenes also made the All-MLB First Team for his performance in 2024, won NL Rookie of the Year and was a finalist for the NL Cy Young Award.
He had a solid outing on Opening Day against the Miami Marlins on March 27, with seven strikeouts while allowing just three hits and two walks for two earned runs over 94 pitches in 5 1/3 innings of work.
Skenes will make his second start vs. the Tampa Bay Rays on April 2, with first pitch set for 1:05 p.m.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.