Ever since Olivia Dunne retired from gymnastics in 2025, she has regularly been seen in MLB stands as Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes’ number one fan. And it might be the reason for Paul’s strong performances. In fact, Skenes recently recorded a career-best control run of 39 consecutive innings without issuing a walk. Interestingly, the growing attention around that success is possible because of Dunne’s “little superstitious” method of cheering for him during games.

Recently, Dunne appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she spoke openly about her relationship with Skenes and the emotions she feels while watching him pitch live. The couple first met during their time at Louisiana State University, when Dunne was starring in gymnastics and Skenes was making a name for himself in baseball. They have been dating since August 2023, but even after nearly three years together, Dunne admitted she still becomes extremely nervous during his games.

To deal with that anxiety, Olivia Dunne revealed she relies on a funny little routine during games. She shared “I usually wear an aura ring, and it tells me I’m going to explode and die every single time I watch him.” The former gymnast then explained that she also follows a superstitious cheering ritual every single game. According to Dunne, she feels the need to scream “Let’s go, Paul!” before every pitch Skenes throws.

“So I have to scream before every single pitch at the top of my lungs, ‘Let’s go, Paul!’ And everybody around me is kind of like, ‘What is wrong with this girl?’”

Olivia Dunne also joked about how exhausting that routine becomes during a full outing from the Pirates ace. Referencing Pittsburgh’s 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies the previous night, she pointed out that a pitcher can throw close to 100 pitches in a game. “100 pitches, and I would scream 100 times,” she added.

The relationship between the two athletes has continued to draw attention from sports fans online, especially as Skenes’ MLB career keeps rising. Dunne has also been part of several memorable moments in his baseball journey. Before Skenes made his MLB debut, she gifted a black Gucci tie, which later became something of a lucky item for the pitcher. Skenes later revealed that he now saves the tie for “special events,” including the All-Star Game and potentially the postseason.

But the support between the two has always gone both ways!

Paul Skenes stood by Olivia Dunne through her career transition

While Olivia Dunne became one of Paul Skenes’ biggest supporters in the MLB stands, Skenes also made time for her during their college years at LSU. Whenever his baseball schedule allowed, he was often seen attending LSU gymnastics meets and cheering Dunne on from the stands.

Their relationship wasn’t always easy to deal with while in college! Skenes was pitching Friday nights for LSU baseball; meanwhile, Dunne was constantly traveling for gymnastics meets and appearances. Skenes caught her meetings when schedules aligned; she made his Friday night starts.

Olivia Dunne’s final years in gymnastics were also emotionally challenging. Before retiring, she revealed she dealt with an avulsion fracture in her kneecap while facing the reality that her gymnastics career was coming to an end. During that period, Skenes stayed by her side as she handled recovery, retirement emotions, growing public attention, and her transition into modeling and acting opportunities.

That support has continued into Dunne’s growing media career as well. Recently, Dunne revealed that Skenes was fully supportive of her work with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. Speaking to People, she shared that she texted him after her latest SI Swimsuit photos were released.

“I texted him. I was like, ‘Hey, the SI photos are out.’ And he’s like, ‘Where can I see them?’” Olivia Dunne said while laughing. “I was like, ‘Just look at everything.’ He loved it. Yeah, he loved it. He always does.” Dunne, who became one of SI Swimsuit’s cover stars in Bermuda in 2025, also spoke about how meaningful the experience has been for her.

The superstitious game-day rituals and the loud support, Olivia Dunne, are slowly making their way into Skenes’ days on and off the field as he continues his journey of rising through MLB.