University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Four Panthers Earn All-Big East Honors
5/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 11, 2011
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--The University of Pittsburgh softball team set another record this evening, as four Panthers earned their first-ever All-Big East honors. Those recognized on the All-Big East second team were senior Reba Tutt, junior Kelly Hmiel and sophomore Holly Stevens, while senior Alyssa O'Connell garnered third team accolades.
This is the first time Pitt (34-16, 13-8 Big East) has had four players named all-conference selections, which exceeds the three Panthers that collected Big East nods in 2008.
"We have had a season full of records-breaking performances," Head Coach Holly Aprile said. "Four All-Big East selections is a reflection of all the hard work this team has put into this season. All of our time and energy is paying off."
Tutt has rewritten Pitt's record book this season. The centerfielder's 47 runs scored, six triples and 35 walks are current single-season records. Additionally, Tutt's 15 doubles are the second-most by a Panther. Her six triples lead the Big East and are ranked sixth overall among the NCAA.
During her career, Tutt has scored 147 runs and walked 101 times, which are both all-time career records. She also ranks among the top five with 14 triples (second), 69 stolen bases (second to outfielder Ashley Amistade), 21 home runs (second) and 176 hits (fourth). She has a personal-best .327 batting average with 24 RBI in her final season at Pitt.
In just her first season with the Panthers, Hmiel collected 50 RBI to set the single-season standard. The third baseman leads the team with a .446 batting average in league play and 56 hits, 15 home runs and a .796 slugging percentage on the year. Her 15 homers tied the program's single-season record, led the Big East and rank 35th in the NCAA.
Earlier this season, Hmiel was named the Buccaneer Classic MVP after hitting .824 with six home runs and 16 RBI in five games during the tournament. As a result she was named both the NFCA Player of the Week and Big East Player of the Week on March 14.
Serving as the steady presence behind the plate, Stevens caught all 50 games for Pitt this season. She holds a .331 batting average with 50 hits, 42 RBI and eight home runs as the third batter in the lineup. Defensively she has a .985 fielding percentage with 249 putouts.
Tutt, Hmiel and Stevens have combined to score 104 runs this season, which is 44 percent of the team's offense. Additionally, the 116 runs they have driven in are 58 percent of the runs scored.
On the mound, O'Connell led the Panthers to their school-record 14th shutout victory in the final regular-season series on May 7. That win also tied the single-season mark for individual shutouts, giving the tri-captain her seventh of the year. O'Connell paced the team with 15 wins and 110 strikeouts.
O'Connell was named Big East Pitcher of the Week on March 14 after yielding zero runs over 10 innings in the Buccaneer Classic. She was also mentioned on the conference's weekly honor roll on April 26.
The Big East Tournament begins on Thursday, May 12, when the Panthers and Syracuse meet in a 10 a.m. contest at Ulmer Stadium. A free, live stream of the quarterfinals can be accessed via a link at www.pittsburghpanthers.com.
All-BIG EAST First Team^
P Laura Winter, Notre Dame
P Sara Nevins, USF
P Jenna Caira, Syracuse
C Alexia Clay, Notre Dame
1B Alicja Wolny, Louisville
2B Katie Keller, Louisville
3B Heather Johnson, Notre Dame *
SS Julie Towers, Connecticut
OF Hannah Kiyohara, Louisville
OF Alexa Maldonado, Notre Dame
OF Sadie Pitzenberger, Notre Dame
U/P Kristen Verdun, DePaul
DP/U Amber Curry, St. John's
All-BIG EAST Second Team^
P Caralisa Connell, Louisville
P Brittany O'Donnell, Notre Dame
C Holly Stevens, Pittsburgh
1B Megan Coronado, DePaul
1B Mandy Craig, Rutgers
2B Stephanie Watts, Syracuse
3B Kelly Hmiel, Pittsburgh
SS Katie Fleury, Notre Dame
OF Alex Morocco, DePaul
OF Brianna Jorgensborg, Notre Dame
OF Reba Tutt, Pittsburgh
U/P Mackensey Carter, Georgetown
DP/U Jasmine Watson, Syracuse
All-BIG EAST Third Team
P Alyssa O'Connell, Pittsburgh
P Lindsey Richardson, USF
C Andrea Huelsenbeck, Connecticut
1B Kely Saco, Syracuse
2B Allie Braden, DePaul
3B Hallie Gibbs, Syracuse
SS Colby Wherry, Louisville
OF Samantha Dodd, DePaul
OF Sean Plese, DePaul
OF Jennifer Esteban, Louisville
OF Gina Kafalas, USF
DP/U Courtney Goff, USF
^additional members added due to tie in voting
*unanimous selection
