Recapping the Historic 2015 Pitt Softball Season
5/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Final Game Notes | Final Season Statistics 
PITTSBURGH -- Selected to finish 10th out of 11 teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference in preseason voting, the 2015 Pitt softball team did exactly the opposite by making its first-ever postseason appearance in program history.
The theme of the 2015 season was making history. Numerous records were broken, expectations were exceeded, and video-bombing skills were perfected.
On May 10, Selection Sunday, the team was huddled around the television hoping Pittsburgh would appear on the screen. It seemed like all hope was lost as the final region was announced, until their name was in the bracket. There were tears of joy, jumps of excitement, and hugs all around for what this team had just accomplished.
"We were all cautiously hopeful about being selected, and that's where the excitement comes from," said head coach Holly Aprile following the selection show. "We really came together as a team, mentally and physically, at the right time. We got what we were working for."
VIDEO: Pitt selected to the NCAA Tournament: Locker Room Reaction
The aforementioned hard work was quickly shown in their first two tournaments of the season. The Panthers were on a 10-game winning streak; three of which were shutouts.
With a 20-4 record under their belts, the team entered the regular season ready to battle.
The team saw ups and downs throughout the season. They suffered losses but were also earning wins, such as their record-breaking sweep over Syracuse, which earned the program its 400th win.
Pitt finished regular season play 33-19 overall and 11-13 in the ACC, which earned the Panthers the sixth-seed in the 2015 ACC Softball Tournament. While in Blacksburg, Va., Pitt put its name on the map by advancing to the championship game against No. 1 Florida State, after upsetting Notre Dame and North Carolina, who were both seeded ahead of the Panthers.
VIDEO: Pitt Takes a Swim at the ACC Tournament
After an impressive final run prior to the selection show, Pitt was considered a bubble team for the NCAA tournament. However, on that fateful night, Pittsburgh's name was called.
The Panthers traveled to Ann Arbor, Mich., for Regionals and were set to take on Cal in the opener. Pitt dropped its first game to the Golden Bears but knocked off Oakland to earn the Panthers their first-ever win in the NCAA Tournament and a rematch with California. The determined team continued its success and pushed Cal out of the tournament to move on to the Regional Final, but Michigan, the No. 3 team in the nation and a Women's College World Series participant, brought Pitt's season to an end.
New faces led the charge in redshirt junior Shelby Pickett, junior Jenna Modic, and freshmen McKayla Taylor and Kayla Harris.
Pickett had a remarkable debut with the Panthers in 2015. The California native had a successful showing at the plate and now owns single-season records in at-bats (203), runs (50), and hits (71). Her efforts earned her Second Team All-ACC, ACC All-Tournament Team, and NFCA Second Team All-Mid Atlantic selections.
Modic was another standout batter and was recognized for her actions. The designated player earned All-ACC First Team and NFCA Third Team All-Mid Atlantic selections. Modic recorded seven hits, eight RBI, and two homers -- including a grand slam -- at the NCAA tournament.
Taylor had a record-breaking season during her college debut. Not only was she solid in the field at short, but her bat landed her as the clean-up hitter. The Second Team All-ACC selection posted her best performance this season against Syracuse where she notched 17 RBI in the three-game series after batting 8-for-11 including seven runs, two doubles and four homers. That performance earned her ACC Player of the Week on April 13. Taylor was responsible for 59 RBI in 2015, setting the single-season RBI record at Pitt.
The combination of Pitt's newcomers and veterans Savannah King, Kathryn Duran, Kaitlin Manuel, Maggie Sevilla, Ashlee Sills, Carly Thea, and Jordan Fannin made for mix of players that would take the Panthers to its first postseason appearance in the ACC and NCAA tournament.
The entire lineup would make for solid defense in the field and clutch bats at the plate. Each one of these players started every game in the post-season and came up with clutch hits or run-saving dives in the field.
King went out with a bang her senior year, collecting 20 wins in the circle in 2015 -- a program best, and can be found at the top of four career pitching categories in the record book. Her hard work on the mound did not go unnoticed. King was tabbed First-Team NFCA All-Mid Atlantic for the first time in Pitt softball history, ACC All-Tournament team, and was named ACC Pitcher of the Week in February.
Thea, a senior outfielder, played some of her best softball in the postseason. Between the ACC and NCAA tournament, seven total games, the New York native scored three runs, had nine hits, six RBI's, two doubles, and seven putouts from the outfield.
After the season finale against Michigan, Thea explained what this year meant to her.
"It was an honor to play for this team," said Thea. "The amount of history that we made and the name that we helped build for Pitt softball is something that will live with me for years and years to come. I will be able to look back and say that I was a part of something that was way bigger than just me, which I think is great."
Despite losing six seniors, the Panthers are already looking forward to the 2016 season, and needless to say, the future is very bright for the Pitt softball program.
More Pitt Softball Videos
Coach Aprile Mic'd Up
Journey to the Tourney Part 1: McKayla Taylor
Journey to the Tourney Part 2: Savannah King
Journey to the Tourney Part 3: Carly Thea
Journey to the Tourney Part 4: Coach Aprile