University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt to Participate in 2017 ACC/Big Ten Softball Challenge
10/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Oct. 20, 2016
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Atlantic Coast Conference in conjunction with the Big Ten Conference announced the matchups for the 2017 ACC/Big Ten Softball Challenge, which Pitt will participate in this coming February.
The annual challenge, which debuted last season, features eight schools from each conference, playing four games each at four campus sites over a three-day period from Feb. 17-19, 2017.
Pitt will travel Tallahassee, Fla., to face Nebraska and Northwestern at the Florida State Softball Complex. The Panthers and Seminoles will take on each Big Ten team twice over the course of the weekend at JoAnne Graf Field.
The Cornhuskers and Wildcats enter the Challenge as two quality opponents who both made appearances in the 2016 NCAA Softball Tournament.
Pitt is 0-1 against the Nebraska in program history, while it will be the Panthers' first meeting with Northwestern.
Games will also be played in Raleigh, N.C., hosted by NC State, Chapel Hill, N.C., hosted by North Carolina, and Atlanta, Ga., hosted by Georgia Tech. Aside from Pitt, the other ACC programs taking part in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge are Florida State, Notre Dame, NC State, North Carolina, Louisville, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.
The Big Ten participants include Nebraska, Northwestern, Minnesota, Michigan, Purdue, Ohio State, Iowa and Penn State.
The Panthers (31-21, 8-14 ACC) had a strong season last year powered by the bat of junior catcher Giorgiana Zeremenko. Zeremenko hit .392 with 17 home runs and 52 runs batted in. Her 17 long balls ranked 2nd in the ACC and 18th nationally.
Pitt returns two pitchers from last season in junior Kayla Harris, who tossed a team-leading 158.2 innings, compiling a 3.40 earned run average and a 16-11 record and sophomore Sarah Dawson, who pitched 52.2 innings, posting a 6.25 earned run average and an 8-0 record. Dawson made program history on Feb. 27, 2016, throwing Pitt's first perfect game in a tilt against Providence.
The Big Ten and ACC offices collaborate to determine the schedule each season. In addition, the official title of the Challenge rotates each year. The 2017 event will be referred to as the ACC/Big Ten Softball Challenge and will continue to mirror the official title of the two conferences' Challenge agreements for men's basketball, women's basketball and volleyball.
Game times, as well as television coverage, will be announced at a later date. The complete schedule of ACC/Big Ten Softball Challenge matchups can be found below.
2017 ACC/Big Ten Softball Challenge
At Tallahassee, Fla. (host - Florida State)
Friday, Feb. 17
Game 1 - Pitt vs. Nebraska
Game 2 - Florida State vs. Northwestern
Saturday, Feb. 18
Game 3 - Pitt vs. Northwestern
Game 4 - Pitt vs. Nebraska
Game 5 - Florida State vs. Northwestern
Game 6 - Florida State vs. Nebraska
Sunday, Feb. 19
Game 7 - Pitt vs. Northwestern
Game 8 - Florida State vs. Nebraska
At Raleigh, N.C. (host - North Carolina State)
Friday, Feb. 17
Game 1 - Notre Dame vs. Minnesota
Game 2 - NC State vs. Michigan
Saturday, Feb. 18
Game 3 - Notre Dame vs. Michigan
Game 4 - Notre Dame vs. Minnesota
Game 5 - NC State vs. Michigan
Game 6 - NC State vs. Minnesota
Sunday, Feb. 19
Game 7 - Notre Dame vs. Michigan
Game 8 - NC State vs. Minnesota
At Chapel Hill, N.C. (host - North Carolina)
Friday, Feb. 17
Game 1 - Louisville vs. Purdue
Game 2 - North Carolina vs. Ohio State
Saturday, Feb. 18
Game 3 - Louisville vs. Ohio State
Game 4 - Louisville vs. Purdue
Game 5 - North Carolina vs. Ohio State
Game 6 - Purdue vs. North Carolina
Sunday, Feb. 19
Game 7 - Louisville vs. Ohio State
Game 8 - North Carolina vs. Purdue
At Atlanta, Ga. (host - Georgia Tech)
Friday, Feb. 17
Game 1 - Virginia Tech vs. Iowa
Game 2 - Georgia Tech vs. Penn State
Saturday, Feb. 18
Game 3 - Virginia Tech vs. Penn State
Game 4 - Virginia Tech vs. Iowa
Game 5 - Georgia Tech vs. Penn State
Game 6 - Georgia Tech vs. Iowa
Sunday, Feb. 19
Game 7 - Virginia Tech vs. Penn State
Game 8 - Georgia Tech vs. Iowa
Players Mentioned
2025 Hall of Fame Class | Jessica Dignon
Saturday, September 27
Highlights | Pitt vs. Virginia Tech
Friday, April 18
Highlights | Pitt at Penn State
Tuesday, April 15
Highlights | Pitt vs. Duke
Saturday, April 12