University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Photo by: Alex Mowrey/Pitt Athletics
Pitt Softball Announces 2019 Non-Conference Schedule
11/7/2018 4:48:00 PM | Softball
Panthers to Open Season with Four Road Tournaments
PITTSBURGH – Entering her first season at the helm of the University of Pittsburgh softball team, head coach Jodi Hermanek has announced the Panthers' 2019 non-conference schedule.
Pitt's non-conference schedule features two teams that finished in the top 25 of the NFCA Coaches Poll, including No. 6 Oregon, who advanced all the way to the College World Series in last year's NCAA Tournament. The Panthers will also face a total of eight NCAA Tournament teams from 2018.
"This non-conference schedule is an ambitious one – facing a number of postseason teams and programs on the rise," said Hermanek. "But, we know that it's exactly where we want to be. That's the type of challenge we want to take on because Pitt is a program on the rise as well. Six weekends straight on the road is going to take mental toughness and focus, but that is what we are preparing for in our training right now. I believe we will be ready to win not only the competitive battles on the field, but also the battles of being a traveling student-athlete."
The Panthers' non-conference slate consists of 31 contests, with 27 of the matchups being away from home in either road or neutral site settings.
The 2019 squad will open the season with four road tournaments to kick things off. Pitt will travel to Charleston, S.C., to start the season, where it will compete in the College of Charleston Tournament (Feb. 8-10), facing Purdue (Feb. 8), host school Charleston (Feb. 8), Central Michigan (Feb. 9) and Wichita State (Feb. 9-10). The matchups between the Panthers and Shockers will mark the first between the two teams, with Wichita State coming off of an NCAA Regional appearance.
Pitt will then head to Raleigh, N.C., to compete in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge (Feb. 15-17) for the third consecutive year. The Panthers will face both Wisconsin (Feb. 15-16) and Nebraska (Feb. 16-17) twice, which includes a Badgers team that advanced to the NCAA Regionals last season.
Next up for Pitt will be a trip to Orlando, Fla., where it will compete in the UCF Knight's Classic (Feb. 22-24). During their three day trip, the Panthers will clash with Coastal Carolina (Feb. 22), host school Central Florida (Feb. 22-23), George Washington (Feb. 23) and longtime rival Penn State (Feb. 24).
Pitt's last tournament will be played in Oxford, Miss., where the squad will compete in the Ole Miss Classic (March 1-3). The Panthers will face Nicholls State (March 1-2) twice while matching up with the host school Rebels (March 1-3) three times.
Pitt will then head to Starkville, Miss., for a midweek matchup with Mississippi State (March 5), who made an appearance in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs finished last season ranked No. 23 in the NFCA Coaches Poll.
The Panthers will host their first non-conference contest against coach Hermanek's former team, welcoming Ohio (March 19) to Vartabedian Field for a 4 p.m. tilt. Hermanek led the Bobcats to a 40-17 overall record and an appearance in the NCAA Regionals last season.
Pitt will host another midweek matchup with the Nittany Lions (March 27) before welcoming Ohio State (April 3) to Pittsburgh. The Buckeyes advanced to the NCAA Tournament last year, where they beat USF twice while falling to Florida two times in Regionals.
Following the three game non-conference homestand, the Panthers will travel to Columbia, Mo., for two matchups with Missouri (April 5-6) and Oregon (April 6-7). The Ducks were one of the final eight teams in last year's NCAA Tournament, advancing to the College World Series before falling to Washington and eventual national champion Florida State.
Just two days later, Pitt will face another 2018 NCAA Tournament team when it heads to Loretto, Pa., for a doubleheader against Saint Francis (April 9).
The Panthers will then host Kent State (April 16) in their final home game of the 2019 non-conference slate.
Pitt will wrap up its non-conference schedule with a contest against Marshall (May 1) in Huntington, W.Va.
The Panthers return 15 players from a roster that won its first ACC Coastal Division Championship in program history a season ago. Returning to the team are seniors Sarah Dawson, Marissa DeMatteo, Gabrielle Fredericks, Olivia Gray, Taylor Myers, Taylor Rahach, Alexis Solak and Nava Susi, juniors Alexee Haynes, Brittany Knight, Kaitlyn Kruger and Connor McGaffic and sophomores Morgan Batesole, Brie Horrell and Hunter Levesque.
Among the returnees are multiple key contributors to last year's success. Kruger earned NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Third Team recognition a season ago, while Gray received First Team All-ACC honors, Levesque was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and Dawson earned ACC All-Tournament Team accolades.
The Panthers also welcome four newcomers to the team in freshmen Hannah Bach, Abby Edwards, Katlyn Pavlick and Sarah Seamans.
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Pitt's non-conference schedule features two teams that finished in the top 25 of the NFCA Coaches Poll, including No. 6 Oregon, who advanced all the way to the College World Series in last year's NCAA Tournament. The Panthers will also face a total of eight NCAA Tournament teams from 2018.
"This non-conference schedule is an ambitious one – facing a number of postseason teams and programs on the rise," said Hermanek. "But, we know that it's exactly where we want to be. That's the type of challenge we want to take on because Pitt is a program on the rise as well. Six weekends straight on the road is going to take mental toughness and focus, but that is what we are preparing for in our training right now. I believe we will be ready to win not only the competitive battles on the field, but also the battles of being a traveling student-athlete."
The Panthers' non-conference slate consists of 31 contests, with 27 of the matchups being away from home in either road or neutral site settings.
The 2019 squad will open the season with four road tournaments to kick things off. Pitt will travel to Charleston, S.C., to start the season, where it will compete in the College of Charleston Tournament (Feb. 8-10), facing Purdue (Feb. 8), host school Charleston (Feb. 8), Central Michigan (Feb. 9) and Wichita State (Feb. 9-10). The matchups between the Panthers and Shockers will mark the first between the two teams, with Wichita State coming off of an NCAA Regional appearance.
Pitt will then head to Raleigh, N.C., to compete in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge (Feb. 15-17) for the third consecutive year. The Panthers will face both Wisconsin (Feb. 15-16) and Nebraska (Feb. 16-17) twice, which includes a Badgers team that advanced to the NCAA Regionals last season.
Next up for Pitt will be a trip to Orlando, Fla., where it will compete in the UCF Knight's Classic (Feb. 22-24). During their three day trip, the Panthers will clash with Coastal Carolina (Feb. 22), host school Central Florida (Feb. 22-23), George Washington (Feb. 23) and longtime rival Penn State (Feb. 24).
Pitt's last tournament will be played in Oxford, Miss., where the squad will compete in the Ole Miss Classic (March 1-3). The Panthers will face Nicholls State (March 1-2) twice while matching up with the host school Rebels (March 1-3) three times.
Pitt will then head to Starkville, Miss., for a midweek matchup with Mississippi State (March 5), who made an appearance in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs finished last season ranked No. 23 in the NFCA Coaches Poll.
The Panthers will host their first non-conference contest against coach Hermanek's former team, welcoming Ohio (March 19) to Vartabedian Field for a 4 p.m. tilt. Hermanek led the Bobcats to a 40-17 overall record and an appearance in the NCAA Regionals last season.
Pitt will host another midweek matchup with the Nittany Lions (March 27) before welcoming Ohio State (April 3) to Pittsburgh. The Buckeyes advanced to the NCAA Tournament last year, where they beat USF twice while falling to Florida two times in Regionals.
Following the three game non-conference homestand, the Panthers will travel to Columbia, Mo., for two matchups with Missouri (April 5-6) and Oregon (April 6-7). The Ducks were one of the final eight teams in last year's NCAA Tournament, advancing to the College World Series before falling to Washington and eventual national champion Florida State.
Just two days later, Pitt will face another 2018 NCAA Tournament team when it heads to Loretto, Pa., for a doubleheader against Saint Francis (April 9).
The Panthers will then host Kent State (April 16) in their final home game of the 2019 non-conference slate.
Pitt will wrap up its non-conference schedule with a contest against Marshall (May 1) in Huntington, W.Va.
The Panthers return 15 players from a roster that won its first ACC Coastal Division Championship in program history a season ago. Returning to the team are seniors Sarah Dawson, Marissa DeMatteo, Gabrielle Fredericks, Olivia Gray, Taylor Myers, Taylor Rahach, Alexis Solak and Nava Susi, juniors Alexee Haynes, Brittany Knight, Kaitlyn Kruger and Connor McGaffic and sophomores Morgan Batesole, Brie Horrell and Hunter Levesque.
Among the returnees are multiple key contributors to last year's success. Kruger earned NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Third Team recognition a season ago, while Gray received First Team All-ACC honors, Levesque was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and Dawson earned ACC All-Tournament Team accolades.
The Panthers also welcome four newcomers to the team in freshmen Hannah Bach, Abby Edwards, Katlyn Pavlick and Sarah Seamans.
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