University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Photo by: Charles LeClaire
Aprile Named 2018 ACC Softball Coach of the Year
5/8/2018 5:05:00 PM | Softball
Gray, Harris, Levesque and Zeremenko Earn All-ACC Recognition.
GREENSBORO, N.C. – University of Pittsburgh head softball coach Holly Aprile was named the 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Coach of the Year, as announced by league officials Tuesday evening. In addition, four Pitt players, including seniors Giorgiana Zeremenko and Kayla Harris, junior Olivia Gray and freshman Hunter Levesque, were awarded all-conference honors.
Zeremenko and Gray both earned All-ACC First Team honors, while Harris was tabbed an All-ACC Second Team member and Levesque was named to the ACC All-Freshmen Team.
Each of the four Panthers recognized are earning all-conference accolades for the first time in their respective careers, while this marks Aprile's first time as well.
The conference honors come on the brink of a historic season for Pitt, with the squad earning its first ACC Coastal Division Championship in program history and entering the ACC Tournament as the No. 2 seed, its highest placement since joining the conference.
The Panthers are slated to play either No. 7 seed Duke or No. 10 seed Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals of the tournament Thursday, May 10 at 5 p.m. at Georgia Tech's Mewborn Field in Atlanta, Ga.
ACC COACH OF THE YEAR
Aprile is in her 10th season at the helm of the program, where she has led Pitt to a .524 win percentage as a member of the ACC and Big East. During her time with the Panthers, she has coached 12 All-ACC selections, eight All-Region selections and four ACC All-Tournament selections. Aprile also led Pitt to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015.
This season, she guided the Panthers to their first ACC Coastal Division Championship in program history after being picked to finish ninth in the ACC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The squad finished with a 31-17-1 regular season record, marking the third time in the past four seasons they have earned 30-plus wins. The team also went 16-6 in conference play while winning seven of eight ACC series'. The 16 victories and seven series wins were both program highs since the team joined the ACC in 2014.
FIRST TEAM ALL-ACC
Zeremenko has led Pitt at the plate all season long, where she ranks first in batting average (.348), on-base percentage (.474), slugging percentage (.746), hits (48), walks (33), home runs (15) and doubles (10). The senior boasts 13 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games. Zeremenko's 15 home runs rank 26th in the nation and second in the ACC, while also placing her second in the Panther record book for home runs in a season. She also ranks second in both walks and on-base percentage, while standing third in slugging percentage in single-season program history. Zeremenko broke the career home run record this season as well and now has 46 overall.
Gray, who has been a steadying force in the box and at short for the Panthers, boasts a .309 batting average on the season. She currently ranks second on the team in average, hits (47), runs (29) and doubles (eight) while ranking third in RBIs (25) and fourth in both on-base percentage (.376) and slugging percentage (.467). The junior also leads the team in multi-hit games with 15. In the field, Gray ranks first on the team in assists (167), third in double plays turned (17) and fourth in putouts (75).
SECOND TEAM ALL-ACC
Harris has been Pitt's ace in the circle, ranking first on the team in multiple pitching categories. She currently places first in ERA (2.34), wins (15), complete games (12) and shutouts (six). The senior also owns an impressive 9-0 record in ACC play, including a complete-game win against No. 13/9 Florida State, which broke the Seminoles' 36-game conference win streak. Harris was tabbed ACC Player of the Week after upsetting the Seminoles.
ACC ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Levesque has had an impressive start to her Pitt career, making 46 starts in her first season as a Panther. The freshman ranks second on the team in batting average (.309) and on-base percentage (.397), third in walks (17), fourth in runs (26) and fifth in both hits (38) and slugging percentage (.455).
Coach of the Year: Holly Aprile, Pittsburgh
Player of the Year: Jessie Warren, Florida State
Pitcher of the Year: Kylee Hanson, Florida State
Defensive Player of the Year: Taylor Wike, North Carolina
Freshman of the Year: Sydney Sherrill, Florida State
All-ACC First Team
Emme Martinez, Boston College
Annie Murphy, Boston College
Raine Wilson, Duke
Zoe Casas, Florida State
Kylee Hanson, Florida State
Meghan King, Florida State
Sydney Sherrill, Florida State
Jessie Warren, Florida State
Megan Hensley, Louisville
Sidney Melton, Louisville
Brittany Pickett, North Carolina
Taylor Wike, North Carolina
Olivia Gray, Pittsburgh
Giorgiana Zeremenko, Pittsburgh
Bryce Holmgren, Syracuse
All-ACC Second Team
Jesse Dreswick, Boston College
Chloe Sharabba, Boston College
Carsyn Gordon, Florida State
Emily Anderson, Georgia Tech
Draven Sonnon, Georgia Tech
Cameron Stanford, Georgia Tech
Destiny DeBerry, North Carolina
Kiani Ramsey, North Carolina
Alexis Holloway, Notre Dame
Melissa Rochford, Notre Dame
Abby Sweet, Notre Dame
Kayla Harris, Pittsburgh
Alexa Romero, Syracuse
Allison Davis, Virginia
Carrie Eberle, Virginia Tech
ACC All-Freshmen Team
CC Cook, Boston College
Emme Martinez, Boston College
Rachel Abboud, Duke
Peyton St. George, Duke
Sydney Sherrill, Florida State
Cameron Stanford, Georgia Tech
Maddy Newman, Louisville
Alexis Holloway, Notre Dame
Abby Sweet, Notre Dame
Hunter Levesque, Pittsburgh
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Zeremenko and Gray both earned All-ACC First Team honors, while Harris was tabbed an All-ACC Second Team member and Levesque was named to the ACC All-Freshmen Team.
Each of the four Panthers recognized are earning all-conference accolades for the first time in their respective careers, while this marks Aprile's first time as well.
The conference honors come on the brink of a historic season for Pitt, with the squad earning its first ACC Coastal Division Championship in program history and entering the ACC Tournament as the No. 2 seed, its highest placement since joining the conference.
The Panthers are slated to play either No. 7 seed Duke or No. 10 seed Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals of the tournament Thursday, May 10 at 5 p.m. at Georgia Tech's Mewborn Field in Atlanta, Ga.
ACC COACH OF THE YEAR
Aprile is in her 10th season at the helm of the program, where she has led Pitt to a .524 win percentage as a member of the ACC and Big East. During her time with the Panthers, she has coached 12 All-ACC selections, eight All-Region selections and four ACC All-Tournament selections. Aprile also led Pitt to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015.
This season, she guided the Panthers to their first ACC Coastal Division Championship in program history after being picked to finish ninth in the ACC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The squad finished with a 31-17-1 regular season record, marking the third time in the past four seasons they have earned 30-plus wins. The team also went 16-6 in conference play while winning seven of eight ACC series'. The 16 victories and seven series wins were both program highs since the team joined the ACC in 2014.
FIRST TEAM ALL-ACC
Zeremenko has led Pitt at the plate all season long, where she ranks first in batting average (.348), on-base percentage (.474), slugging percentage (.746), hits (48), walks (33), home runs (15) and doubles (10). The senior boasts 13 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games. Zeremenko's 15 home runs rank 26th in the nation and second in the ACC, while also placing her second in the Panther record book for home runs in a season. She also ranks second in both walks and on-base percentage, while standing third in slugging percentage in single-season program history. Zeremenko broke the career home run record this season as well and now has 46 overall.
Gray, who has been a steadying force in the box and at short for the Panthers, boasts a .309 batting average on the season. She currently ranks second on the team in average, hits (47), runs (29) and doubles (eight) while ranking third in RBIs (25) and fourth in both on-base percentage (.376) and slugging percentage (.467). The junior also leads the team in multi-hit games with 15. In the field, Gray ranks first on the team in assists (167), third in double plays turned (17) and fourth in putouts (75).
SECOND TEAM ALL-ACC
Harris has been Pitt's ace in the circle, ranking first on the team in multiple pitching categories. She currently places first in ERA (2.34), wins (15), complete games (12) and shutouts (six). The senior also owns an impressive 9-0 record in ACC play, including a complete-game win against No. 13/9 Florida State, which broke the Seminoles' 36-game conference win streak. Harris was tabbed ACC Player of the Week after upsetting the Seminoles.
ACC ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Levesque has had an impressive start to her Pitt career, making 46 starts in her first season as a Panther. The freshman ranks second on the team in batting average (.309) and on-base percentage (.397), third in walks (17), fourth in runs (26) and fifth in both hits (38) and slugging percentage (.455).
Coach of the Year: Holly Aprile, Pittsburgh
Player of the Year: Jessie Warren, Florida State
Pitcher of the Year: Kylee Hanson, Florida State
Defensive Player of the Year: Taylor Wike, North Carolina
Freshman of the Year: Sydney Sherrill, Florida State
All-ACC First Team
Emme Martinez, Boston College
Annie Murphy, Boston College
Raine Wilson, Duke
Zoe Casas, Florida State
Kylee Hanson, Florida State
Meghan King, Florida State
Sydney Sherrill, Florida State
Jessie Warren, Florida State
Megan Hensley, Louisville
Sidney Melton, Louisville
Brittany Pickett, North Carolina
Taylor Wike, North Carolina
Olivia Gray, Pittsburgh
Giorgiana Zeremenko, Pittsburgh
Bryce Holmgren, Syracuse
All-ACC Second Team
Jesse Dreswick, Boston College
Chloe Sharabba, Boston College
Carsyn Gordon, Florida State
Emily Anderson, Georgia Tech
Draven Sonnon, Georgia Tech
Cameron Stanford, Georgia Tech
Destiny DeBerry, North Carolina
Kiani Ramsey, North Carolina
Alexis Holloway, Notre Dame
Melissa Rochford, Notre Dame
Abby Sweet, Notre Dame
Kayla Harris, Pittsburgh
Alexa Romero, Syracuse
Allison Davis, Virginia
Carrie Eberle, Virginia Tech
ACC All-Freshmen Team
CC Cook, Boston College
Emme Martinez, Boston College
Rachel Abboud, Duke
Peyton St. George, Duke
Sydney Sherrill, Florida State
Cameron Stanford, Georgia Tech
Maddy Newman, Louisville
Alexis Holloway, Notre Dame
Abby Sweet, Notre Dame
Hunter Levesque, Pittsburgh
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