Pitt Set for Midweek Matchup at Liberty

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh softball team will travel to Lynchburg, Va., for a midweek matchup with Liberty Wednesday, March 13 at 3 p.m.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Live stats will be available for the game.
Fans can watch the matchup on ESPN+ ($).
Fans can listen to the contest on LFSN RADIO (90.9 FM) or here.
Fans can also follow @Pitt_SB on Twitter for live in-game updates.

LAST TIME OUT

The Panthers lost two nail-biters to Virginia by one run apiece Sunday afternoon at The Park in Charlottesville, Va.
Pitt dropped each of its three contests against the Cavaliers in its first Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) series of the season, moving to 3-18 on the year.

FACING A STRONG SCHEDULE

The Panthers face a tough schedule in the 2019 season, one that features two teams that finished in the top 25 of the NFCA Coaches Poll last year, including No. 6 Oregon, who advanced to the College World Series in last year's NCAA Tournament.
Pitt also faces a total of nine NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago.
The Panthers' schedule currently features seven teams that are either ranked or receiving votes in the USA Today / NFCA Preseason Poll, while six opponents also fit that criteria in the ESPN / USA Softball Preseason Poll.

PAVLICK PUTTING UP NUMBERS

Freshman Katlyn Pavlick has had an impressive start to her Panther career offensively.
On the season, Pavlick ranks first on the team in total bases (33), runs (16) hits (15), walks (13) and home runs (five).
Pavlick hit a leadoff long ball in her first career at-bat for Pitt, going on the close out the Panthers season-opening weekend at the Cougar Classic (Feb. 8-10) ranked first on the team in runs (five) and home runs (two), tied for first in hits (six) and second in both batting average (.429) and walks (three).
In Pitt's third tournament of the season from Feb. 22-24, Pavlick accumulated a .500 on-base percentage to go along with a .273 batting average, five walks, three hits, three runs and one double at the UCF Knight's Classic.
In the Panthers' first ACC series against Virginia, the freshman hit .500 through three games, adding five runs, four hits, four walks, two home runs and a double.

GRAY GOT GAME

The conference released its first-ever Preseason All-ACC Team Tuesday, Jan. 29, with senior Olivia Gray being selected as one of its 15 members.
Gray garnered All-ACC First Team recognition following a 2018 campaign that saw her record a .311 batting average to go along with 50 hits, 29 runs, 25 RBIs, eight doubles and four home runs.
Gray finished the 2018 season with 173 assists, which ranks third in single-season program history. She also collected 10 assists in a matchup with UCF Feb. 12, 2017, which is the top single-game mark in program history.
In Pitt's season-opening tournament at the Cougar Classic from Feb. 8-10, Gray finished the weekend with a .333 batting average while ranking first on the team in doubles (four) and tying for the team-lead in hits (six). She also added four runs and three RBIs in the team's five contests.

LOOK OUT FOR LEVESQUE

Coming off a 2018 season in which she garnered ACC All-Freshman Team recognition, sophomore Hunter Levesque has continued to be a constant in Pitt's starting lineup this season.
The Troy, N.Y., native is one of just two Panther players to start all 21 games on the season, and currently ranks first on the team in RBIs (eight), second in total bases (21) and runs (eight), is tied for second in home runs (two), ranks third in walks (six) and is tied for third in hits (11).
Levesque ranked third on the team with a .357 batting average at the conclusion of the Panthers season-opening weekend at the Cougar Classic (Feb. 8-10), adding five hits, three RBIs, two runs and two walks.

HOT START FOR HORRELL

After only appearing in two contests for the Panthers during her freshman campaign in 2018, sophomore Brie Horrell has appeared in 13 games while making eight starts on the season.
She currently leads the team in batting average (.474) and slugging percentage (.789), while being tied for second in RBIs (six) and home runs (two).
Horrell closed out Pitt's season-opening weekend at the Cougar Classic (Feb. 8-10) with a team-best .571 batting average, collecting her first career home run while adding four hits, three RBIs, two runs and two walks.

BATESOLE'S GOT A BAT

After recently earning a role in the starting lineup, sophomore Morgan Batesole has been a consistent presence at the plate for Pitt.
In 24 at bats, Batesole sports a .333 batting average, adding eight hits, three RBIs and three runs.
In the Panthers' first ACC series against Virginia from March 9-10, the Walnut Creek, Calif., native hit for a .429 average through three games, collecting three hits to go along with one RBI and one run.

THE SERIES - LIBERTY

Wednesday's meeting between the Panthers and Flames will be their first in program history.

SCOUTING THE FLAMES

Liberty enters Wednesday's contest with a 15-9 overall record, most recently dropping a contest to Ohio, 1-0, Sunday, March 10.
The Flames concluded their 2018 campaign with a 49-14 overall record, including an 18-3 mark in the ASUN.
Offensively, Liberty currently sports five batters hitting .300 or better on the season. Twins Amber and Autumn Bishop boast the top marks on the team, with Amber at .388 and Autumn at .361.
In the circle, three Pitchers own a sub-3.00 ERA. On the season, senior Julia DiMartino has been the Flames' workhorse, recording a team-best 1.01 ERA through 76.0 innings, adding 68 strikeouts while amassing a 9-4 record to go along with two saves.

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