Pitt to Host Kent State Tuesday

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh softball team is set to host Kent State for a non-conference midweek matchup 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 16 at Vartabedian Field.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Live stats will be available for the game.
Fans can watch the contest on ACC Network Extra.
Fans can also follow @Pitt_SB on Twitter for live in-game updates.

LAST TIME OUT

Pitt dropped its ACC series to Georgia Tech, moving to 7-36 overall and 2-13 in conference play.
The Panthers dropped their first two contests against the Yellow Jackets by just five total runs before being run-ruled in their series finale.

FACING A STRONG SCHEDULE

Pitt faces one of the tougher schedules in the nation, with its strength of schedule currently ranked 43^rd in the country.
The Panthers' 2019 slate currently features six teams that are either ranked or receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA Poll, while six opponents also fit that criteria in the ESPN/USA Softball Poll.
Pitt also has 10 opponents on its schedule who are currently rated in the top 50 of the NCAA RPI.

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 the only Panther to start all 43 games on the season, and currently ranks first on the team in batting average (.325), on-base percentage (.423), slugging percentage (.650), total bases (76), hits (38), runs (28), RBI (25), home runs (10) and doubles (six).
The sophomore has been on a tear as of late, hitting for a .512 average in her last 14 games. In that span, Levesque has improved her season batting average from .216 to .325.
Levesque hit for a .357 batting average in the Panthers' season-opening weekend at the Cougar Classic (Feb. 8-10), adding five hits, three RBI, two runs and two walks.
The sophomore batted .333 in Pitt's ACC series against Duke from March 15-17, collecting three hits, two doubles and one RBI.
In Pitt's series against North Carolina from March 29-30, Levesque hit .556 while collecting five hits, three runs, two walks, one RBI and one double. In the Panthers' series finale against the Tar Heels, the sophomore recorded a career-high four hits.
The Troy, N.Y., native hit for a .417 average in the Mizzou Tournament from April 5-7, adding five hits, five runs, four RBI, two home runs and two walks in four total games against Missouri and Oregon.
Levesque batted .667 in the Panthers' conference series against Georgia Tech from April 12-13, collecting six hits, five runs, four RBI, three home runs and two doubles in just three contests.

GRAY GOT GAME

Senior Olivia Gray was named to the conference's first-ever Preseason All-ACC Team Tuesday, Jan. 29, and has amassed the stats to back it up so far this season.
While appearing in just 23 games due to injury, Gray has still been able to compile a .313 batting average and .423 on-base percentage, adding 20 hits, 14 RBI, 13 walks, 13 runs, five doubles and four home runs.
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 RBI in the team's five contests.
In the senior's first series back from injury, Gray hit for a .714 average to go along with six RBI, five hits, four runs, three walks and two home runs in three games against North Carolina from March 29-30.
The Washington, Pa., native batted .333 against Missouri and Oregon in the Mizzou Tournament from April 5-7, collecting four hits, two runs, two RBI, two walks, one long ball and one double in just four contests.

FREDERICKS FINDING HER FOOTING AT THE PLATE

After a quiet start to the season offensively, senior Gabrielle Fredericks has found her footing at the plate as of late, ranking second on the team in both batting average (.333) and on-base percentage (.429) during the Panthers' last 10 games.
During that span, she has collected 10 hits, seven RBI, five walks and two home runs.
On the season, Fredericks owns a .283 batting average to go along with 30 hits, 19 RBI, 12 walks, eight runs, seven home runs and five doubles.
The New Philadelphia, Ohio, native batted .375 in Pitt's three-game ACC series against Virginia from March 9-10, collecting three hits, two RBI, two walks and one home run.
The senior hit for a .300 average in Pitt's ACC series against North Carolina from March 29-30, adding five RBI, three hits, three runs and two home runs in three contests.
Fredericks finished the Mizzou Tournament (April 5-7) with a .364 average, recording four hits, two RBI, two walks and one home run in four total contests against Missouri and Oregon.
The New Philadelphia, Ohio, native hit for a .375 average and amassed a .545 on-base percentage in the Panthers' conference series against Georgia Tech from April 12-13, adding three hits, three walks and one RBI in three contests.

SOLAK GETTING INTO THE SWING OF THINGS

Senior Alexis Solak has picked up her production at the plate following a relatively slow start to the season offensively.
In her last 20 games, the senior has compiled a .306 batting average to go along with 19 hits, nine RBI, seven runs, three home runs, three doubles and three walks.
On the season, Solak ranks second on the team in hits (31), third in RBI (16), fourth in total bases (47) and fifth in both runs (10) and doubles (four).
Solak collected five RBI in Pitt's season-opening weekend at the Cougar Classic from Feb. 8-10. She recorded an RBI in four of five games, including a season-high tying two RBI against Central Michigan.
The senior hit .333 at the Ole Miss Classic from March 1-2. In four contests, she amassed a team-high eight total bases off of four hits, one home run and one double.
The Woodbridge, Ill., native batted .624 in the Panthers' ACC series against Duke from March 15-17, collecting five hits in just three games.
Solak hit for a .364 average in Pitt's series against North Carolina from March 29-30, recording four hits, two runs, two doubles and one RBI.

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 walks (20), second in runs (22), is tied for second in doubles (five), ranks third in both total bases (48) and home runs (six) and is tied for fourth in hits (25).
Pavlick hit a leadoff long ball in her first career at-bat for Pitt, going on to 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 the Panthers' first ACC series against Virginia from March 9-10, the freshman hit .500 through three games, adding five runs, four hits, four walks, two home runs and a double.
Pavlick hit for a .444 average in the Panthers' series against Duke from March 15-17, adding four hits, four RBI, two doubles and two walks. The freshman was a big factor in helping Pitt to collect its first ACC win of the season, going 2-for-2 with two doubles, two RBI and two walks in the Panthers' 5-3 victory against the Blue Devils Sunday, March 17.

KENT STATE CONNECTION

Volunteer assistant coach Maddy Grimm spent her collegiate career at Kent State, where she was a four-year standout for the Golden Flashes from 2014-17.
During her four years with Kent State, Grimm recorded a .330 batting average, .455 on-base percentage and .760 slugging percentage to go along with 198 hits, 192 RBIs, 172 runs, 69 home runs and 43 doubles.
She currently ranks first in program history in slugging percentage, runs, RBIs and home runs while ranking second in both on-base percentage and doubles, fourth in hits and fifth in batting average.

THE SERIES – KENT STATE

In a series that dates back to 1998, the Golden Flashes hold a slight 14-13 all-time edge over the Panthers.
The teams' last meeting came May 1, 2018, with Pitt recording a 14-4 run-rule victory against Kent State.
The Panthers have won their last six matchups against the Golden Flashes.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN FLASHES

Kent State enters Tuesday's contest with an 18-20 [8-4 MAC] record, most recently dropping a doubleheader to Miami Saturday, April 13.
The Golden Flashes closed out their 2018 campaign with a 29-23 overall record, including a 14-9 mark in conference play.
Offensively, Kent State currently has three regulars hitting .300 or better on the season, with senior Bailey Brownfield leading the team in both batting average (.336) and RBI (21).
In the circle, the Golden Flashes workhorse this year has been redshirt freshman Andrea Scali, who leads the team in innings pitched (124.1), wins (13) and ERA (2.76).

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