Pitt to Close out Homestand with Ohio State

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh softball team will close out its homestand with a midweek matchup against Ohio State 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 3 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 recorded season-highs in hits, runs and home runs in its 14-5 series finale victory over North Carolina Saturday, April 30 at Vartabedian Field.
Senior Taylor Rahach earned the start, allowing three earned runs in 2.1 innings of work. Freshman Abby Edwards entered the game in relief, picking up the win while allowing just one earned run and striking out one in 2.2 innings of play.
Offensively, eight different batters contributed to the Panthers 15 hits, including a perfect 4-for-4 game from sophomore Hunter Levesque, who also added two runs and one RBI. Senior Alexis Solak went 3-for-4 at the plate to go along with a run and RBI, while senior Olivia Gray posted a 2-for-3 showing while adding four RBI and two runs. Senior Gabrielle Fredericks rounded out the multi-hit group with a 2-for-3 performance, collecting four RBI while blasting two home runs.

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 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.

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 on-base percentage (.424), slugging percentage (.522), total bases (48), hits (25), runs (22) walks (19) and home runs (six).
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.

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 33 games on the season, and currently ranks first on the team in RBI (16) and doubles (six), second in total bases (44), runs (15) and walks (11), is tied for second in hits (24) and ranks third in home runs (four).
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 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.
Levesque recorded a then career-high three hits in the Panthers' contest against Penn State March 27, going 3-for-4 while adding two RBI and a run.
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.

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 13 games due to injury, Gray has still been able to compile a .361 batting average and .465 on-base percentage, adding 13 hits, nine RBI, eight runs, seven walks, four doubles and two 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.

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 10 games, the senior has compiled a .387 batting average to go along with 12 hits, three RBI, three runs, two doubles, one home run and one walk.
On the season, Solak is tied for second on the team in hits (24), ranks fourth in total bases (33) and is tied for fourth in RBI (10).
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.

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 third on the team in on-base percentage (.380) and fourth in batting average (.295) during the Panthers' last 15 games.
During that span, she has collected 13 hits, nine RBI, six walks, five runs and four home runs.
On the season, Fredericks owns a .263 batting average to go along with 20 hits, 12 RBI, seven walks, six runs, five home runs and four 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.

THE SERIES – OHIO STATE

The Panthers and Buckeyes have met 18 times in program history, with Ohio State currently holding a 14-4 all-time series edge against Pitt.
The teams' last meeting came May 2, 2018, with the Buckeyes earning a 5-1 victory over the Panthers.
Pitt's last win over Ohio State came March 31, 2015 via a high-scoring 17-15 victory.

SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES

Ohio State enters Wednesday's contest with a 20-10 [5-1 B1G] record, most recently earning a 15-3 win over Maryland Sunday, March 31.
The Buckeyes closed out their 2018 campaign with a 36-16 overall record, including a 14-8 mark in Big Ten play. Ohio State advanced to the NCAA Tournament, defeating USF twice while falling to Florida two times.
Offensively, the Buckeyes have four regulars hitting .300 or better on the season. The team is led by senior Lilli Piper, who boasts a .367 batting average on the season.
In the circle, three Ohio State pitchers currently own a sub-2.00 ERA. Senior Morgan Ray leads the squad in ERA (1.69) and strikeouts (87), while sophomore Lauren Rice owns a team-high 11 wins.

UP NEXT

The Panthers will head to Columbia, Mo., to face Missouri and Oregon in the Mizzou Tournament beginning Friday, April 5.

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Pitt to Close out Homestand with Ohio State

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Abby Edwards

Gabrielle Fredericks

Olivia Gray

Hunter Levesque

Katlyn Pavlick

Taylor Rahach

Alexis Solak

Pitt to Close out Homestand with Ohio State

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Abby Edwards

Gabrielle Fredericks

Olivia Gray

Hunter Levesque

Katlyn Pavlick

Taylor Rahach

Alexis Solak

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