Panthers Set to Host Notre Dame

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh softball team is set to host Notre Dame for a three-game ACC series beginning Saturday, April 27 at Vartabedian Field.

THE SCHEDULE

The Panthers will open the weekend with an 11 a.m. matchup against the Fighting Irish on Saturday.
On Sunday, Pitt will play a 7 p.m. contest against Notre Dame.
The Panthers will close out their series with the Fighting Irish on Monday with a 7 p.m. matchup.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Live stats will be available for all games.
Fans can watch Saturday and Sunday's contests on ACC Network Extra and Monday's matchup on ESPNU.
Fans can also follow @Pitt_SB on Twitter for live in-game updates.

LAST TIME OUT

Pitt took two of three en route to an ACC series win over Syracuse last weekend.
Redshirt sophomore Brittany Knight earned the Panthers' first win of the series in game two, recording a complete-game victory after allowing just one hit and one run (unearned) and striking out a pair.
Senior Sarah Dawson picked up Pitt's series-clinching victory in game three, also tossing a complete game while surrendering just two hits and one run to go along with three strikeouts.
Junior Walker Barbee was the Panthers' bright spot at the plate, hitting .500 on the weekend to go along with five RBI, four hits, two runs, one home run, one triple and one double.

FACING A STRONG SCHEDULE

Pitt's 2019 slate features some very challenging opponents.
The Panthers' schedule currently includes 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 nine 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 47 games on the season, and currently ranks first on the team in batting average (.320), on-base percentage (.424), slugging percentage (.617), total bases (79), hits (41), runs (28), RBI (25), home runs (10), steals (nine) and doubles (six).
The sophomore has been on a tear as of late, hitting for a .463 average in her last 18 games. In that span, Levesque has improved her season batting average from .216 to .320.
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 performed well throughout the season despite battling through injuries.
While appearing in just 26 games, Gray has still been able to compile a .297 batting average and .404 on-base percentage, adding 22 hits, 15 RBI, 15 runs, 14 walks, five home runs and five doubles.
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 (.345) and on-base percentage (.424) during the Panthers' last 10 games.
During that span, she has collected 10 hits, five RBI, four walks and one double.
On the season, Fredericks owns a .288 batting average to go along with 34 hits, 20 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, performing well for the Panthers in conference play.
In Pitt's 18 ACC contests, the senior has compiled a .314 batting average to go along with 16 hits, four RBI, four runs, three doubles, one home run and one walk.
On the season, Solak is tied for second on the team in doubles (five) while ranking third in total bases (50), hits (33) and RBI (16) and fifth in runs (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.

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 home runs (six), fourth in total bases (49) and fifth in hits (26).
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.

THE SERIES – NOTRE DAME

In a series that dates back to 1999, the Fighting Irish own a 33-3 all-time edge against the Panthers.
The teams' last meeting came April 10, 2016, with Notre Dame recording a 13-1 run-rule victory against Pitt.
The Panthers and Fighting Irish have split their past two matchups, with Pitt earning an 8-1 win against Notre Dame May 7, 2015.

SCOUTING THE FIGHTING IRISH

Notre Dame enters Saturday's contest with a 29-15 [12-6 ACC] record, most recently sweeping Virginia in a three-game ACC series.
The Fighting Irish closed out their 2018 campaign with a 34-23 [13-10 ACC] record, advancing to the NCAA Tournament, where they beat Michigan twice while falling to Kentucky two times.
Offensively, Notre Dame currently has two players hitting over .400 on the season. Senior Ali Wester leads the squad with a .414 average, while senior Cait Brooks ranks first on the team with 17 home runs and 44 RBI.
The Fighting Irish's two main pitchers in the circle have been freshman Payton Tidd (130 innings) and sophomore Alexis Holloway (101 innings), with Tidd currently leading the team in ERA (2.80) and wins (19).

UP NEXT

The Panthers will head to Huntington, W.Va., for their last road game of the regular season, facing Marshall Wednesday, May 1 at 2 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Walker Barbee

Sarah Dawson

Gabrielle Fredericks

Olivia Gray

Brittany Knight

Hunter Levesque

Katlyn Pavlick

Alexis Solak