Friday, February 14
Clemson, S.C.
5 p.m.
Pitt
vs
Michigan State
Photo by: Nick Allen
Panthers Prep for ACC/B1G Challenge
2/12/2020 11:49:00 PM | Softball
PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh softball team hits the road to compete in the ACC/B1G Challenge in Clemson, S.C., beginning Friday, Feb. 14 and concluding Sunday, Feb. 16.
The Panthers will take on Maryland and Michigan State twice, opening with Michigan State at 12 p.m. Friday. Host school Clemson rounds out the four teams competing in the tournament.
LEADING OFF
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The Panthers will take on Maryland and Michigan State twice, opening with Michigan State at 12 p.m. Friday. Host school Clemson rounds out the four teams competing in the tournament.
LEADING OFF
- The University of Pittsburgh softball team hits the road to take on B1G Ten schools Maryland and Michigan State twice each in the ACC/B1G Challenge in Clemson, S.C., Friday, Feb. 14 - Sunday, Feb. 16.
- Pitt faces both Maryland and Michigan State twice each, opening the weekend Friday, Feb. 14 against Michigan State at 12 p.m.
- On Saturday, the Panthers clash with Maryland at 10 a.m. before facing Michigan State for the second time at 3 p.m.
- Pitt's final game in the tournament is Sunday at 10 a.m. against the Terrapins.
- The Panthers are a collective 4-10 against both B1G Ten schools.
- Junior LoLo Sanchez comes into the weekend swinging a hot bat and leading the Panthers in most offensive categories.
- Sanchez went 8-for-14 last weekend at the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament at UCLA, recording two RBIs, a triple and two runs.
- Her .571 batting average leads the team and is currently fourth in the ACC.
- Through five games, sophomore Katlyn Pavlick is second on the team in slugging % (.667), OPS (1.079) and hits (5).
- The leadoff hitter paces the team with four runs scored while also hitting for power, as she has a triple and home run to her name already this season.
- Junior Brittany Knight leads the Panthers inside the circle, collecting a 2-1 record and a 2.86 ERA in three appearances.
- Knight has recorded two complete games this season and gave up just two earned runs prior to facing UCLA Feb. 9.
- The Windham, Ohio native racked up six strikeouts against CSU Bakersfield and three against Cal Poly, totaling nine so far on the season.
- One of two freshman to start this past weekend at UCLA, Hope Alley recorded her first collegiate hit against Cal Poly Feb. 7, while also tallying a single against No. 4 UCLA.
- The Pleasanton, Calif., native showed her defensive skills throughout the weekend, leading the team in assists (11), while also totaling seven putouts.
- Junior Hunter Levesque showed off some leather at the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament, recording 11 putouts in centerfield.
- Levesque made a diving grab to her right to end the third inning against San Diego, ultimately earning a spot on the NCAA Softball Top Five Plays list at number five.
- The Troy, N.Y., native also hit a home run and scored two runs against Cal Poly on Feb. 7.
- The Panthers and Terrapins meet for the 13th time in program history Saturday.
- Maryland holds an 8-3 advantage over the Panthers and is currently on a six game winning streak.
- The last time Pitt defeated Maryland was Feb. 8, 2009 in the Florida Atlantic Tournament.
- Maryland enters the ACC/B1G Challenge with an overall record of 1-4.
- Both Regan Kerr and Taylor Liguori are hitting .333 and have each totaled four hits. Liguori has two RBIs on the season, while Kerr has come around to score twice.
- Grace Voulgaris has three hits on the season, all of which are doubles as she leads the Terrapins with a .545 slugging percentage.
- Amelia Jarecke leads the Terrapins in the circle, as she is 1-0 on the season with 11 strikeouts in 10.2 innings of work. Jarecke enters the weekend with a 3.94 ERA and a complete game under her belt.
- Friday's noon contest will be just the fourth meeting in program history between the Panthers and Spartans.
- Michigan State holds a 2-1 advantage, while Pitt won the last meeting on March 5, 2002 by a score of 4-1.
- The Spartans enter the weekend 0-4.
- Caitie Ladd leads MSU in hits with five, while batting .417 with three runs, a double and an RBI to her credit.
- MacKenzie Meech leads Michigan State in RBIs with five, holding a .500 slugging percentage with a double and homerun so far this year.
- Alli Walker leads the team in innings thrown (11.2) and enters the tournament with a 3.00 ERA.
- Assistant coach Jenna Hall and volunteer assistant coach Katie Sebbane are new additions to the coaching staff for 2020.
- Hall, who played collegiately for Illinois and graduated there in 2006, was an assistant coach for Ohio State from 2013-2019 before joining the Pitt staff Sept. 9, 2019. Hall was an assistant coach under Jodi Hermanek at Ohio from 2008-10 before being named associate head coach for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
- Sebbane was named volunteer assistant coach Aug. 21, 2019. She served as an assistant coach for Seton Hill in 2019 and was a graduate assistant for Misericordia from 2017-2018. Sebbane played four years at Salisbury and was a four-time All-Capital Athletic Conference honoree from 2013-2016.
- Seven new Panthers join the team in 2020, including five freshmen and two transfers.
- Junior LoLo Sanchez, from Stockton, Calif., comes from Mercer, while sophomore Jada Criddenton played for ACC opponent Virginia Tech a season ago.
- Rounding out the freshmen newcomers are Hope Alley, Kayla Lane, Taegen Lewellen, Becca Miller and Makenzie Stiles.
- Following the ACC/B1G Challenge, Pitt travels one state north for the ECU Pirate Invite in Greenville, N.C.
- The Panthers go head to head with UMass, ECU and Towson, with the first game against UMass on Friday, Feb. 21 at 10 a.m.
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