Barbee, McGaffic to Return for Fifth Year
5/19/2020 1:23:00 PM | Softball
PITTSBURGH – Seniors Walker Barbee and Connor McGaffic will return to the University of Pittsburgh and continue their softball careers for one more year for the 2020-21 season.
The 2020 softball season – along with all winter and spring sports across the nation – was cut short due to the fast spreading COVID-19 virus. The NCAA, along with the ACC and University of Pittsburgh has granted spring sport athletes who were affected by the virus to obtain one more year of eligibility.
Barbee, a 2019 transfer from Elon, started at catcher her last two seasons with the Panthers. The Oakboro, N.C., native appeared in 61 career games, starting in 57. Barbee is a career .224 hitter with 30 hits, 19 RBIs and eight extra base hits.
"I want to say thank you to the University of Pittsburgh for allowing me to be a Pitt Panther for one more year," said Barbee. "It is an honor wearing Pitt across my chest while playing the game I love. Being a Panther has been life changing and I can't say thank you enough to the University for this opportunity. H2P!"
McGaffic, who graduated with a natural sciences degree this past spring, returns for her fifth year after starting in the outfield the past four seasons at Pitt. The Georgetown, Pa., native has appeared in 116 games, starting in 88 of them. McGaffic is a career .226 hitter with 52 hits, 22 RBIs and 13 extra base hits. McGaffic was coming off a career year in 2020, hitting .300 with 15 hits, a .460 slugging percentage and six RBIs. She ended the 2020 campaign on an eight game hitting streak.
"I would like to say thank you to the University of Pittsburgh and the administrations for granting me this opportunity to return to the university, while being able to play the sport I love for one more year," stated McGaffic. "Thank you for this opportunity, I am truly blessed!"
"I am so grateful to our administration for their support of the return of our spring sport athletes who are electing to return for a final season, specifically, the return of our Panthers, Connor and Walker," said head coach Jodi Hermanek. "Both athletes have been and now will continue to be vital parts of our program, and we are blessed to retain them."
"Connor is our starting right fielder and power bat in the heart of our line-up, who left the 2020 season on an eight game hitting streak, so bringing her back into our line-up is huge for the Panthers," said Hermanek. "Walker is our veteran catcher who I lean on big time for her experience, and retaining all personnel in our battery is a crucial blessing to our squad."
The Panthers finished 8-12 overall and 2-4 in the ACC in 2020.
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
The 2020 softball season – along with all winter and spring sports across the nation – was cut short due to the fast spreading COVID-19 virus. The NCAA, along with the ACC and University of Pittsburgh has granted spring sport athletes who were affected by the virus to obtain one more year of eligibility.
Barbee, a 2019 transfer from Elon, started at catcher her last two seasons with the Panthers. The Oakboro, N.C., native appeared in 61 career games, starting in 57. Barbee is a career .224 hitter with 30 hits, 19 RBIs and eight extra base hits.
"I want to say thank you to the University of Pittsburgh for allowing me to be a Pitt Panther for one more year," said Barbee. "It is an honor wearing Pitt across my chest while playing the game I love. Being a Panther has been life changing and I can't say thank you enough to the University for this opportunity. H2P!"
McGaffic, who graduated with a natural sciences degree this past spring, returns for her fifth year after starting in the outfield the past four seasons at Pitt. The Georgetown, Pa., native has appeared in 116 games, starting in 88 of them. McGaffic is a career .226 hitter with 52 hits, 22 RBIs and 13 extra base hits. McGaffic was coming off a career year in 2020, hitting .300 with 15 hits, a .460 slugging percentage and six RBIs. She ended the 2020 campaign on an eight game hitting streak.
"I would like to say thank you to the University of Pittsburgh and the administrations for granting me this opportunity to return to the university, while being able to play the sport I love for one more year," stated McGaffic. "Thank you for this opportunity, I am truly blessed!"
"I am so grateful to our administration for their support of the return of our spring sport athletes who are electing to return for a final season, specifically, the return of our Panthers, Connor and Walker," said head coach Jodi Hermanek. "Both athletes have been and now will continue to be vital parts of our program, and we are blessed to retain them."
"Connor is our starting right fielder and power bat in the heart of our line-up, who left the 2020 season on an eight game hitting streak, so bringing her back into our line-up is huge for the Panthers," said Hermanek. "Walker is our veteran catcher who I lean on big time for her experience, and retaining all personnel in our battery is a crucial blessing to our squad."
The Panthers finished 8-12 overall and 2-4 in the ACC in 2020.
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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