University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
North Carolina
Panthers Host North Carolina for Alumni Weekend
4/12/2024 3:22:00 PM | Softball
QUICK HITS: Pitt returns to Vartabedian Field as it hosts North Carolina for Alumni Weekend, April 13-14. Due to rain predicted in the forecast, the series will kick off with a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m. The second game will begin approximately 30 minutes at the conclusion of the first game. The weekend will wrap up with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. Pitt has won four of the last six meetings against North Carolina and holds a 7-5 all-time record against the Tar Heels at Vartabedian Field. Despite dropping both games of the doubleheader in Chapel Hill last season, the Panthers swept the Tar Heels in a four-game series in Pittsburgh during the 2021 season.
BY THE NUMBERS:
- Junior catcher KK Esparza is tied for first in the ACC with Notre Dame's Carlli Kloss and ranks sixth in the NCAA with 12 caught stealings.
- Esparza boasts a .314 conference batting average and has five caught stealings by in conference play. In 15 conference games, Esparza has a perfect fielding percentage (1.000) without a passed ball or an error.
- Kat Rodriguez leads the Panthers in batting average (.349), runs scored (21), and hits (38). Kylie Griggs leads the Panthers in OPS (1.094), hit by pitches (8), and slugging percentage (.667) and is second in home runs (9) and RBI (21). Cami Compson leads the Panthers in home runs (10) and RBI (22).
- Cami Compson and Kylie Griggs have each reached base in the last nine consecutive games. Griggs is batting .381 (8-for-21) with eight runs scored, four home runs, eight RBI, a 1.048 slugging percentage, and .606 on-base percentage in that span. Compson is batting .345 (10-for-29) with five home runs and 10 RBI in that stretch.
- Olivia Stefanoni appeared in all three games at Boston College, and has not given up a run, a walk, or a hit by pitch in her last 9.0 innings pitched. The Panthers pitching staff of Stefanoni, Kyra Pittman, Kendall Brown, and Danni Farris have combined for a 1.56 ERA (6 er / 27.0 ip) in the last four games.
700 AND COUNTING: Head coach Jenny Allard reached 700 career wins as Pitt defeated Akron, 10-2, April 9 at the Lee R. Jackson Field. Coach Allard is one on 43 active division I head softball coaches to reach the 700-career win milestone. Coach Allard is one four head coaches currently in the ACC with 700+ wins. Coach Allard entered the season with a 688-518-1 career record in 28 seasons at Harvard.
AGAINST TOP OPPONENTS: The Panthers hold a 13-87 all-time record against top 25 opponents. The Panthers played four opponents ranked in the top 15 of the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll in the first six weeks of the season. Pitt played No. 12 LSU (Feb. 10-11), No. 4 Washington (Feb. 23), No. 8 Oklahoma State (Feb. 24), and No. 12 Virginia Tech (March 15-17) and No. 18 Florida State (March 22-24).
