Returning for her second season as head coach of the Panthers Jodi Hermanek is hoping to improve on last years record that was a disappointing 13-41.

This year’s team has a good core of returning players to build upon including, seniors Walker Barbee, Alexee Haynes, Kaitlyn Kruger, and Connor McGaffic. Along with redshirt junior Brittany Knight, juniors Morgan Batesole, Brie Horrell, Hunter Levesque, and Chandler Walter, and sophomores Hannah Bach, Abby Edwards, Katlyn Pavlick, and Sarah Seamans.

The list of new faces to the team include transfers redshirt sophomore Jada Crittendon (Virginia Tech) and junior Loo Sanchez (Mercer), along with freshmen Hope Alley, Kayla Lane, Taegen Lewellen, Becca Miller, and Makenzie Stiles.

One big question Pitt needs to answer this season to make it a successful one is who is gonna provide the shutdown pitching often needed to win games. Pitchers Sarah Dawson and Taylor Rahach have graduated. Good news is that Brittany Knight is back coming off an injury filled redshirt season. Hopefully Abby Edwards can pick her pitching game up this season. Pitt also has several freshmen (Becca Miller and Makenzie Stiles)that might step up and fill a spot on the pitching staff.

One bright spot on the team is returning junior Hunter Levesque. She lead the team last season with a .322 batting average and earned All-ACC Second Team honors.

Pitt will have many good test to see where they stand both within the tough ACC and outside of it with games against defending champions UCLA and four tournaments (UCLA Tournament, ACC/B1G Challenge, ECU Tournament and Campbell Tournament.)

I think its gonna be another rough season for Pitt. If they can get some big wins against top ranked teams though who knows what might happen come championship tournament selection time.