Pitt athletics starts off March with a bang

Pitt Athletics has a busy weekend heading into March with contests in both winter and spring sports. 

Men’s Basketball

Pitt men’s basketball plays away at Boston College on March 2. The Panthers are 18-10 overall and 9-8 in the ACC. Boston College is 15-13 overall and 6-11 in the ACC. The Panthers are ranked No. 7 in the conference, four spots ahead of the Eagles. 

Senior forward Blake Hinson is averaging 18.5 points per game. Along with Hinson, first-year guard Carlton “Bub” Carrington is averaging 12.9 points per game. The team chemistry has come a long way since the beginning of the year, but the Panthers must win to keep their NCAA tournament hopes alive.

Women’s Basketball

Pitt women’s basketball plays their final game of the regular season on March 3. The Panthers compete against Boston College at home. The Panthers are 8-21 overall and are on a two-game losing streak. Senior forward Liatu King is leading her team with 19 points average and a 10.4 rebound average. In the game versus Syracuse, King tied for the most double-doubles in a season since Chelsea Cole in 2010-11. King is a force to be reckoned with as the Panthers reach the close of their season. 

Gymnastics

Pitt gymnastics battles in a quad meet at West Virginia on March 3. The opponents are West Virginia, Towson and Western Michigan. The Panthers are 3-7 overall and 1-5 in the ACC. 

Pitt has fallen short in the last three meets by fractions of a point. Despite their record, The Panthers have matched the program’s third-highest score with a score of 196.525. Senior Jah’Liyah Bedminster has reached a career-high of 9.950 on vault. 

Lacrosse

Pitt lacrosse is playing its third straight home game on March 2. The Panthers play against Louisville, who has an overall record of 1-4. Pitt has a 2-3 overall record. 

The Pitt lacrosse team is a new program, as it made its debut in 2021. This season the Panthers have much to prove, as last season they finished 4-13. Junior attack Jenna Hendrickson is a top scorer for the Panthers. This season, Hendrickson has ten goals and three assists. In addition to Hendrickson, senior midfielder Emily Coughlin has 15 draw controls to start the season. 

Softball

Pitt softball plays a weekend series against Georgia Tech starting on Friday, March 1. They currently have a losing record of 6-8 but are ready to face the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta. 

Pitt has added six new transfers to this year’s roster. Redshirt sophomore catcher KK Esparza was named to the 2023 top five catchers to watch list and junior infielder Desirae Martinez recorded six doubles, three home runs and 25 RBIs last season. The Panthers have some forces ready to turn their losing record around. 

Baseball

Pitt baseball is traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada, to play in the college baseball classic. The Panthers face the Oklahoma Sooners on March 1, the Ohio State Buckeyes on March 2 and the California Golden Bears on March 3. Pitt has a 6-1 overall record and is on a two-game winning streak. Their first loss of the season was against Maryland, losing 4-10. 

Pitt is a young team with a total of 11 first-year players. A key player on this team is junior left-handed pitcher Ethan Firoved, who threw six strikeouts during a game against Corpus Christi.