Pitt athletics preps for a pivotal weekend

As the weekend approaches, Pitt athletics is set for tons of action across both winter and spring sports. Here’s a glimpse into what’s in store.

Wrestling

Starting off strong with Pitt wrestling (10-8, 2-3 ACC), the team travels to Kansas City, Missouri, this weekend for the NCAA Championship. After finishing fourth in the ACC Tournament last weekend, this team is on track for post-season success. 

Seven athletes secured bids to the tournament. Among them, redshirt seniors Cole Matthews at 141 pounds, Reece Heller at 184 pounds and Holden Heller at 165 pounds claimed seeds No. 18, No. 15 and No. 25, respectively. 

Additionally, redshirt sophomore Luca Augustine at 174 pounds earned seed No. 23, while redshirt first-years Mac Stout at 197 pounds, Finn Solomon at 149 pounds and Dayton Pitzer at 285 pounds all secured seed No. 31.

The tournament begins on Thursday and will continue throughout the weekend.

Pitt dominated its last two matches against Virginia and Rider. The Panthers hope to continue the success in their last matches of the season.

The tournament continues Friday at the T-Mobile Center with coverage beginning at noon on ESPN+.

Gymnastics 

Last weekend, Pitt gymnastics’ (7-11,0, 1-5 ACC) regular season wrapped up at the inaugural Kidney Care Gymnastics Championships. They fell to Georgia, Maryland and Iowa but beat Talladega. 

This Saturday, the Gymnasts head to Greensboro, North Carolina, for the ACC Gymnastics Championships — competing against NC State, Clemson and North Carolina. 

Pitt secured the No. 3 seed for the tournament. Pitt has struggled in conference play, losing to North Carolina, NC State and Clemson in the regular season.

Both the Tigers and Wolfpack are nationally ranked in the top 30 in all five categories — beam, bars, vault, floor and all-around. 

Despite this, the Panthers have had recent successes of their own. Pitt achieved its third-highest team score of the season, reaching 195.800 against Bowling Green. 

First-year Emily Todd recorded the Panthers’ highest individual score of the season, earning a 9.900 during their quad meet on March 3. Jordyn Ewing followed suit with a 9.925 on floor during Pitt’s senior meet last Friday.

The championship is set for Saturday, March 23 at 7 p.m. at the Greensboro Coliseum with coverage airing on ESPN+.

Baseball 

Pitt baseball (11-7, 1-5 ACC) takes on No. 14 Virginia (17-4, 3-3 ACC) this weekend at home. The Panthers had early success in the season but have recently struggled against ACC teams. 

On Tuesday, the Panthers took on Kent State and won 12-8. However, Virginia comes in on a two-game winning streak and has had much success this season, so the Panthers are in for a challenge. 

The series begins on Friday, March 22, and continues on throughout the weekend at Charles L. Cost Field. Friday and Saturday’s games begin at 3 p.m., while Sunday’s game starts at 1 p.m. Coverage airs on ACCNX. 

Softball

Pitt softball (8-18, 0-6 ACC) takes on Florida State (18-9, 1-2 ACC) at home this weekend. The Panthers have struggled this season, especially in ACC play. 

A win against the Seminoles is needed for the Panthers to keep their hopes alive for securing conference wins throughout the remainder of the season.

Despite recent losses, the Seminoles are playing well. Last weekend, they secured a notable victory over No. 4 Duke. Their demanding schedule, featuring matchups against No. 2 Texas and No. 15 Alabama, shows the competition within their schedule. 

The series begins on Friday, at 6 p.m. at the Vartabedian Field. It will continue on into the weekend. Saturday’s game begins at 3 p.m. and Sunday’s game starts at 5 p.m. Coverage airs on ACCNX.

Lacrosse

Pitt lacrosse (3-7, 0-4 ACC) hosts their senior day this weekend at Highmark Stadium against Virginia Tech (7-4, 1-3 ACC) on Saturday, March 23. 

The Panthers are coming off a dominant 21-5 win against Kent State on Tuesday. 

Both teams have struggled in conference play this season, but the Hokies have the upper hand in wins this season.

With just three seasons under their belt in the ACC, it’s understandable that the Pitt lacrosse program faces challenges given the conference’s high level of competition. 

Securing a win in this game is crucial for the Panthers to boost team morale for the remainder of the season.

The game begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 23, with coverage airing on ACCN.