Pitt spring sports prepare for fall exhibitions

Lacrosse 

This upcoming Saturday, Pitt lacrosse heads down to Virginia to participate in a play day at James Madison University. This play day will serve as an opportunity for multiple schools to come together and engage in some fall ball exhibition games before the real season starts. 

Not only will Pitt have the opportunity to face off against JMU but they will also test their skills against schools like Virginia Tech and Georgetown. These play days offer teams the ability to get their feet wet and see the progress made in the offseason through a series of low-stake games. 

Last season, Pitt lacrosse went 5-13 and 0-9 in the ACC and lost in the first round of the ACC tournament to conference rivals Clemson. As Pitt’s program is fairly new, it is relatively difficult to compete in the ACC, which boasts some of the best lacrosse schools in the nation.

The Panthers can expect some good exposure playing against these teams this weekend. At the end of last season, JMU was ranked 19th in the nation, just behind notably ranked ACC schools UNC and UVA. The Panthers should use this weekend to showcase a new and improved team.

Baseball

Pitt baseball opens up their fall season with a trip to Cincinnati this weekend as they take on Cincinnati in a one game series at UC Baseball Stadium.

The team welcomes 22 newcomers this season, including a returning transfer AJ Nessler, who spent his sophomore season at UCF after spending his first year at Pitt. 

Pitt returns three of its four starting infielders in senior first baseman Luke Cantwell, junior shortstop Jake Kendro and sophomore third baseman Ryan Zuckerman. Cantwell led the team in 2024 in runs scored and on-base percentage and set a program record in walks taken, with 57 on the season.

Pitt baseball will look to have a successful season for the first time in quite a long time as this season will mark 30 years since the program’s last NCAA tournament berth in 1995, in which the Panthers lost in the regional round in an elimination game against Oklahoma State. 

Following their game against Cincinnati, Pitt will host Mercyhurst on Oct. 18 and finish their fall season with an intra-team scrimmage series dubbed the “Blue/Gold Fall World Series” from Oct. 22 to Oct. 26.

Softball 

Pitt softball closes out their fall season this weekend in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, as Pitt takes on Penn State in the “Little League Girls With Game Experience.” 

After an undefeated 6-0 record in their fall games, the team looks to finish their fall schedule with another win.

Pitt softball has struggled in recent years, with their last time in the NCAA tournament coming in 2015 — the only appearance in the program’s 26 year history. 

Last season saw Pitt finish with a 17-32 record overall and a 6-18 conference record that had them tied for last place in the ACC with North Carolina State. 

Penn State, on the other hand, finished their season with a 35-20 record and went 12-11 in Big Ten play. They made the NCAA tournament, losing to Texas State early on.

This will be the first look Pitt gets at former player Jordan George, who moved across the state and will likely be a large contributor for the Nittany Lions. As a Panther, George played one year, hitting .333 and boasting a .947 fielding percentage.

Penn State is the first big test of the year for Pitt, and it will prove interesting to see how the team fares.