Pitt Spring Sports is preparing for fall exhibitions

lacrosse

Next Saturday, Pitt Lacrosse travels to Virginia to compete in one Matchday at James Madison University. This game day provides an opportunity for several schools to come together and play in some fall ball exhibition games before the season proper begins.

Not only will Pitt have the opportunity to compete against JMU, but they will also test their skills against schools like Virginia Tech and Georgetown. These game days offer teams the opportunity to gain experience in a series of low-stakes games and monitor progress made during the off-season.

Last season, Pitt lacrosse went 5-13 and 0-9 in the ACC, losing to conference rival Clemson in the first round of the ACC Tournament. Because Pitt’s program is relatively new, it is relatively difficult to compete in the ACC, which is home to some of the best lacrosse schools in the country.

The Panthers can expect some good performances against these teams this weekend. At the end of last season, JMU was ranked 19th nationally, just behind notable ACC schools UNC and UVA. The Panthers should use this weekend to introduce a new and improved team.

baseball

Pitt Baseball opens its fall season this weekend with a trip to Cincinnati where they will face Cincinnati in a one-game series at UC Baseball Stadium.

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

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

Pitt baseball looks set to have a winning season for the first time in a long time, as this season marks 30 years since the program’s last appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 1995, where the Panthers lost in the regional round in an elimination game against Oklahoma lost state.

Following their game against Cincinnati, Pitt hosts Mercyhurst on October 18th and concludes the fall season with an intra-team scrimmage series called the Blue/Gold Fall World Series from October 22nd-26th.

Softball

Pitt softball concludes its fall season this weekend in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, as Pitt in the “Little League girls with playing experience.”

After an undefeated record of 6-0 in fall games, the team is hoping to close out its fall schedule with another win.

Pitt softball has struggled in recent years, last appearing in the NCAA Tournament in 2015 – its only appearance in the program’s 26-year history.

Last season, Pitt finished with an overall record of 17-32 and a conference record of 6-18, tying them for last place in the ACC along with North Carolina State.

Penn State, meanwhile, finished its season with a 35-20 record and went 12-11 in Big Ten play. They reached the NCAA Tournament and lost early to Texas State.

This will be the first look Pitt has at former player Jordan George, who moved across the state and will likely be a major contributor for the Nittany Lions. George played as a panther for a year, He hit .333 and had a fielding percentage of .947.

Penn State is Pitt’s first big test of the year and it will be interesting to see how the team performs.