This Week In Panthers Athletics
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Pitt Panthers men's basketball team will be entering the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed for the second time in school history. The team will be traveling to Washington, D.C. to take on the winner of the UNC Asheville vs. Arkansas-Little Rock play-in game.
Eight Panther wrestlers will also be competing for an NCAA Championship in their weight classes beginning Thursday in Philadelphia.
For more information go to www.pittsburghpanthers.com
Read the full press release below.
THIS WEEK IN PANTHERS ATHLETICS
March 14, 2011
MEN'S BASKETBALL
For the second time in program history, Pitt will enter the 2011 NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed. The Panthers play the winner of No. 16 seeds UNC Asheville and Arkansas-Little Rock contest in a second round matchup on Thursday, March 17, in Washington, D.C. Tip is set for approximately 3 p.m. on TruTV (Comcast channel 63; DirectTV channel 246). The last time Pitt earned a No. 1 seed was in 2009 when it reached the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 1974 and for the first time since the tournament expanded to 64 teams. An at-large selection, Big East regular season champion Pitt (27-5, 15-3 Big East) meets either the Big South Champion UNC Asheville (19-13) or 2011 Sun Belt Champion Arkansas-Little Rock (19-16) on Thursday, March 17, at the Verizon Center. The Bulldogs and Trojans face off on Wednesday, March 16 in Dayton, Ohio. The Pitt-UNC Asheville/UALR winner will advance to face the winner No. 8 seed and last year's NCAA runner-up Butler (23-9) and No. 9 seed Old Dominion (27-6) game. That contest is scheduled for Saturday, March 19.
BASEBALL
The Panthers conclude their trip to the Russ Matt Invitational on Monday, March 14, with a matchup against Big Ten foe Indiana. Game time is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Chain of Lakes Stadium in Winter Haven, Fla. Following the game, the Panthers return to Pittsburgh to open the brand-new Petersen Sports Complex on Wednesday, March 16, when they host Kent State at 3 p.m. at Charles L. Cost Field. On Friday, March 18, the Panthers begin play in the first-ever PSC Panther Classic, beginning with a noon contest against Niagara. On Saturday, March 19, Pitt faces Youngstown State at noon followed by a 6 p.m. game versus Toledo. The Panthers wrap up tournament play against Niagara at noon on Sunday, March 20. All games for the PSC Panthers Classic will be held at Charles L. Cost Field in the Petersen Sports Complex.
GYMNASTICS
Pitt travels to the EAGL Championships in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, March 19 with the meet scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. The Panthers hope for healed injures as gymnasts look to return to the lineup in the postseason. Pitt wrapped up its regular season last weekend in a tri-meet at Ohio State with Missouri and the Buckeyes, finishing with a score of 191.625. Senior Mallory Brewer hit a career-high on the floor exercise with a 9.875.
SOFTBALL
Fresh off an undefeated finish in the Buccaneer Classic, the Panthers travel to Botetourt, Va. for the Radford Invitational held at Botetourt Sports Complex this weekend. Action begins on Friday, March 18, as the Panthers face Robert Morris (1 p.m.) and host Radford (3 p.m.). Then on Saturday, March 19, Pitt meets Ball State (11 a.m.) and Delaware (3 p.m.). In their tournament finale, the Panthers will play Georgetown at 11 a.m. Junior Kelly Hmiel was named the 2011 Buccaneer Classic Tournament MVP after she lit up the scoreboard with a .824 batting average in 17 at-bats. She drove in a team-leading 16 RBI as a result of six homeruns, two doubles and six singles as the Panthers went 5-0.
WOMEN'S TENNIS
Pitt will host three conference opponents this week. The Panthers open with an afternoon match against Big East foe Providence at noon on Monday, March 14 at Alpha Tennis and Fitness Club. Pitt continues conference play on Friday, March 19 with a 12:30 p.m. contest against Villanova. The next day, the Panthers play Seton Hall at 1 p.m. Sophomore Gabi Catanzariti played up and earned a straight-set victory over Cincinnati's No. 1 singles player this past Saturday.
WRESTLING
Eight Panthers will travel to Philadelphia to compete in the NCAA Championships this week. Sophomore Anthony Zanetta (125), redshirt junior Tyler Nauman (141), redshirt freshman Dane Johnson (149), redshirt sophomore Donnie Tasser (157), redshirt junior Ethan Headlee (165), freshman Max Thomusseit (184), junior Zac Thomusseit (197) and redshirt senior Ryan Tomei (285) all will represent the Panthers in their respective weight classes. Tournament action begins on Thursday, March 17, at the Wells Fargo Center with the opening rounds scheduled for the morning session. The quarterfinals and semifinals will take place on Friday, March 18 followed by the finals on Saturday.
TRACK AND FIELD
Pitt opens its outdoor season at the Charlotte 49ers Classic in Charlotte, N.C. The three-day event begins at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 17. Action resumes Friday at 9 a.m. and then again on Saturday at 10 a.m.
PANTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY
Pitt's women's soccer team will host Panther PAWS at Trees Hall on Saturday, March 19. The two-hour program begins at 10 a.m.
For more information on all Panthers athletics, please contact the Pittsburgh Athletic Media Relations Office at (412) 648-8240.
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