Pitt Softball: Q&A with Hunter Levesque

The Pittsburgh Panthers (6-32, 2-10) finished the Mizzou Tournament this past weekend with a record of 1-3. They bounced back to beat the Missouri Tigers, 5-4, after a 2-9 loss at the hands of Missouri to open the tournament. Additionally, despite losing to the Oregon Ducks, 1-9, in five innings in their second game of the tournament, they played them tight in a 3-4 loss in their final game.

Put aside Pitt’s record, this team continues to fight. Perhaps no player epitomizes that more than sophomore center fielder Hunter Levesque. She’s the only Panther that has played in, and started, every game this season.

Levesque leads the team in hits (29), RBIs (20), doubles (6), total bases (55), and tied for the lead in triples (1) and stolen bases (5). She is second on the team in runs (20), home runs (6), walks (14), and batting average (.284) for players that have had at least 50 plate appearances.

Briefly diving into an advanced metric, Levesque is second on the team in on-base plus slugging percentage (.926) as well. OPS is the sum of a player’s on-base percentage and slugging average.

Hunter was kind enough to take time out of her schedule to answer a few of our questions. We really appreciate her offering more insight into Pitt’s season, and we wish her and the team a successful close to the 2019 schedule.

Q1: It seems like the team has been competitive in nearly every game, but a rough inning or two, has made it difficult to secure a victory. What’s contributed to that, and do you believe you guys are close to turning the corner?

“I think in a lot of our games we have come close to securing a win and we are more than capable of doing so, we just have to maintain our focus. I believe if we continue to keep our foot on the gas and don’t slow up, we will get the results we want.”

Q2: What are some of the successes that you’ve been able to celebrate so far this season?

“We’ve been able to celebrate not only our wins, but also the competitive games we’ve been fighting in. We are a team who is always ready to bounce back from a tough loss, and I think that shows our grit and passion for the game.”

Q3: As a former All-Freshman performer, which teammate do you believe could earn that distinction this year?

“I think Katlyn Pavlick has a great chance at being an All-ACC Freshman this year. She’s been doing a great job with her transition into college ball. She has been keeping the game simple and excelling in her strengths. I’m super proud of what she’s contributed to our team so far this season.”

Q4: What can we expect from the team for the rest of the season?

“We hold a ton of pride representing our university and we will remain determined to finish the season strong.”