Pitt senior infielder Olivia Gray was named to the preseason All-ACC softball team while the defending Coastal Division champion Panthers were projected to finish fourth by the coaches poll.
Gray was an All-ACC first-team selection last year after hitting .311, with four home runs and 25 RBIs. She also finished with 173 assists, third in single-season program history. Her 10 assists against Central Florida set a Pitt single-game record.
Gary is Pitt’s only player named to the conference’s first preseason All-ACC team.
Defending College World Series champion Florida State was picked first in the poll after receiving 121 total points and 11 first-place votes. Notre Dame placed second with 102 points and North Carolina came in third with 95, followed by Pitt with 88.
Pitt appeared on its way to the ACC tournament championship last year when Florida State catcher Anna Shelnutt hit a two-out, three-run homer to defeat the Panthers, 5-4. It was the Seminoles’ fifth consecutive title.
Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jerry at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.
