College notebook: Local softball duo receives Pitt Choice awards
Two local athletes recently received awards at the University of Pittsburgh’s Panthers Choice Awards.
Formerly called the Panther Gala, the Panthers’ Choice Awards honor Pitt’s top athletic performances, community service participation as well as the top teams in terms of athletic and academic accomplishment.
Junior softball shortstop Olivia Gray of Washington and a Trinity graduate, received the Heart of a Panther Award. The award, which is presented annually, is given to the student-athlete who best embodies the spirit of service through the Pitt Promise and is involved in the community above and beyond what is required.
Giorgiana Zeremenko, a senior catcher on the softball team and a Canon-McMillan graduate, received the David Sandberg Champion Award, which is given to the Pitt senior who best exemplifies the qualities that Sandberg, a former Panthers wrestler, embraced: dedication to academic and athletic excellence, with an unyielding spirit and passionate commitment to the improvement of the University of Pittsburgh and its surrounding communities.
Gray was named Tuesday as the Atlantic Coast Conference Co-Player of the Week, an honor she shared with Boston College’s Annie Murphy. Gray led the Panthers to a midweek victory at Kent State and a series sweep of ACC rival Virginia.
In the four games, Gray had a .583 batting average with seven hits, four of which were for extra bases including a home run and three doubles. She also had five RBI and scored six runs. Gray walked twice and did not strike out in 14 plate appearances. She had a 1.083 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .643. Gray had a double, home run and three RBI in the series opener against Virginia.
Through 43 games, Gray has a .326 batting average, which is second-best on the team. She leads the Panthers with six sacrifice bunts.
Zeremenko leads Pitt with a .346 batting average, 10 doubles, 14 home runs, 26 RBI and 25 walks. Zeremenko and Gray share the team lead with 44 hits.
In basketball
Fairmont State’s Sierra Kotchman, a Trinity graduate, was named to the Division II Bulletin All-Freshman Team for her efforts during the 2017-18 season.
Kotchman, the Mountain East Conference Freshman of the Year and a second team All-MEC selection, established a Fairmont State record for scoring as a freshman with 556 points, averaging 18.5 points per game. That total also set the MEC record for points as a freshman, as Kotchman ranked fourth in the league in scoring. Kotchman also ranked third in NCAA Division II in scoring among freshman.
Kotchman scored in double-figures in 27 of 30 games and had 20 or more points in 16 games. She made the MEC all-tournament team after helping Fairmont State semifinals by averaging 20.5 points and eight rebounds in two games.
South Florida freshman guard David Collins, who played at First Love Christian Academy in Washington, was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Rookie team.
“‘I’d be hard pressed to say he’s not the rookie of the year,” USF head coach Brian Gregory said. “You look at statistical analysis, he’s had as good of a freshman year as anyone in the league, and statistically probably better. I think he’s second in scoring, first in assists, first in steals. He’s had as good of a year as any freshman around, and he’s had as big of an impact as any freshman.”
Collins scored in double figures 12 times, including nine of the last 10 games of the season. He scored a career-high 30 points in a season-ending 79-77 loss to Memphis in the opening round of the American Athletic Conference tournament in Orlando.
“He’s got a chance to be a great player in this league,” Gregory said. “His best attributes are he’s coachable and he works hard. When you add that to the baseline of talent that he has, it’s a pretty good combination… He made good play after good play.”
Bucknell’s Kaitlyn Slagus, a junior forward from Belle Vernon, earned her second consecutive second team All-Patriot League selection after being one of the most dominant post players in the conference this season. Bucknell’s success often mirrors hers, as the Bison were 10-0 when she had a double-double. The junior averaged 12.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game and was solid at the free-throw line, shooting 75 percent.
Slagus closed the regular season on a high note, recording double-doubles in four of the final five games. She capped the run with a career-high 25 points and nine rebounds in a 75-55 win over Army. Slagus helped Bucknell to a berth in the women’s NIT. The Bison lost to West Virginia in the first round.
In track and field
Bethany junior Patience Frazier of Washington and a Wash High graduate broke the Bison’s 32-year-old school-record in the javelin last week at the Bethany Mini-Meet.
Frazier won the event with a distance of 127-8 to break the school record of 199-0 set in 1986 by Barbara Kushner. Frazier also placed eighth in the shot put with a throw of 35-3.
Bethany sophomore Amanda Gower, a Trinity graduate, finished in second place in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:02.18.
In tennis
Westminster freshman Collin Kelly, a Canon-McMillan graduate, was named the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Men’s Tennis Rookie of the week for April 1-7.
Kelly went 4-0 during the week. In a 7-2 win at Bethany, Kelly earned a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 5 singles over Tyler Beck after teaming with Yu-Hsien Lin for an 8-1 win at third doubles. In an 8-1 win over Waynesburg, Kelly was a 6-1, 6-2 winner over James Zeremenko at fifth singles after partnering with Hunter Paff to win 8-6 at third doubles.
In softball
Linda Rush, a sophomore shortstop at Drexel and a Canon-McMillan graduate, had her 100th career hit to help the Drexel softball team sweep La Salle April 18.
Rush went 3-for-7 with a home run, 2 RBI and three runs in the doubleheader. She is one of Drexel’s top offensive threats with a .380 batting average, 12 doubles, 11 home runs and a team-leading 46 RBI in 43 games.
In baseball
Saint Vincent junior first baseman Bobby Finn, a Venetia native and Peters Township graduate, capped a fantastic stretch at the plate by being named the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week for April 9-15.
Finn batted .364 (8-for-22) for the week with four home runs, 12 RBI and 21 total bases in six games.
Finn had a memorable game April 14 against Waynesburg when he belted three home runs in a 16-11 victory over the Yellow Jackets. He became only the second Saint Vincent player in modern history to hit three homers a game and the first to hit two in one inning.
Finn had a .955 slugging percentage and a .464 on-base percentage during his big week.
The PAC leader in home runs with nine and slugging percentage at .742, Finn also is second in totals bases (72) and RBI (34).
Pitt-Greensburg sophomore pitcher Matt Mish, a Canon-McMillan graduate, threw a six-hit complete game in the Bobcats’ 2-1 win Sunday at Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference rival Penn State Behrend.
Mish struck out three and did not issue a walk to help UPG remain in second place in the AMCC standings.
Shortstop Ty Cole of Carmichaels was having a big senior season for Penn State Beaver before suffering a season-ending injury. Cole had a .489 batting average and .579 on-base percentage through 23 games. He had a 13-game hitting streak to begin the season and hit safely in all but one game.