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For many years, PSU has only offered a club volleyball and baseball team for students not playing on the varsity squads. This fall, sophomore Olivia Mitchell wanted to change that.
The PSU club women’s softball team offers an athletic opportunity for those who wanted to play, but just not as big of a time commitment.
“When I graduated, I didn’t want to play the varsity team, and when I got to Pitt I saw the other club teams and thought about how much I loved softball in high school, and so I wanted to start a club here to do the same for other girls wanting to still play softball,” said Olivia Mitchell, sophomore and president of women’s club softball.
Mitchell wanted to make the club similar to why people play club baseball and volleyball, because they want to play without a huge time commitment.
For senior utility player Adri Pedrow, she played for the varsity team her freshman year, but ended up having to quit and played slow pitch for two years, and now is excited to be back playing fast pitch.
“I am very happy Olivia created this club and I am very glad to have this opportunity to play here again and represent Pitt, because I would be very bored without it,” said Pedrow.
This will be the club’s first season, and Mitchell is excited to get the season going and to have fun and be competitive.
“First year is always hard on any club, but I am excited to just be here and watch softball,” associate director of campus recreation Steven Lilly said.
Lilly also said he is eager to help Mitchell with the team.
Being a club, the athletes do have to provide their own bat, gloves, cleats, and helmet. Aside from this, the varsity softball team donated some uniforms for them to use.
One advantage they do have is having their own field that they are able to practice on at any time.
They first play in the spring, and are taking the fall off to gather a team, practice, and get to know each other as a team.
“We are a little more relaxed than the varsity team, and they play year round and we are playing two games in St. Louis in the spring, as well as two at home,” Mitchell said.
They do have to fundraising to pay for travel and tournaments, but they are excited to do anything to keep playing.
“With us being club, it’s a lot of work, just the day of tryouts me and the grounds crew spent about six hours out here (on the field) getting it ready to be perfect for these girls trying out,” said Lilly.
With it being the first year, the girls are eager to represent Pitt’s first club softball team, and get to play the game they love and have missed since high school.
The team extends their hand to anyone who still wants to try out for the team.