University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Pickett, Burkhardt Selected to Preseason All-ACC Team
January 29, 2020 | Softball
GREENSBORO, N.C. – North Carolina, 2019 ACC Tournament runner-up, has been selected fourth in the 2020 Atlantic Coast Conference preseason softball poll, as voted on by the ACC head coaches and released Wednesday by the league office. Additionally, senior Brittany Pickett and redshirt-junior Kristina Burkhardt have been named to the preseason all-ACC team.
The Tar Heels earned 117 points behind preseason favorite, Florida State, winner of the past six ACC Tournaments, who picked up 141 points and 10 first-place votes. Virginia Tech, winner of the 2019 Coastal Division, Notre Dame and North Carolina were separated by six votes in second (123 points, two first-place votes), third (121 points, one first-place vote) and fourth (117 points), respectively. Louisville picked up 103 points to round out the top five. First-year team, Clemson, was selected 10th in the preseason poll.
Pickett, a pitcher from Indian Trail, North Carolina, earned all-ACC first team and all-tournament team honors for the third year in a row. Picking up NFCA all-region second team-honors, the southpaw led UNC's pitching staff, making 34 starts and appearing in 43 games while also posting seven home runs at the plate for a team-best .603 slugging percentage. Pickett improved her ERA to 2.02, liming her opponents to .212 average. The pitcher hurled a career-best, 13 strikeouts and registered seven shutouts, including against No. 9 South Carolina, No. 21 Virginia Tech and No. 11 Tennessee.
Burkhardt, an outfielder from Fort Wayne, Indiana, picked up all-ACC first team honors in 2019. The redshirt-junior started all 58 games in the outfield and totaled 52 hits with a .304 average, including four doubles, five home runs and a team-best, six triples. Burkhardt had 14 multi-hit games and 11 multi-RBI games, highlighted by a 4-for-5 outing with four RBI and two runs at Louisville. Burkhardt also tallied four hits in the NCAA Regional, including two RBI vs. Ohio State and a game-winning home run vs. No. 11 Tennessee.
Florida State led the conference with five preseason selections while Virginia Tech picked up four. Notre Dame and UNC are tied with two apiece while Georgia Tech and Louisville each earned one.
Visit theacc.com for the complete ACC preseason release.
The Tar Heels begin the 2020 season at the Florida State Tournament Feb. 7-9 in Tallahassee, Florida. Carolina will take on three 2019 NCAA Tournament teams, Detroit Mercy, Super Regional host, Florida State, and Women's College World participant, Alabama.
Stay up to date with Carolina Softball by following the Tar Heels on Twitter and Instagram.
The Tar Heels earned 117 points behind preseason favorite, Florida State, winner of the past six ACC Tournaments, who picked up 141 points and 10 first-place votes. Virginia Tech, winner of the 2019 Coastal Division, Notre Dame and North Carolina were separated by six votes in second (123 points, two first-place votes), third (121 points, one first-place vote) and fourth (117 points), respectively. Louisville picked up 103 points to round out the top five. First-year team, Clemson, was selected 10th in the preseason poll.
Pickett, a pitcher from Indian Trail, North Carolina, earned all-ACC first team and all-tournament team honors for the third year in a row. Picking up NFCA all-region second team-honors, the southpaw led UNC's pitching staff, making 34 starts and appearing in 43 games while also posting seven home runs at the plate for a team-best .603 slugging percentage. Pickett improved her ERA to 2.02, liming her opponents to .212 average. The pitcher hurled a career-best, 13 strikeouts and registered seven shutouts, including against No. 9 South Carolina, No. 21 Virginia Tech and No. 11 Tennessee.
Burkhardt, an outfielder from Fort Wayne, Indiana, picked up all-ACC first team honors in 2019. The redshirt-junior started all 58 games in the outfield and totaled 52 hits with a .304 average, including four doubles, five home runs and a team-best, six triples. Burkhardt had 14 multi-hit games and 11 multi-RBI games, highlighted by a 4-for-5 outing with four RBI and two runs at Louisville. Burkhardt also tallied four hits in the NCAA Regional, including two RBI vs. Ohio State and a game-winning home run vs. No. 11 Tennessee.
Florida State led the conference with five preseason selections while Virginia Tech picked up four. Notre Dame and UNC are tied with two apiece while Georgia Tech and Louisville each earned one.
Visit theacc.com for the complete ACC preseason release.
The Tar Heels begin the 2020 season at the Florida State Tournament Feb. 7-9 in Tallahassee, Florida. Carolina will take on three 2019 NCAA Tournament teams, Detroit Mercy, Super Regional host, Florida State, and Women's College World participant, Alabama.
Stay up to date with Carolina Softball by following the Tar Heels on Twitter and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
P/1B
/ SoftballCarolina Women's Basketball 2025-26 | In Pursuit: Episode 3 - "Joy and Fire"
Wednesday, December 24
MBB: Hubert Davis Post-ECU Press Conference
Tuesday, December 23
Carolina Insider: Rapid Reactions pres. by Modelo – Men’s Basketball vs. ECU – December 22, 2025
Tuesday, December 23
UNC Men's Basketball: Tar Heels Breeze Past ECU, 99-51
Tuesday, December 23