2022 Season Preview: Softball
RMU softball meets before their game against Youngstown State. Photo credit: Ethan Morrison
February 11, 2022
After a surprising run to the #HLSB tournament in 2020, Robert Morris softball is looking to continue success in this small window.
GAMES TO WATCH
They will hit the road for the North Carolina A&T round-robin to play Howard and NC A&T to start the campaign.
The week after, the Colonials will head to the Winthrop Invitational to take on Winthrop, Ball State, Albany and Towson in Rock Hill, S.C.
After that, Robert Morris heads out to the Pacific Northwest to take on Portland State, Oregon State, Washington State and Seattle.
They begin conference play on March 11 with a home series against Green Bay, and in the subsequent week, they head to Detroit to take on the Titans.
On March 30, the Colonials will host their in-city rivals Pittsburgh out of the ACC, finishing off the away leg of the home-and-home in Pittsburgh on May 3.
To round out conference play, they will host last year’s no. 1 seed Youngstown State on May 7 and then the conference tournament begins May 12.
Players to Watch
Kristyna Mala, UTIL
Last season, Mala’s production proved to be exactly what the Colonials needed as she added the first home run of her career and another pair of round-trippers in her third year at RMU.
Mala hit .231 with three doubles and three home runs in 39 games last season primarily out of the leadoff spot in addition to drawing eight walks.
The native of the Czech Republic will aim to ramp up her stats during her senior season.
Erika Bell, C
Bell enters her senior season hitting .273 overall throughout her first three years in a Colonial uniform.
She hit .304 in just her second full season behind the plate as she tallied 35 hits, three homers and 19 RBI.
Bell will look to continue to be the anchor of the batting order this year, serving as the primary batterymate of the pitching staff with a talented group of catchers behind her.
Dana Vatakis, RHP
Vatakis, now a senior, served as the de facto ace of the Colonials’ pitching staff last season. A rough outing in the Horizon League tournament aside, Vatakis tossed a 4.28 ERA overall and 3.98 ERA during the regular season.
Fanning 90 batters and pitching the most innings on the pitching staff last year, Vatakis will attempt to turn in another good year.
