Anna Resnik’s collegiate softball career began with heartbreak.
The Robert Morris senior second baseman and her classmates now have a chance to write a storybook ending.
After winning three straight games en route to earning their first Horizon League tournament championship in school history last weekend, the Colonials received their fourth NCAA Division I tournament bid and first since 2005.
For many of Robert Morris’ players and coaches, the memory of falling to Oakland in the wake of its three-run rally in the sixth inning of the 2022 Horizon League championship game still stung — until now.
“It’s just a full circle moment,” said Resnik, a 2021 Elizabeth Forward graduate and four-year Colonials starter, who was a key contributor on the 2022 team. “It’s a little bit surreal, honestly. My freshman year we all got a taste of almost getting a bid and a ticket to the big dance. Overall, that’s what you work for, to get an opportunity to compete with the best.”
Robert Morris will get that opportunity Friday when it opens NCAA tournament play in the Tallahassee Regional with a first-round game against host No. 5 seed Florida State. First pitch for the game, which will be broadcast on ACC Network, is set for 2:30 p.m. at JoAnne Graf Field at Seminole Softball Complex.
Auburn and South Florida will play the other first-round contest in the double-elimination Tallahassee Regional at 12 p.m. Friday.
“It’s been 20 years since we’ve been in,” seventh-year Robert Morris coach Jexx Varner said. “I think the really special thing is we just really worked really, really hard to get to this point. We’ve been kind of knocking at the door for a while now.
“We lost a heartbreaker to Oakland in 2022 and they’ve been kind of itching to get back,” he added. “We put ourselves in a really great place in this conference, been the most consistent team in the conference, and to finally kind of break through and get that championship I think is really special.”
Robert Morris (30-16) has certainly had a special season this spring. The Colonials reached 30 wins for the second time under Varner, were the first team to go undefeated in the Horizon League tournament since Oakland in 2022 and finished second in school history with 285 runs.
“We are definitely excited,” said redshirt junior right fielder Courtney Poulich, a 2021 Mount Pleasant graduate. “I can tell you every single person on this team has dreamt of this since we have been little girls. It’s definitely a special feeling and we are excited just to kind of put Robert Morris on the map for softball and just show everyone that we deserve to be in this regional and that we’re just there to compete, have some fun and play some good softball.”
Balance has been the key for Robert Morris at the plate this season.
The Colonials led the Horizon League with a .308 team batting average, .512 slugging percentage, .379 on-base percentage, 48 home runs, 255 RBIs, 285 runs, 75 doubles and 14 triples.
“We’re really balanced,” Varner said. “We’ve set program records for doubles, home runs and RBIs. We are on the cusp of the runs record, but we’ve also set a program record for stolen bases. We can be really aggressive on the base paths and do whatever it takes to kind of go win ball games.
“I think we’ve done a really good job of putting a balanced lineup together, not only within their skillsets but, again, how we can adapt and how deep this lineup can be.”
Robert Morris’ potency at the plate, though, begins with Poulich.
After transferring from Division I Liberty following the 2022 season, Poulich played her second season at Robert Morris this spring. The right-handed power hitter set a school record with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs, which were good for tops in the Horizon League in each statistical category.
“She’s a phenomenal athlete,” said Varner of Poulich, who also is hitting .340. “She’s extraordinarily strong and she works her butt off. It’s been really amazing to see her being able to put that skillset to use this season and really kind of get herself comfortable in the game.”
Sophomore outfielder Kaylyn Hopf and freshman infielder Mary Brant lead Robert Morris with identical .367 batting averages, while Resnik is hitting .328, Peters Township product Alaina Koutsogiani is hitting .316 and senior Southmoreland product Jess Matheny is hitting .305.
“It’s a team effort for sure,” Poulich said. “Our offense just really came alive this year and it’s awesome to see.”
And the Colonials pitching staff has been nearly equally as dominant.
Senior Madison DeVault blossomed into one of the Horizon League’s most dominant workhorses this season. She has a 14-7 record with a 2.41 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 131 strikeouts, 2 shutouts and 17 complete games in 139⅔ innings.
Sophomore Kaitlyn Molitoris, a Montour product, has also pitched meaningful innings. She has 9-5 record with a 3.67 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 48 strikeouts in 55⅓ innings.
“We fully utilize and believe in the staff mentality and they work really well off of each other,” Varner said. “They’re really great. Nobody looks the same, nobody does the same things, everybody is a little different and I think that’s what makes them so successful is them leaning into that and trusting each other.”
And that mentality has filtered down to all of the Colonials.
“It’s easier to grasp the pass-the-bat mentality when you have a lineup with depth, with experience that has not only been to a championship Saturday before but have all been together as a group,” Resnik said. “We didn’t really notice that we were on track to break as many offensive records as we did this season. It was, honestly, a pleasant surprise of course. I think it’s just knowing we have control in any situation, any game.”
Robert Morris, though, will get its toughest test against Florida State — and then either Auburn or South Florida in the NCAA tournament.
“You definitely want to make some noise and shock the world,” Resnik said. “That’s the goal of the NCAA tournament. Just to be in a regional with these successful teams and these powerhouses definitely makes a statement. We are just trying to use that publicity and run with it.”
For Poulich, the chance to make an NCAA tournament run with a roster chock full of former WPIAL standouts is even more special.
The Robert Morris roster features eight former WPIAL players including redshirt freshman infielder Sequoia Dunlap (Uniontown), junior utility player Abby Quickel (Bethel Park) and freshman infielder Marta Gualazzi (Chartiers Valley).
“A lot of people are local and you’re playing for the city of Pittsburgh in a way,” Poulich said. “It’s cool because five teams at Robert Morris this year have made the NCAA tournament, which is a record. That’s awesome to kind of get Robert Morris the recognition that we deserve. As a whole, I think that’s super special.”
John is a copy editor and page designer at the Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at jsanta@unionprogress.com.