RMU @ North Carolina Central
Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021 • 4:00 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 26, 2021 • 10:00 a.m.
Thomas Brooks Park • Cary, N.C.
 
Cracker Jack & Sunflower Seeds
 
- The RMU softball team opens its 2021 season Thursday afternoon with a 4:00 p.m. doubleheader in Cary, N.C., against North Carolina Central. The Colonials will also take on the Eagles Friday, Feb. 26, at Thomas Brooks Park in a doubleheader slated for first pitch at 10:00 a.m.
 
- The pair of double dips were originally scheduled for Friday, Feb. 26, and Saturday, Feb. 27, but were moved up a day due to avoid possible inclement weather in the Research Triangle area.
 
- The Colonials return seven starters from the 2020 campaign, including graduate students Natalie Higgins and Madison Riggle, who return after having their senior seasons cut short due to the global pandemic.
 
- Higgins started each of RMU's 19 games last season, pacing the Colonials in doubles (6), home runs (3) and RBI (12) while producing a slash line of .349/.373/.587, with her average and slugging tops for the program on the year.
 
- Riggle tied with Higgins for the team lead in both home runs (3) and RBI (12) while leading RMU in on-base percentage (.438). She hit .308 (16-for-52) in starting all 19 games while also posting a record of 2-1 (.667) from the pitching circle.
 
- Joining Higgins and Riggle to start all 19 games for RMU in 2020 was junior shortstop Brittney Seibert, who tied for the team lead in runs (10).
 
- The top returner for RMU from the pitching circle is junior Dana Vatakis, who recorded a 2.54 earned run average (ERA) in 12 appearances in 2020. She struck out 46 and held opponents to a .214 average.
 
- RMU heads to Washington, D.C., for a pair of doubleheaders to wrap up the non-conference portion of its 2021 schedule after taking on North Carolina Central. The Colonials will face Howard Saturday, March 6, and Sunday, March 7, at Nationals Youth Academy, with first pitch both days slated for Noon.
 
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL LINKS
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App
 
Locked In – A key reason graduate student Natalie Higgins led the Colonials in RBI in 2020 and enters the 2021 ranked in the top 10 in program history in the category is due to her success at the plate with runners on. Last season, Higgins hit a team-high .429 (12-for-28) with runners on base. She was even better with runners in scoring position, hitting .467 (7-for-15) while also driving in a team-high four runs with two out.
 
An Opportunity – Only two Colonials in program history have accumulated 100 career RBI, with Heather Ferrari (1991-94) owning the school record of 102 until it was eclipsed a decade later by Kali Byers (2003-06), who concluded her career with 144 RBI. Graduate student Natalie Higgins enters the 2021 season with 86 RBI to her credit, which ranks eighth all-time in program history. Higgins is also in reach of the career doubles record (41) at RMU, which is held by Lauren Dickinson (1998-2001). Higgins enters this afternoon's doubleheader with N.C. Central with 35 career doubles.
 
The Next Step – Junior Dana Vatakis was well on her way to improving her numbers during her sophomore year before the season was canceled due to the global pandemic after RMU played 19 games. In her 10 starts, Vatakis recorded seven complete games. That's a stark difference from her rookie campaign, when she posted 12 complete games in 21 starts. Vatakis also had struck out 46 while issuing just 18 free passes in 2020 and was just six punch outs shy of eclipsing her career high of 52 strikeouts from 2019.

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