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OUR SOFTBALL STAFF
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University of Minnesota
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2017 - Present
Contact Information
ERIKA SMYTH
OWNER + GENERAL MANAGER
Head of Hitting & Defensive Instruction
Erika started her career as a club coach and instructor upon our Softball Department's creation in 2017. As of December 2022, Erika is now Owner & General Manager of Catalyst Softball Academy (formerly Starters Softball). Erika has over a decade of coaching and instruction experience and is the Head of Hitting & Defensive Instruction. Erika conducts our highest level & proven High Performance programs, College Offseason programs, personal lessons, and camps and clinics at Catalyst Sports Lab - our very own data-driven, softball player development facility in Savage, MN.
A Washington state native, Erika was recruited by former Gopher Softball Head Coach Jessica Allister, and signed her NLI to play softball at the University of Minnesota where she was a four-year letter winner. Erika was a part of the historic class of 2015 that took Gopher Softball to their first Regional appearance in 10 years in 2013, first Big Ten Championship in 15 years in 2014, and the Gophers' first ever Regional Championship and Super Regional appearance in history in 2014. She ended her career having started 110 games at second base and posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 2014. She is the first and only player in Gopher Softball history to win back-to-back Teammate of the Year awards in 2014 and 2015 – the only award voted on by the players. Erika graduated in 2015 with her Bachelors in Business and Marketing and was a three-time Academic All Big Ten Award winner. As a club coach, Erika has coached her teams to various championships, none bigger than the 2019 Colorado Sparkler Championship, the Nation's biggest youth softball tournament. Erika now coaches teams at all age levels from 10U - 18U. Erika can also be heard as one of the voices for Gopher Softball as she is the NCAA softball color commentator for Gopher Softball home games on B1G+ and also had the opportunity to work alongside Mike Grimm to call the Gopher Softball games at the Women's College World Series on KFAN radio in Oklahoma City.
Erika is currently the head coach of Prior Lake High School.
University of Connecticut
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2018 - Present
MARYBETH OLSON
DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Head of Pitching Instruction & Player Development
Marybeth is a graduate of Chanhassen High School in 2017. In high school she was named captain of her basketball and softball teams, Gatorade Softball Player of the year, Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year and a state champion. Marybeth is currently a senior at the University of Connecticut where she is continuing her softball career and pursuing a degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Nutrition. She has a 2.21 career ERA, 299 strikeouts in 266 innings pitched. She went 10-0 with a 1.46 ERA before COVID cut their season short. She has 2 career no-hitters and a career high of 14 strikeouts against #24 ranked JMU. Marybeth has 7 years of coaching experience and is now in her 6th year with Catalyst.
Although she specializes in pitching, Marybeth will be vital in educating all instructors for all specialties on biomechanics/body movement patterns.
University of Minnesota
AUTUMN PEASE
PITCHING INSTRUCTOR & CLUB COACH
Autumn is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, where she played softball for four years. She graduated with a degree in Kinesiology. Autumn is currently a professional softball player with the Texas Smoke. In her first season in the WPF, she won pitcher of the year and was placed on the all-WPF team. Texas Smoke went on to win the regular season and Championship series led by Autumn. In college, Autumn held a career ERA of 2.37 in 548.1 innings of work. She compiled 600 strikeouts at Minnesota. Prior to Minnesota, she attended Idaho State University compiling 115 strikeouts and a 2.36 ERA in one season of work. Throughout her career, she won the CoSIDA Academic All-District team two times, Big 10 Pitcher of the Year ‘23, and second team All American.
2023 - Present
SOFTBALL INSTRUCTORS
University of Minnesota - Duluth
HANNAH SCHMOLL
Hitting, Slapping & Outfield Instructor
Hannah graduated from Grand Rapids High School in 2014 playing softball, hockey, and soccer. After High School, she continued her collegiate softball career at the University of Minnesota Duluth majoring in Psychology and minor in Public Health Education and Promotions. She was a four-year starter for the Bulldogs with career batting average of 0.386, 150 career stolen bases. She found much success at UMD, being named: All-NSIC First Team (2015, 2018) All-NSIC Second Team (2016, 2017) All-Central Region team (2015, 2018), NSIC Gold Glove (2017,2018) 2018 Division II Collegiate Commissioners Association All-American second team (2018). She helped lead the Bulldogs to 2 NCAA tournament berths, 2018 helped the Bulldogs make the Super Regional tournament, the furthest a UMD team has ever been.