Meet The Team | Catalyst Softball

OUR SOFTBALL STAFF

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University of Minnesota

2017 - Present

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ERIKA SMYTH

OWNER + GENERAL MANAGER

Head of Hitting & Defensive Instruction

Erika’s career in softball began in 2017, when she started as a club coach and instructor following the creation of our Softball Department. As of December 2022, Erika proudly took on the role of Owner & General Manager of Catalyst Softball Academy (formerly Starters Softball), where she leads the organization with a vision for excellence. With over a decade of coaching and instruction experience, Erika serves as the Head of Hitting & Defensive Instruction, overseeing our elite-level High Performance programs, College Offseason programs, personal lessons, and camps and clinics at Catalyst Sports Lab—our cutting-edge, data-driven softball development facility in Savage, MN.

A proud native of Washington state, Erika was recruited by former Gopher Softball Head Coach Jessica Allister and went on to have a standout career at the University of Minnesota. As a four-year letter winner, Erika was part of the historic class of 2015 that led the Gophers to their first NCAA Regional appearance in 10 years in 2013, their first Big Ten Championship in 15 years in 2014, and their first-ever Regional Championship and Super Regional appearance in 2014. Erika finished her career with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage at second base in 2014. She is also 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 her teammates.

Erika graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Marketing, and she was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. As a coach, Erika has led her teams to various championships, including the prestigious 2019 Colorado Sparkler Championship, one of the nation’s largest youth softball tournaments. She now coaches teams at all age levels, from 10U to 18U, and is passionate about developing young athletes to reach their full potential.

In addition to her coaching career, Erika is a voice for Gopher Softball, serving as the NCAA softball color commentator for Gopher Softball home games on B1G+ and working alongside Mike Grimm to call Gopher Softball games at the Women’s College World Series on KFAN radio in Oklahoma City. Currently, Erika is also the head coach at Prior Lake High School, where she continues to impact the next generation of softball players in Savage, MN.

University of Connecticut

2018 - Present

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MARYBETH OLSON

DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Head of Pitching Instruction & Player Development

Marybeth is a 2017 graduate of Chanhassen High School, where she was a standout athlete and leader, earning the title of captain for both her basketball and softball teams. During her high school career, she was named Gatorade Softball Player of the Year, Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year, and led her team to a state championship.

Marybeth is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, where she excelled in softball while receiving a degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Nutrition. Over the course of her college career, she posted an impressive 2.21 ERA and recorded 299 strikeouts in 266 innings pitched. She went 10-0 with a 1.46 ERA before the COVID-19 pandemic cut her season short. Marybeth has also thrown two career no-hitters and set a personal best with 14 strikeouts in a game against #24-ranked James Madison University (JMU).

With seven years of coaching experience, Marybeth is now in her sixth year with Catalyst Softball. Although she specializes in pitching, she plays a key role in educating and mentoring all instructors, particularly in the areas of biomechanics and body movement patterns. Marybeth is now a full-time staff member and Director of Research & Development as well as our Head of Pitching Development.

University of Minnesota

2023 - Present

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AUTUMN PEASE

PITCHING INSTRUCTOR & CLUB COACH

Autumn is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, where she had an outstanding four-year softball career and earned a degree in Kinesiology. Currently, she plays professionally for the Texas Smoke in the Women’s Professional Fastpitch (WPF). In her debut season with the WPF, Autumn was named Pitcher of the Year and earned a spot on the All-WPF team. She played a key role in leading the Texas Smoke to both the regular season title and the Championship Series victory.

During her collegiate career, Autumn posted a career ERA of 2.37 over 548.1 innings, amassing 600 strikeouts at Minnesota. Before transferring to Minnesota, she played for Idaho State University, where she compiled 115 strikeouts and a 2.36 ERA in her lone season there.

Autumn’s numerous accolades include two selections to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team, Big Ten Pitcher of the Year in 2023, and being named a Second Team All-American.

Now, Autumn serves as a part-time pitching instructor and coach at Catalyst Softball, where she offers personal lessons and works alongside Marybeth Olson in our High Performance Programs.

SOFTBALL INSTRUCTORS

University of Minnesota - Duluth

HANNAH SCHMOLL

Hitting, Slapping & Outfield Instructor

Hannah is a 2014 graduate of Grand Rapids High School, where she excelled in softball, hockey, and soccer. She continued her athletic career at the University of Minnesota Duluth, where she majored in Psychology with a minor in Public Health Education and Promotions.

As a four-year starter for the Bulldogs, Hannah posted an impressive career batting average of .386 and stole 150 bases. Her outstanding performance earned her numerous accolades, including:

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

Hannah played a key role in leading the Bulldogs to two NCAA tournament appearances, including their historic run to the Super Regional tournament in 2018—the furthest a UMD team had ever advanced.

In addition to her athletic career, Hannah is currently a full-time special education teacher and is in the process of obtaining her yoga instructor certification. She is the head of instruction for Catalyst’s High Performance Outfield Program and also assists with our High Performance Hitting Program.