KINGSTON, R.I. – Rhode Island softball head coach Whitney Goldstein announced four players as team captains for the 2022 season. A trio of seniors – infielder Ari Castillo, catcher Susan Harrison and outfielder Sami Villarreal – along with junior pitcher Liz Lynchard will serve as the team's leaders this season.

"As a new staff, we made a decision to wait a little longer to elect leaders to see who would emerge during the first semester," Goldstein said. "These four women will be instrumental to our team's success on and off the field as people, students, players, and community members.

"They have earned the respect of their teammates. Great teams take care of themselves – so it's nice to see that our leaders align with the team's mission, vision, and values and they do it well while inspiring those around them to be their very best."

Castillo has been one of the best hitters in program history. Through 90 career games, she already has 103 career hits, including 26 doubles and 11 home runs. Castillo is Rhode Island's all-time leader in on-base percentage (.466) and is second in program history with a .389 career batting average, just seven points below URI Hall of Famer Kellie Cookus (1996-98). As a freshman in 2019, she earned both Atlantic 10 second-team and all-rookie team honors.

Harrison has been the calming influence behind the plate since she arrived in Kingston. She has started 73 of the 76 career games she has played for the Rams, delivering 40 hits and 20 runs scored throughout her career. Adding some power to the middle of the lineup, Harrison has nine home runs, eight doubles and 27 runs batted in during her career.

An on-base machine, Villarreal has 42 hits and 42 walks in 57 career games. Despite being limited by injuries throughout her career, Villarreal has started all 57 games she has played at URI, serving as the table setter at the top of the batting order. With 29 runs scored, 16 doubles and 12 stolen bases, Rhode Island's ability to score runs improves significantly when Villarreal is in the lineup. She earned all-rookie team honors from the A-10 in 2019.

Lynchard is Rhode Island's top returning pitcher, starting 12 of her 16 appearances in the circle last season. As a freshman in 2020, she had a team-best 3.33 earned run average.

Rhode Island opens the 2022 season at the Runnin' Bulldog Classic in Boiling Springs, N.C. The Rams play five games from Feb. 11-13, with two games each against Colgate and Gardner-Webb, and a single game against Youngstown State.