Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – As the Virginia Tech softball team continues to soar through spring competition, sophomore Annika Rohs has been flourishing at the shortstop position. The Lovettsville, Virginia native’s quick thinking on defense has been a key contributor to a Hokies (36-5, 14-1 ACC) team that has now won 17 straight contests since March 9. While there are only three series left in store this spring, Tech has shown no signs of slowing down as Rohs and the Hokies play on.
Rohs first started her softball career as a member of the Woodgrove High School varsity softball team in Lovettsville, Virginia. Sharing the field with current teammate Michelle Chatfield, Rohs would earn four-year letterwinner credentials as a Wolverine, helping her team to a VA Class 5A State Championship as a senior in 2023. Rohs would also be recognized as the 2023 Woodgrove High School Outstanding Female Scholar Athlete alongside First Team All-State, All-District, and All-Region accolades during her final season, holding a .465 batting average and a .510 on-base percentage while active.
Joining teammate Chatfield after declaring for the Hokies, Rohs would see the field in a prominent role as a freshman. Making 39 starts at shortstop, she would hit .226 in her first season as a Hokie, tallying 19 hits and accumulating 22 total bases on the year. The then-freshman would also tally a .959 fielding percentage in her first year wearing maroon and orange.
Now as a sophomore, Rohs has continued to thrive at shortstop while taking on main starting duties for the white-hot Hokies. Starting and playing in 38 games this spring, the Virginia native’s current batting average (.271), hits (23), runs (21), and fielding percentage (.977) have all seen jumps from year one, signifying that Rohs has been finding her groove between second and third base.
Rohs has also been one of the most direct contributors to Tech’s success on the defensive end. The sophomore is currently credited with a team-high six double plays, using a combination of quick thinking and pinpoint accuracy to punch out even the speediest of opponents. In the past series against Notre Dame, the Hokies outscored the Fighting Irish 32-5 over three games; such low opponent run totals can be attributed to Rohs and her work at shortstop.
Rohs and the Hokies will start consecutive road trips to meet conference foes in Pittsburgh and California as the season concludes. The final three-game set, which promises to be an exciting one against a top-tier conference opponent, Florida State, will be played from Friday, May 2 to Sunday, May 4 with games on each day of the series. Be sure to see the Hokies close out the season when they face the Seminoles.