FAIRFAX, Va. – First pitch has not been thrown yet, but George Mason University's softball team already picked up its first piece of recognition for the season after sophomore pitcher Marina Vitalich was named among the Fastpitch News (FPN) 2017 Preseason Top 50 NCAA Softball Pitchers.

Vitalich, one of only 13 underclassmen in the top 50, is No. 38 in the publication's ranking.

"We are excited to see Mina's recognition as one of the top pitchers in the country after her strong freshman year," head coach Joe Verbanic said. "I love to watch her play and cannot wait for the season to get rolling."

The San Pedro, Calif. native had a fantastic freshman campaign. She led Mason's pitching staff and ranked third in the Atlantic 10 Conference with 1.75 ERA.

Vitalich appeared in 31 games with 18 starts as a freshman, earning 14 of the Patriots' 22 wins in 2016. She recorded 173 strikeouts in 148 innings pitched, only behind Dayton's then-sophomore Manda Cash (183) in the conference.

Cash was the other A-10 pitcher who made FPN's top 50 list and was ranked No. 32.