Third-year slugger Kylie Bulinski is in the midst of a career year for the University of Rhode Island softball team, which is no coincidence following a coaching change this past offseason.
“The new coaching staff came in, and they took one look at me and were like, ‘Ok, she’s a power hitter,’” Bulinski said. “They kind of unleashed me.”
Mike Coutts was named head coach last August, following three seasons at the Colorado School of Mines. His staff helped Bulinski adjust her approach, which she credits in part for her success at the plate.
“I have a much more calm approach in my at-bats,” Bulinski said. “Last year was more focused on my mechanics and what my swing needs to look like. This year is more based on my timing with the pitching and putting a good swing based on where the pitch is located.”
Bulinski sits toward the top in many of URI’s major offensive statistics. She brought her batting average as high as .381 this season, while being one of eight players in the conference with an on-base plus slugging percentage over 1.000.
Her biggest jump in production is her team-leading four home runs. In just 16 games, she surpassed her season total from her first two seasons.
“A lot of preseason was just gaining my confidence back,” Bulinski said. “I’m able to have that confidence [that] I can put a ball over a fence once in a while.”
When she’s not sending balls over the fence, Bulinski has shown strong discipline at the plate. While pitchers look to get her to chase outside of the strike zone, she’s drawn 16 walks on the year and limited herself to eight strikeouts.
“I’ve always had a pretty decent eye at the plate,” Bulinski said. “I know what my abilities are and what pitches I can hit the best, and which ones I really can’t necessarily hit the best.”
Playing catcher since a young age has taken its toll on Bulinski; the physically demanding position has left her with various injuries that she’s had to manage. In the fall, she learned that she had torn her meniscus, as well as had athletic pubalgia: a tear in her right inner hip.
Three cortisone shots have helped keep her on the field as she hopes to avoid surgery on her meniscus, which could mean the end of her days behind the plate.
“I’ve done a great job with my [physical therapy], my athletic trainer and multiple doctors here at the school,” Bulinski said. “I’ve always played with a lot of pain in my years.”
With her increasing injury history, Bulinski has taken a step back from being the everyday catcher. Last season she caught 46/49 of the games that she started; this year, she has spent much more time as the team’s designated hitter.
“I was very open with [Coutts] when he came in [about my injuries],” Bulinski said. “He was like, ‘I see you as a primary [designated hitter]’… I love that; he’s able to give me enough rest, and I don’t have to catch three games in two days.”
Serving as the designated hitter helps Bulinski focus on being the power hitter that Coutts sees in her; despite this, she said she still looks to help her teammates on the field.
“I like being able to just really put myself in the mindset of a hitter,” Bulinski said. “When I’m [designated hitting], I work a lot with the pitcher and catcher and my pitching coach, [Caitlyn] Fallon, with pitch calling and things like that, so I try to do as much as I can when I’m not behind there.”
Along with less time in the field, Bulinski has shifted in the batting order this season from batting cleanup to third in the lineup.
“I definitely do like this role as the No. 3 hitter better,” Bulinski said. “I think that’s just having the comfort of the batters behind me, knowing that they’re just as good and our whole team from 1-9 are just really good hitters.”
She has been able to contribute more from the three hole, with increased RBI opportunities coming her way. Putting the ball in play and making a productive out to move a runner is also a more viable result now compared to her former cleanup role.
“A lot of last season, I would always get up to bat with two outs,” Bulinski said. “That was a really high-pressure situation for me… and I was constantly in that situation.”
Softball returns to action in Kingston over the weekend with a weekend series against Saint Joseph’s University. Following a doubleheader on Friday, the teams will wrap up the series on Saturday.
