Mary Iakopo Is Breaking Through at the Plate

Tied or trailing through six innings, the Chicago Bandits looked for one more opportunity to rally the bats and take down the Spark to claim the series.

Though dropping game one of the series 9-1, the Bandits showed off for a game two 11-3 victory. The series win came down to Tuesday evening’s faceoff.

Trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh, designated player Tianna Bell launched a solo shot to close the gap to 4-3. A double from rookie Jocelyn Erikson set her up in position to score on Mary Iakopo’s home run that plated two for the walk-off win.

“I was watching Tianna Bell and [thought] surely they’re not going to come inside again,” says Iakopo. Expecting the outside pitch, Iakopo says, “I told our first base coach when he walked up to me that I’m driving it to right field.” And she delivered, handing the Bandits their second win of the season.

The Breathrough

Last season, Iakopo played in 13 games for the Bandits and could only put out a .214 batting average with just three hits. Through five starts this season, the Californian has boasted a .429 batting average and has already doubled her hits from last year. 

“I think I was just grateful to be here last year, and this year I’m making a statement,” says Iakopo. It’s undeniable that she’s hit the ground running this year, and there’s only more to come as the Bandits take on the Blaze, the number one team, over the next few days.

The catcher has shown to hold her own behind the plate as well with three assists thus far.

Iakopo played 214 games for the Texas Longhorns from 2019 to 2022 after transferring from Oregon after her first year. In Austin, she totaled just shy of 200 hits at 198 and holds a career average of .343.

For the Team

The Bandits are a close-knit team, and it’s essential for winning games. “We have a team symbol…when there’s a two-strike count, whether we’re on defense [or] offense, you’re making eye contact with someone and you are hitting your chests with the letter ‘T’ in sign language. Something just to know that we’re all locked in on the same one pitch at a time and getting the next pitch on defense or passing the bat to the next person behind you,” Iakopo tells Just Baseball.

Working as a team is going to be key to the Bandits’ success as they turn to face a tough opponent. The Bandits are finally showing off the bats with a lot of season left to go. 

A Strong Offense

Iakopo has been an incredibly strong point for the Bandits’ offense, but she doesn’t have to stand alone. Sami Williams, Tianna Bell, Elon Butler, Morgan Zerkle, and Erin Coffel are all posting averages above .350. The team as a whole leads the league in both batting average (.317) and hits (52).

The bats are there, and now it’s about stringing it together. “It’s a total team effort how we competed and fought,” said head coach Shonda Stanton. “[I’m] super proud of how we gritted that win out. A total team effort.”

“You could feel the sense of urgency, it felt like a championship environment,” Stanton adds.

Looking Ahead

Coach Stanton is confident heading right into the Blaze series. The Bandits will pick back up tomorrow at 6 p.m. EST in Chicago to take on Carolina. Tune in on CBS Sports Network.