SLIPPERY ROCK — When Morgan Robinson was a freshman, she wasn't sure if she would even get one strikeout as a softball pitcher at the school.

But one trip to the circle led to another and another.

Four years later, Robinson is leaving the Rockets as one of the most decorated pitchers in school history.

Her 603 career strikeouts is a Slippery Rock record. As players around her came and went, Robinson was the one constant — the face of a growing program.

"I honestly didn't think that many strikeouts was even a remote possibility when I first started," Robinson said. "I was just so pumped to be starting my first game as a freshman."

Robinson never allowed herself to think about her numbers during her stellar four-year career at Slippery Rock.

It wasn't until she threw her final pitch that she began to look back at what she had accomplished.

"It was kind of bittersweet," Robinson said.

Bittersweet was a apt description of her career.

While she was dominant in the circle for the Rockets, the team struggled to find consistency, posting a 29-36 record over the past four seasons.

Robinson's senior season started with a flourish as Slippery Rock was poised to make its first postseason appearance since 2000, but a late-season slump nixed the Rockets' postseason hopes.

And Robinson had to come to grips with the fact that she never threw a pitch in a playoff game.

"This season, I really wanted to leave the girls with something to carry on with," Robinson said. "It really was tough at first (not making the playoffs). Every year was supposed to be the year, especially this year. For it not to happen was very difficult."

But Robinson had seen a change in the culture of the program over the course of her career.

Last year, the team enjoyed its first winning season since 2000. This year, the Rockets were 6-2 in the region at one point before the late-season slump came.

"I love the game so much and I want other people to love it, too," Robinson said. "I was starting to see people at Slippery Rock playing because they loved to play, not because their friends played.

"They will be good without us seniors next year," Robinson added. "If they keep fighting and keep heart, they will do well."

Robinson will keep playing, too, committing to John Carroll University in Ohio.

The Blue Streaks were 26-15 this season and won the Ohio Athletic Conference championship.

John Carroll has just one pitcher returning to the roster next season.

Robinson may also find a spot as a hitter after improving markedly this season at the plate.

Working with a hitting coach last offseason did wonders for her bat. Robinson led the Rockets in hitting this season.

Robinson plans to delve full bore into workouts this offseason to improve her overall game.

"I want to get more physically fit," Robinson said. "I want to get stronger, faster, more agile. I just want to be the best I can be at the next level."