Complete ScheduleBRONX, N.Y. -- The Fordham softball team – the three-time defending champions of the Atlantic 10 conference – has released its 2016 schedule, it was announced Wednesday by head coach
Bridget Orchard.
"We are looking forward to the spring and very excited about our challenging schedule," Orchard said. "Our goal is to make it to the NCAA Super Regionals, with a shot at the Women's College World Series, so we have constructed a very tough nonconference schedule to prepare us for the postseason. The players love to compete and be challenged, and the 2016 schedule will be one of our toughest schedules ever."
The Rams open the season the weekend of Feb. 12-14 at the UCF Invitational Tournament in Orlando, Fla. with five games. The first opponent of the season is a very familiar foe in James Madison, who Fordham eliminated last May in the Harrisonburg Regional at JMU. The Rams then play Alabama and Rutgers, before playing a pair of true road games against Central Florida.
"The first weekend we open up with three top-25 schools," Orchard said. "First up we face the #13 team in the country in JMU, followed by Southeast Conference member and 2012 National Champion Alabama, before finishing out the weekend against #16 UCF."
Fordham returns to the Sunshine State the following weekend (Feb. 19-21) to take part in South Florida's Under Armour Invitational in Clearwater, Fla. Five more contests are slated beginning with a pair of first-day battles against DePaul and South Florida. The Rams meet James Madison for a second time the following day along with Tennessee, who the Rams played last season as well, Fordham then plays its third SEC opponent the last day in Auburn.
"The schedule continues to be tough as we face two top-10 teams in #3 Auburn and #9 Tennessee," Orchard said. "We are working hard in the offseason to be ready to compete."
A second trip back to Orlando is scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 26-28 to compete at the Diamond 9 Citrus Challenge II, where the Rams will play five more games. Fordham opens with Syracuse, which will be broadcast nationally on ESPN3, before ending the day versus North Florida. The Rams face Penn State and Morgan State the following day and end the tournament the final day of February against Charlotte.
The first weekend of March (4-6) sees Fordham once again travel to the Deep South, but this time to Macon, Ga. to take part in Mercer's Black & Orange Challenge. The Rams will play six contests, which will start out with round-robin play against Boston College, Iowa State and the hosts. Based on records, the four teams will be seeded and play a mini tournament, with the consolation round and the championship round taking place that Sunday.
Fordham makes its home debut at Bahoshy Field Saturday, March 12 when the Rams welcome Saint Peter's, Providence and one other team to be determined for the Fordham Tournament, which will conclude Sunday, March 13.
The Rams host local-rival Hofstra in a mid-week matchup Wednesday, March 16 at 3 p.m., before traveling to Towson, Pa. the weekend of March 18-20 to compete at Towson's Tiger Classic. Fordham will play the hosts twice, Mount St. Mary's once and Villanova once.
A trip to Queens March 23 follows for a contest at St. John's, which is slated for 2:30 p.m.
Atlantic 10 play starts the Easter Weekend, as the Rams will host Massachusetts for a single contest Friday, March 25 at 11 a.m., before playing a doubleheader the following day beginning at 12 p.m.
The Rams start a five-game road swing and nine of 12 away when they make the very short trip to New Rochelle, N.Y. to play a doubleheader at Iona March 31 starting at 4 p.m. Fordham then steps back into conference play April 2-3 with a three-game series in Philadelphia, Pa. at Saint Joseph's, before coming back to the Bronx Tuesday, April 5 to host Lehigh at 4 p.m.
The next day (April 6), the Rams welcome St. Bonaventure to Bahoshy Field for a conference doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. Fordham then travels to Washington D.C. the weekend of April 9-10 for a three-game conference series at George Washington. The mini-four game road trip ends Wednesday, April 13 in South Orange, N.J. against Seton Hall, which ends the nonconference portion of the regular season.
The Rams briefly return to Bahoshy Field the weekend of April 16-17 to welcome Saint Louis for a three-game set, starting with a Saturday doubleheader at 1 p.m. and a single contest Sunday at 1 p.m.
Another six-game road swing is slated to take place the following conference weekends in Kingston, R.I. against Rhode Island (April 23-24) and in Dayton, Ohio versus Dayton (April 30-May 1).
The regular season concludes the weekend of May 7-8 at Bahoshy Field when the Rams host George Mason. Senior Day will take place after game one of Saturday's doubleheader, which starts at 12 p.m., before the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m.
The 2016 Atlantic 10 Championship will run May 10-14 in Washington, D.C. at George Washington.
