Softball Inks Four New Members for 2017 Season

BRONX, N.Y. -- The Fordham softball team will welcome four new members to its program starting in the fall of 2016, it was announced Friday by head coach Bridget Orchard. Joining the Rams in 2016-17 are right-handed pitcher/utility player Madie Aughinbaugh (Port Tobacco, Md./St. Mary's Ryken), infielder Skylar Johnston (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial), right-handed pitcher Stephanie Rundlett (York, Maine/York) and left-handed pitcher Taylor Stocks (Bunker Hill, W. Va./Musselman).

"We are very excited about the early signees to our program that fit in great with our Fordham softball culture," Orchard said. "We have added a hard-hitting corner and a lot of pitching, which will give us depth and allow us to continue to play a very strong out-of-conference schedule. Each pitcher has unique strengths that will allow us to bring different looks to batters."

Aughinbaugh, a 5-8 pitcher and utility player from Port Tobacco, Md., is set to begin her four year of varsity softball at St. Mary's Ryken in Leonardtown, Md. She is coming off a junior season that saw her

earn Washington Post All-Metropolitan First Team honors for the second year in a row, a third selection as a First Team All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference member, a three-peat All-County Athlete of the Year winner and was named Team MVP and the WCAC Player of the Year for the first time. Aughinbaugh also helped St. Mary's to back-to-back conference championships and a number two ranking in the Washington Post's final poll, after the team finished fourth in the rankings her sophomore season. She was also a Washington Post All-Metropolitan Honorable Mention selection as a freshman and played one year of varsity volleyball as a sophomore, earning All-WCAC Honorable Mention and All-County accolades while helping St. Mary's win the school's first conference championship in a female sport.

"Madie was a highly-recruited pitcher that knows the game and is a fierce competitor," Orchard said. "She plays to win and has the ability to be a game changer on the mound for us." 

Aughinbaugh, who plans to major in marketing at Fordham, has earned President's Award recognition every quarter and was selected as the 2014 recipient of the St. Mary's Ryken Service Award. She also plays for the NJ Cheetahs 18U Premier team. Last summer, she helped them to a first-place finish at Triple Crown Sports Northeast Nationals in New York City.

Johnston is a 5-6 infielder from Virginia Beach, Va. and is set to begin her four year of varsity softball at First Colonial. She is coming off a junior season where she batted .528 with eight home runs and 22

RBI while leading the team to the 6A District Championship for the second year in a row and a runner-up finish in the 6A state championship game. For the second straight year as well, Johnston was selected First Team All-State, First Team All-Tidewater, First Team All-Region and First Team All-Coastal Conference. As a sophomore, she was named Team Offensive MVP after hitting .511 with nine home runs and 39 RBI en route to a third-place state finish. Johnston was also an All-Beach District member and Beach District champion as a freshman when she batted .467 with six home runs and 18 RBI.

"Sky plays at the highest level of travel ball and is a gamer," Orchard said. "She plays third base and her strength is her bat. Skylar is a very strong athlete that has the ability to hit the long ball and produce RBI for us."  

Johnston, who plans to major in business administration at Fordham, is a three-time Legal Studies Academy graduate, an honor roll student graduating with honors, a Deca Personal Finance Beach District Champion, the Virtual Enterprise Vice President of Accounting and has logged over 200 hours of community service. She also plays for the Virginia Legends 18U Premier team, qualifying for PGF Premier Nationals the last three years.
 

Rundlett hails from York, Maine, where she attends York High School. The 5-3 right-handed pitcher already has three years of varsity experience under her belt and is coming off a big junior campaign that saw her selected First Team All-State, the Western Maine Class A&B Player of the Year and a First Team All-Western Maine Conference for the third time. Rundlett was also named the Seacoast Media Group's Player of the Year while earning the Portland Press Herald Athlete of the Week award May 8 and the York Weekly Athlete of the Week award three times. She was also the Team MVP as a sophomore and led the team in batting as a freshman.

"Steph came to us late, and we feel very lucky to have her join the class," Orchard said. "She is a pitcher with incredible spin that we feel can develop to be a huge addition to our pitching staff. She is working very hard and is getting better and better every day."

Rundlett, who plans to major in biology, is a member of the National Honor Society and the World Language Honor Society (Société Honoraire de Français of the American Association of Teachers of French). She also plays for the Virginia Legends.
 

Stocks, who calls Bunker Hill, W. Va. home, rounds out the class as a 5-8 left-handed pitcher. She has already played three years of varsity softball at Musselman High School in Inwood, W. Va., where she is coming off a junior campaign that saw her for the second straight year earn First Team All-State honors and named the Martinsburg Journal Softball Player of the Year while breaking her own school records for number of hits in a season and strikeouts in a season, which she set her sophomore year. Stocks was also voted First Team Martinsburg Journal All-Area for the third year in a row, earned her third straight First Team All-EPAC and All-Academic EPAC honor, and set the school record for the most home runs in a season. As a sophomore, she was named to the All-Tournament Team at the state tournament, after being named Second Team All-State and Team Defensive MVP as a freshman. Stocks has also earned two varsity letters in basketball as well, having earned most improved player after her sophomore year.

"Taylor comes in as one of the strongest athletes in our program," Orchard said. "She is a lefty that is built for power. Taylor is a great athlete that will also play first base and hit for us."

Stocks, who plans to major in chemistry at Fordham, is the current valedictorian of her senior class, a member of the National Honor Society, a three-time Golden Apple recipient and a winner of the Achieving Applemen Award. She also plays for the Heartbreakers 18U Gold.

"The class is one of our most physically-strong classes, and we are anxious to see them develop over the years," Orchard said. "We are looking forward to them excelling on the field, in the classroom and in the community. They will each make an immediate impact on our program."

The Rams begin their 2016 season at the UCF Knights Invitational, Feb. 12-14, in Orlando, Fla. where they will play five games against James Madison, Rutgers, Alabama and two with Central Florida.