Softball Cleans Up in College Sports Madness Preseason All-Atlantic 10 Teams

Complete Team

BRONX, N.Y. -- The website CollegeSportsMadness.com announced its 2016 Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference Softball teams, and five Rams were selected while head coach Bridget Orchard was tabbed the coach of the year.

Graduate student Rachel Gillen leads the way, as she was tabbed the pitcher of the year to go along with being named to the first team as both a pitcher and an outfielder. Joining Gillen on the first team is juniors Amy Van Hoven (2B) and Sydney Canessa (OF). Earning second team honors is junior Lindsay Mayer (3B) and sophomore Morgan Figueroa (OF).

Gillen had a historical season in the circle for Fordham in 2015, as she was named First Team All-Atlantic 10 as a pitcher, Second Team All-Atlantic 10 as a designated player, the Atlantic 10 Championship's Most Outstanding Player, First Team NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region as a pitcher/designated player, and was one of two pitchers selected to the second team of the 2015 ECAC Division I Softball All-Star Team Gillen finished 24-9 with a 2.33 ERA over 39 appearances and 213.1 innings pitched. She also completed 20 games (out of 33 starts), including eight shutouts, and fanned 250. At the dish, Gillen also started 46 of 50 games as a pitcher/designated hitter and slashed .374/.401/.568 with 16 runs, 52 hits, nine doubles, six home runs and 39 RBI. 

Van Hoven had an excellent sophomore campaign in 2015. She was named First Team All-Atlantic 10 and Third Team NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region after starting all 56 games she played in. The left-handed hitter slashed .384/.417/.460 with 44 runs, 76 hits, seven doubles, four triples, 25 RBI and 16 stolen bases.

Canessa was named Second Team All-Atlantic 10 as a sophomore, after earning first team accolades as a freshman. Arguably the top center field in the league, she started all 58 games and did not commit an error in 66 chances. Also one of the top leadoff hitters as well, Canessa slashed .323/.404/.451 with 47 runs, 63 hits, eight doubles, one triple, five home runs, 36 RBI and four stolen bases.

Mayer started all 58 games for the Rams last season in her first year on campus and slashed .319/.390/.535. She finished with 40 runs, 59 hits, 13 doubles, nine home runs and 52 RBI. She was the top power threat for Fordham, leading the squad in doubles, home runs and RBI.

Figueroa was selected to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team as a freshman and played a valuable role off the bench, before taking over the starting left field position over the second half of the season. She appeared in 47 games, with 26 starts, and slashed .412/.426/.412 with 19 runs, 21 hits, four RBI and six stolen bases. Figueroa also did not make an error in 32 chances.

Orchard completed her 14th season on Rose Hill in 2015 and led the Rams to their second-ever regional final appearance, before falling to North Carolina State, 2-1, at the Harrisonburg Regional in Harrisonburg, Va. The Rams won two elimination games to grab a rematch with the Wolfpack and knocked off top-seeded and nationally-ranked James Madison on its home turf in the process. The 2015 NCAA Tournament appearance marked the third straight one for the Rams and fifth over the last six seasons. The Rams also won four games in four days to claim their third consecutive Atlantic 10 Championship, their fourth in the last five years.

During her time in the Bronx, Orchard has amassed a record of 506-317-1, which gives her the most wins and best winning percentage (.612) in Fordham softball history. Her ledger includes five NCAA Regional appearances, four A-10 Championships, back-to-back 40-win seasons, five Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year awards, and just one losing season out of 14. Orchard won her 500th career game at Fordham when the Rams defeated George Mason, 1-0 in nine innings, May 3, 2015.

Fordham begins the 2016 season Feb. 12 when the Rams take on #19 James Madison at the UCF Knights Invitational in Orlando, Fla. Fordham will also face #5 Alabama later that afternoon, before taking on Rutgers and #17 Central Florida the following day. The Rams conclude their trip with a game at Stetson on Valentine's Day.