April 18, 2011

Bronx, N.Y. - Fordham softball Head Coach, Bridget Orchard announced the signing of two players, Paige Ortiz and Brianna Turgeon, for the upcoming 2012 season. These are part of the five newcomers that signed with Fordham back in November.

"We are very excited about the addition of both Paige and Brianna. We look for Paige to add power to our offensive line up and Brianna will add depth in the infield along with great athleticism. We will look for both of them to make an immediate impact during their first year. We are very fortunate to have signed them to our softball program," said Orchard.

Ortiz, a 5-4 corner infielder, is a four-year varsity softball player at Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas. She has collected a slew of awards during her time at Seven Lakes. Selected a team captain, she was also named to the All Greater Houston Pre-Season Second Team. She was awarded the Tournament MVP for the Spring Branch 5A Varsity Softball Tournament and was chosen as the Houston Chronicle Athlete of the Week all for the 2011 season.

As a junior, she was feted as a First Team All-District honoree and in 2008; she was named the District Newcomer of the Year. She also played seven years with her summer team, the Houston Power.

Turgeon, also an infielder, comes to Fordham from Fitch High School in Norwich, Connecticut, where she was a four-year member of the varsity softball team. In her first year at Fitch, 2008, she was given the Rookie of the Year Award. Outside of the school, she was named All Eastern Connecticut Conference Honorable Mention and was feted All Area by the Norwich Bulletin.

As a sophomore in 2009, she earned the same awards again from the Eastern Connecticut Conference as well as the Norwich Bulletin, but added an All Area award from The Day to her growing list of accolades. She was also the MVP of the state Championship Game.

2010 saw the culmination of her career as she earned a myriad of awards and distinctions. She was named the Gatorade 2010 Connecticut Softball Player of the Year. The Day newspaper feted her as its Player of the Year as well as being named All Area by The Day and by the Norwich Bulletin. The New Haven Register selected her for its All-State Team as well. The two-year captain also captured the team's MVP Award in 2010.

Turgeon was a standout soccer player and sprinter for the school as well. She will look to make an immediate impact in the 2012 season.