Feb. 16, 2012

Greenville, N.C. - The 2012 Fordham softball team will open up its season at the 2012 ECU Pirate Clash hosted by East Carolina from February 17-19 in Greenville, North Carolina. The tournament participants include East Carolina, Hofstra, Greensboro, Virginia and Louisville in addition to Fordham, but the Rams will not face Hofstra on this trip. Fans can follow the action by clicking on the links below:

Game Tracker for Virginia (First Game) | Game Tracker for Greensboro | Game Tracker for ECU | Game Tracker for Virginia (Second Game) | Game Tracker for Louisville

Play begins for the team with a 9:00 AM matchup on Friday, February 17 against Virginia. Later that afternoon, Fordham faces Greensboro. On Saturday the 18th, the opponents are ECU at 3:00 PM and the Cavaliers again, at 5:00 PM. The tournament concludes on Sunday the 19th with Fordham facing Louisville at 9:00 AM.

Fordham enters the year as the defending Atlantic 10 champions after winning the regular season and tournament titles last spring. The Rams advanced to the State College Regional where they defeated Penn State, before getting eliminated.

Key returnees for the Rams include All-American pitcher Jen Mineau, who is currently the school's leader in wins, strikeouts and no-hitters, Nicole Callahan, the team's leading hitter in 2011 (.358), Second Team All A-10 selection Jamie LaBovick and A-10 All-Rookie catcher Gabby Luety.

Newcomers who look to make an immediate impact for Fordham include Stony Brook transfer Elise Fortier, slugging infielder Paige Ortiz, and pitcher Taylor Pirone. They join eight other players who look to bolster an already strong roster.

Following the Pirate Clash, the team travels out to Palm Springs, California, to compete in the Cathedral City Classic. Participants in that tournament include UC Davis, Long Beach State, Cal, Arizona and Fullerton. The event begins Thursday, February 23 and runs through Saturday, February 25.