Houston, Texas - The Fordham baseball team kicks off the 2017 season this weekend, as the Rams travel to Houston, Texas, for a three-game series against the Houston Baptist Huskies at Husky Field. This is Fordham's first-ever road trip to the Lone Star State.
Probable Starters/Game Coverage:
Friday: RHP
Mike Cowell vs. LHP Christian Thames //
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Saturday: RHP
David Wright vs. RHP Zach Carter //
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Sunday: RHP
Jimmy Murphy vs. RHP Dan Endsley //
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Series History:
These will be the first games between Fordham and HBU.
Team Captains:
Fordham will have co-captains this season, as graduate student
Jimmy Murphy and senior
Pat Gardner will serve in that capacity.
Jimmy Murphy
Preseason Polls:
The Atlantic 10 Conference released the 2017 preseason baseball poll, as voted upon by the league's coaches. Rhode Island was picked to repeat as champions, receiving six first places votes, with VCU right behind them with five first place votes. Saint Joseph's and Saint Louis tied for the #3 spot in the poll, followed by Richmond, Fordham, Davidson, George Washington, St. Bonaventure, George Mason, Massachusetts, Dayton, and La Salle. Here is the full breakdown of the poll:
2017 Atlantic 10 Coaches Preseason Baseball Poll
| 1. |
Rhode Island (6) |
156 |
| 2. |
VCU (5) |
155 |
| 3. |
Saint Joseph's (2) |
138 |
|
Saint Louis |
138 |
| 5. |
Richmond |
114 |
| 6. |
Fordham |
96 |
| 7. |
Davidson |
95 |
| 8. |
George Washington |
75 |
| 9. |
St. Bonaventure |
63 |
| 10. |
George Mason |
46 |
| 11. |
Massachusetts |
40 |
| 12. |
Dayton |
37 |
| 13. |
La Salle |
30 |
D1Baseball.com also released their preseason poll, as they picked Fordham sixth as well, behind Saint Joseph's, Rhode Island, VCU, Saint Louis, and Richmond.
Behind the Dish:
The Rams have a solid tandem with Gardner and sophomore starter
Justin Bardwell behind the plate and handling the Rams' pitching staff. Bardwell was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team last season, starting 49 of 53 games, batting .266 with 19 runs scored, nine doubles, two triples, a home run, and 26 RBI.
One More Go-Around:
Pitcher
Jimmy Murphy returns for his final season in the Maroon and White, and will be a welcome sight on the mound. He split time last season between starting and closing games, appearing in 23 games overall with six starts. He ended the season with three wins and five saves to go with a 4.50 ERA in 58.0 innings of work.
Who's Next:
The Rams will travel to Long Beach, California next weekend for a three-game series against Long Beach State from February 24-26.
