Newport News, Va. – The seven-time defending Atlantic 10 champion Fordham softball team has been predicted, in an ironic twist, atop the annual preseason coaches poll alongside last season's co-champions, George Washington. Each school garnered 89 total points with the Rams getting three first-place votes and the Colonials getting five.
"Our team has been working hard the last few weeks preparing for the season and we're definitely getting antsy to play someone other than ourselves." Head coach
Melissa Inouye said, "We look forward to competing this season as our tough preseason schedule prepares us for conference play. I'm looking forward to our team's journey this season."
2019 was the first time in seven years that Fordham had not been predicted to finish first, instead getting picked second along with Dayton. Last year's predicted first-place team, Massachusetts, received two first-place votes and 87 total points to finish a close third. Dayton (64) and Saint Joseph's (56) rounded out the top five. The bottom half of the poll wrapped up as Saint Louis (54), George Mason (44), Rhode Island (37), La Salle (20), and St. Bonaventure (10).
Fordham is coming off a seventh consecutive Atlantic 10 championship and ninth NCAA Regional appearance. The Rams finished with a 29-26 record, 16-6 in league play for a sixth regular season crown, and went to #2 Washington where they suffered slim two-run and one-run losses to the Huskies and Seattle, respectively. Senior
Madie Aughinbaugh earned A-10 Pitcher of the Year honors, the fourth Ram to do so in the program's history, and Coach Inouye was named the conference's Coach of the Year. Aughinbaugh went on to win a second straight Most Outstanding Player award at the A-10 tournament. Sophomores
Makenzie McGrath and
Sarah Taffet were named to the All-Rookie team, as well. Aughinbaugh was recently named one of Softball America's
Top 100 college players.
The Rams experienced plenty of turnover this offseason, seeing six seniors, all starters, graduate in the Spring. Fordham returns Aughinbaugh for her final season in the Bronx along with three other starters, plus a five-player
recruiting class.
The 2020 campaign kicks off in just nine days at the Houston Invitational, with the Rams taking on Valparaiso and UMass Lowell on Friday, February 7, at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively. Both times are Eastern.
