Newport News, Va. – It's been nearly one calendar year, 334 days to be exact, since the Fordham softball team stepped foot on the diamond in competitive action. That all changes later this month. First, as is tradition, the Atlantic 10 released its preseason head coaches poll on Friday afternoon with the Rams predicted to finish section behind George Washington by just one point.
"We felt we had a good two months of Fall training and quality intersquad scrimmages and we're looking forward to building off of that." Head coach
Melissa Inouye, now in her third season at Fordham, said, "We're very excited for the upcoming season and look forward to competing again."
The Colonials received 93 points in the poll with four first-place votes, followed right behind by Fordham, who received 92 points and five first-place votes. Massachusetts, who received one first-place vote, had 77 points, with Dayton (70), and Saint Louis (59) rounding out the top five. Saint Joseph's (46), George Mason (41), Rhode Island (36), St. Bonaventure (23), and La salle (13) made up the rest of the poll results.
Fordham finished the 2020 campaign in early March with a 7-13 nonconference record, including 7-8 in neutral contests. The 2019 Atlantic 10 championship game was rained out and allowed the Rams to advance past George Washington due to higher seeding, making their seventh straight NCAA Regional appearance and ninth overall. It was also the program's seventh straight league title, though they shared the honors with the Colonials two years ago. This season is the 10th anniversary of the program's first Atlantic 10 championship.
The Rams return all 16 players from last season and have added three freshmen. They are led by reigning Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year
Madie Aughinbaugh, who is within the top-five of nearly every program pitching record category, most of which she's in the top-three. She is joined by fellow captain, senior
Brianna Pinto, who batted just under .300 last year while producing 15-of-15 stolen base attempts, reaching the top-10 for that category, as well, and redshirt junior
Rachel Hubertus, who returns from an injury layoff after hitting .333 with nine home runs over 40 starts in 2019.
This year, a four-team Atlantic 10 championship will be played on the campus of the highest seed.
Though the 2021 schedule is not official as of today, the Rams do open up play at home on Sunday, February 28
th, with a doubleheader against Lehigh beginning at noon.
