Softball at St. John's, UMass this Week

St. John's: Watch | Live Stats
UMass: Watch (Saturday) | Live Stats (Link to Come)
 
Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team (10-3) enjoyed a 5-0 week to extend its unbeaten streak to seven straight contests. The Rams have one more nonconference game before facing an Atlantic 10 foe for the first time in 683 days, traveling to nearby St. John's (5-7) for a third match-up this season with the Red Storm. Fordham will then travel to long-time rival Massachusetts (0-2) for four games this weekend, one each on Friday and Sunday and a doubleheader on Saturday.
 
Last Time Out
The Rams avenged an earlier loss to Seton Hall with a 6-0 shutout of the Pirates before sweeping a four-game series against Maine by a combined 25-7 score. Head over to the team's schedule page to read each day's recap here.
 
Series History vs. St. John's
The Red Storm hold a 15-10 all-time series advantage since 1985. Fordham split a home doubleheader against the Johnnies on March 10, run-ruling the visitors, 13-3, in five innings in game one before seeing a late rally fall short, 4-3, in game two. Read about this season's first match-up here.
 
Series History vs. Massachusetts
One of the longest rivalries in Fordham's history, the Minutewomen hold an all-time 54-24 advantage since the Rams joined the Atlantic 10 for the 1996 season. UMass were long-time winners of the A-10 in the early years of the rivalry, winning the first 23 meetings before a Fordham home doubleheader sweep in 2005. It was four more years before another Rams victory, though they enjoyed several years of dominance. The last five years have been nearly split, with the Rams winning 10 of the last 19 contests with an 8-2 win at the 2019 Atlantic 10 Championship, held in Amherst, being the most recent meeting.
 
Devon Miller Named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week
Due to the unusual circumstances of the past year, the A-10 is allowing freshmen and sophomores to be eligible for the weekly honor and sophomore pitcher Miller is the first Ram to earn one this season. The Chadds Ford, Pa. native made just one appearance this past week but it was worth the wait – Miller struck out 15 Maine Black Bears in her first career complete game, allowing just one run on three hits and a walk. It's the most strikeouts by a Fordham pitcher since 2016 and the first 15-punchout game since 2015, both Rachel Gillen. For good measure, Miller also doubled and walked in the contest. Miller is 22^nd in the country and tops in the Atlantic 10 with 10.6 strikeouts per seven innings and is 49^th with 4.03 hits allowed per seven, also tops in the league. Over seven appearances, four starts, Miller is 3-2 with a 2.59 ERA and 37 strikeouts over 24.1 frames. Read about it here.
 
Nationally Speaking (as of 3/23)
In addition to Miller's standing in the Division I ranks, several of her teammates are also within the top-200 in several categories. At the dish, Julia Martine and Sarah Taffet are 56^th and 81^st, respectively, with 0.33 and 0.31 home runs per game, while Rachel Hubertus is 103^rd with an even 1.0 RBI per contest. Brianna Pinto's .432 average ranks 88^th nationally and third in the Atlantic 10, while her 0.15 triples per game are 44^th and second, respectively. On the basepaths, Madie Aughinbaugh's 0.54 stolen bases per game are 65^th overall, second in the league, while Pinto is 123^rd and fourth, respectively, with 0.46. Makenzie McGrath's two saves are tied for 15^th-most on the young season.
 
As a whole, the Rams rank in the top-100 in the following categories: 36^th in on-base percentage (.396), 37^th in slugging percentage (.506) and triples per game (0.31), 39^th in batting average (.308) and home runs per game (1.15), 50^th in scoring (5.77 runs per game), 74^th in stolen bases per game (1.46), 88^th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.42), and 89^th in collective ERA (2.94).

Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll
The Rams were picked to finish second in the annual preseason head coaches poll, just one point behind George Washington despite garnering one more first-place vote. The two schools were set to meet in the Championship final in 2019 but due to a rain out, the higher seed, Fordham, moved on to NCAA Regionals despite a share of the championship. It was the Rams' seventh straight league title, eighth overall, and ninth trip to Regionals.
 
Up Next
The Rams begin a five-game road stretch that begins with St. John's next Wednesday, March 24, at 3 p.m. After, Fordham begins Atlantic 10 play at Massachusetts. The opening game is set for Friday, March 26, at 2 p.m.