Softball Readies for #6/7 Oklahoma State to Begin Regionals

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Bronx, N.Y. – Fordham softball (30-20, 15-7) kicks off its 10^th NCAA Regional against #6/7 Oklahoma State (41-14, 14-4 Big 12) on Friday night at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The Rams and Cowgirls are joined in Stillwater by Nebraska and North Texas.
 
Lace Up For Pediatric Cancer
The Rams continue to lace up their cleats in gold in support of the Go4theGoal Foundation to raise funds and awareness for children battling cancer in their communities. Having a child with cancer is a huge financial burden for many families, and the pandemic has made their individual situations even more dire. Please continue to help us show these kids and their families that they don't have to fight alone by making a donation to our page via the link above or below! 
 
All funds raised will be used to improve the lives of kids battling cancer by providing financial assistance, funding innovative research, developing and implementing unique hospital programs, and granting personal wishes. Please consider making a donation through our page.
 
Five Rams Placed on Four All-Conference Squads
The Atlantic 10 announced its year-end awards on Tuesday and five Rams garnered accolades – Enoch to the First Team, Pinto on the Second Team, Clark and Wells on the Rookie team, and Hubertus with All-Academic. Read all about it here.
 
Dylan Takes the Field with Fordham Softball
WFUV softball broadcaster Dylan Balsamo spent several practices with the Rams, trying to get an inside look of how the team prepares while +taking part in several drills. Key word being 'try'. Check out what transpired, plus chats with coach Inouye and Makenzie McGrath.
 
Last Time Out
In case you live under a rock, the Rams earned their ninth Atlantic 10 championship by going 3-1 at George Mason, including a 6-3 win over top-seeded George Washington in the do-or-die final championship game last Saturday. Bailey Enoch was named Most Outstanding Player for her two-way efforts, while Amanda Carey and Devon Miller joined her on the All-Championship squad. Read about Saturday or head to the team schedule page to read more recaps.
 
Series Histories
Fordham has met Oklahoma State and Nebraska each once, a 5-3 loss in 2008 to the former and a 10-0 loss in 2001 to the latter, both on neutral ground. The Rams have never faced the Mean Green.
 
#Dinger Watch
Rachel Hubertus is now up to 17 home runs on the season, 2^nd-most in a single season in program history and easily leading the Atlantic 10 by seven. That number sits 25^th in all of Division I and 24^th with 0.34 per game. Hubertus is now up to joint-fourth all-time, tied with Madi Shaw ('18), with 39 for her career. Meanwhile, Julia Martine, with nine, is close behind in third in the league, and Bailey Enoch, with seven, is fifth. Put together, the Rams are 56^th nationally with 0.96 dingers per game.
 
Speed Kills
Graduate student Brianna Pinto is a perfect 25-for-25 in stolen base attempts this season, fifth-most in a single campaign, and has been caught stealing just ONCE in her five-year career at Fordham, way back in April of her freshman season. She is now up to 85 for her career, 12 more than the previous record set by Krystle Henry in 2007. Unsurprisingly, Pinto leads the Atlantic 10 on the basepaths, by seven, but is also nationally 47^th in total steals and 35^th with 0.53 thefts per contest.
 
Chiefs of Staff
In the circle, Fordham is tops in the Atlantic 10 in team ERA (2.64), 50^th nationally, and opposite average (.240), second with eight shutouts, and is second with 253 strikeouts. Makenzie McGrath leads the way with a 2.17 ERA to go with a 10-6 record and a career-high 77 strikeouts over 109.2 frames, with freshman Emilee Watkins just behind her with a 2.25 ERA over 10 appearances and three starts. Devon Miller leads the staff with 11 wins across 24 appearances, 23 starts, with 106 punchouts over 123.2 innings. Bailey Enoch is also 7-3 with a 3.25 ERA across 73.1 frames.
 

Reaching .500
When former head coach Bridget Orchard inherited the Fordham softball team, the program had 178 wins over 17 seasons. After a 14-win opening campaign, Orchard's Rams won at least 32 games every year for 16 season and continued to inch towards an overall .500 record as a program. Orchard departed for Villanova after the 2018 season, though, with the win percentage at .497. Under Melissa Inouye the Rams finally ascended above .500 for the first time ever with a win over George Washington at the 2019 A-10 Championship and have since bumped that up to .508. Fordham's record is currently 905-877-4 since 1985. 
 

Milestone Watch
Pinto became Fordham softball's all-time stolen base leader with her 74^th career steal at home in the series finale against Rhode Island on March 27^th. She is now up to 85 during her five seasons in the Bronx. Home runs aside, Hubertus just entered the all-time top-10 for career RBIs, with 121, now passing Paige Ortiz ('12) for ninth all-time. She is also fifth with a .597 slugging percentage.
 
Devon Miller became the seventh Ram to reach 300 career strikeouts over the weekend, up to 311, and is also joint-sixth with 11 career shutouts and joint-ninth with 28 career victories.  
 
Fordham in the Atlantic 10
The Rams own a 310-199 all-time record in conference play since 1996 and a .609 winning percentage, which is sixth-highest in league history and second-highest among active members. The 310 wins are also second-most among all members all-time. Before Bridget Orchard arrived in the Bronx, the Rams had totaled just 18 wins in six years. In the A-10 Championship, the Rams hold a 39-24 record (.619), which is both the second-most wins and second-highest win percentage in A-10 history.

Up Next
A win would mean facing the winner of the other contest on 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, while a loss means playing in the second game at 4:30 p.m.