CHARLESTON, S.C. – Opening the 2025 season with the five games this weekend, Fordham University Softball kicks off its 41st varsity season at the Charleston Invitation in South Carolina.
The Rams are set for a pair of games on opening day against #18/16 Virginia Tech at 10:00 a.m. and the hosts, Charleston at 3:00 p.m. Continuing tournament action with two more games the following day, Fordham takes on North Dakota State at 10:00 a.m. followed by another meeting with Charleston at 3:00 p.m. before wrapping the weekend with a single game Sunday against North Dakota State at 10:30 a.m.
Both games against the College of Charleston will be aired on FloCollege with a subscription required to watch, while all five games will have live stats available through StatBroadcast.
Passing the Baton
Last season the Rams hit .280 as a team in 55 games, the second best batting average of any team in the conference. The offense will be led by junior Sydney Wells who recorded a league-leading 49 RBIs, scattering 12 home runs, second best in the A-10, and 13 doubles, tied for fourth best.
Wells posted a 1.052 OPS last season and a .648 slugging percentage, both the third best mark of any player in the league, along with the second most walks of any Ram last season. Drawing 24, Wells finished just ahead of Kate McGuire with 20, who paced the team with 30 runs scored and tied Wells for the fourth most hits of any Fordham player with 41.
Fordham also returns catcher Nicki Sudall and outfielder Neleh Nogay, who ended the 2024 season top ten in the A-10 for batting average, hitting .360 and .340, respectively. Nogay's 56 hits last year were the sixth most of any player in the conference, while her 22 stolen bases on 24 attempts were third best in the league.
Center Circle
Holly Beeman will look to lead a refreshed five-member pitching core for the Maroon and White that features a pair of rookies, in addition to a trio of returning players. Coming off a 10-win season in 2024, Beeman tossed 133.0 innings including 12 complete games, fanning 65 hitters while giving up just 33 extra base hits despite facing the sixth most batters of any A-10 pitcher last season (563).
Olivia Simcoe returns for her sophomore season with the Rams after appearing in 21 games last season, making seven starts and picking up a trio of wins. Logging 32 strikeouts in 2024, the Whitby, Ontario native threw 47.0 innings facing just over 200 batters in her rookie campaign.
Emilee Watkins returns to action after missing the 2024 and most of the 2023 season due to injury, making six appearances during that 2023 season, tossing 26.2 innings in the early part of the campaign recording 17 strikeouts in that span.
Hey Rookies
The Rams welcome a rookie at every position as part of a six-member freshmen class that includes a trio of New York natives in infielders Gianna Spinelli from Rockaway and Ava Vandernoth from North Babylon, along with catcher and infielder Sophie Nesturrick out of Baldwin.
A pair of Quaker State products join the squad as well in outfielder Morgan Volgraf out of Langhorne, Pa. and Elizabeth Gaisior from Mifflintown. Rounding out the rookie class is the second Canadian in the Rams' pitching core this season, Victoria Klimaszewski comes to the Big Apple as a pitcher and infielder out of Toronto, Ontario.
Recapping 2024
The Rams are coming off a 2024 campaign that was highlighted by an offense that bashed 92 doubles, the second most in program history, and the sixth most by any team in the nation. Four players tallied 10 or more, including Wells and Koratsis. The Rams departed six players from last year's team, including leaders on both the offensive and defensive end in two-way players Devon Miller who tallied 11 wins in the circle, and Bailey Enoch, who led the team in hits, runs scored, and total bases in 2024.
Posting a 25-29-1 record overall, the Rams went 15-11 in the Atlantic 10 to earn the fifth seed in the conference tournament, which would be hosted in The Bronx at Bahoshy Field for the second consecutive year. Despite falling on the opening day of tournament play, the 2024 season was highlighted by a thrilling 10-8 victory over #14 Kentucky in early march, the first ranked win for the Maroon and White since the 2017 campaign.
The 2025 Calendar
Facing six opponents that reached an NCAA Regional last season, the 2025 calendar sees Fordham play 51 games against teams from 14 different conferences including the A-10. With 19 tournament games against 10 different opponents on the non-conference side of the schedule, Fordham will also play six additional midweek non-league games throughout March and April, mixed into a nine-team, 26-game Atlantic 10 slate.
Preseason Projections
The Atlantic 10 announced the results of the annual Preseason Coaches' Poll on Feb. 4, with Fordham tabbed to finish fourth out of the league's ten teams.
Defending A-10 champion, Dayton claimed the top spot in the poll receiving 98 overall votes including nine of ten first place bids. Receiving the only other first-place vote was Saint Louis, last year's conference runner-up who edged Loyola Chicago by one overall vote, 85 to 84, followed by the Rams in fourth receiving 66 votes overall.
Making up the final two playoff spots were Saint Joseph's and UMass with 52 and 51 votes respectively, followed by George Washington (46), George Mason (34), Rhode Island (23), and St. Bonaventure (11) to round out the poll.
Opponents Outlook
Coming off a 40-14-1 campaign in 2024, No. 18/16 Virginia Tech enters the weekend ranked in all three major national polls, and come into the 2025 season with the 20th best RPI in Division I. The Hokies' offense led the ACC in home runs per game, on base percentage, scoring, and slugging percentage placing top five in the nation in each of those categories, along with the second best batting average in the conference, hitting .342 as a team, fifth best in the country as well.
Hosting this weekend's tournament, the College of Charleston enters the 2025 season after finishing 10-39 a year ago. The Cougars averaged 1.16 stolen bases per game last season, fifth best in the CAA, 92 best in the nation. Charleston's defense also ranked 71st in the nation, turning 0.39 double plays per game, also fifth best in the CAA.
North Dakota State is coming off a 17-37 year, finishing near the bottom of the Summit League standings at season's end. The Bison hit .233 as a team in 2024, bashing 31 home runs and stealing 44 bases, both second best in the Summit.
What's Next?
Fordham will head down to the Lone Star State next weekend, playing five games as part of the Bobcat Tournament hosted by Texas State. The Rams will take on Stephen F. Austin in a pair of games, as well as New Mexico, St. Thomas and the host Bobcats.
