Why transfer to the Atlantic 10?

Summer is moving season in college softball, as a number of athletes end up transferring schools. The Atlantic 10 has had some notable transfers and will hopefully get a few more this summer.

If you have any transfer news, leads, or anything else please email us at atlantic10softball@gmail.com

Elise Fortier

Elise Fortier is the current poster child for transferring to the Atlantic 10, as she transferred to Fordham from Stony Brook. Fortier started at 3rd base for the Seawolves and hit .238 before came to the Bronx. Fortier bought in to Fordham softball and it has paid off, as she has been named 1st team All-Conference in 2012 at 3rd base and 2nd team All-Conference at shortstop. Fortier hit .264 with 47 hits, 6 HR, and 32 RBI in 2012 and then she absolutely exploded at the plate this season, hitting .362 with 64 hits, 61 runs scored, 20 HR, 54 RBI, and 4 steals. Perhaps even more impressive than her staggering contributions was Fortier's play at shortstop for Coach Bridget Orchard, as she was one of the top defensive shortstops in the conference and anchored the Rams' defense.

Fortier chose to play at an Atlantic 10 school and it has paid off for her game and for Fordham. In honor of Fortier and other transfers' success in the A10, here are the top reasons to transfer to an Atlantic 10 school.

Player Development
Some players are so talented that they come in and start right away, but one of the ways to really measure a program and a coach is to see the player development that takes place. Fortier is an excellent examples of this, but there are also countless others. Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year Taryn Ashway went 5-9 with a 3.55 ERA her freshman year at St. Joe's, but she listened to Terri Adams and put in the work and went 25-4 with a 1.88 ERA. Another great example of this is 2009 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Carly Normandin. Normandin hit just .200 as a freshman before hitting .324 as a sophomore, followed by an All-American and conference player of the year season in 2009, which saw her hit .403 with 71 hits, 10 HR, 37 RBI, and 21 steals. Fortier, Ashway, and Normandin are just three examples of players who put in the put work and listened to the wise words of A10 coaches. These coaches know what they're talking about and if players go above and beyond the rewards can be amazing.

Competitive Fire
Whether it's on or off the field, one thing is for sure: Atlantic 10 coaches will always go to bat for their teams. These coaches have high standards for themselves, their players, and umpires. It is a true testament to how much these coaches care. High expectations and standards make everyone better and that's what these coaches strive for. They not only help develop great players, but also great people.

Legendary Coaching
The Atlantic 10 is blessed and fortunate enough to have a living legend in its coaching ranks with UMass head coach Elaine Sortino. Coach Sortino is constantly improving and challenging her team to improve and every time the Minutewomen get knocked down, they end up bouncing back even stronger. No other coach in the Atlantic 10 is a NFCA Hall of Famer with well over 1,000 win. Coach Sortino has sent players off to numerous national teams and professional teams. She knows how to win and she gets the most out of her players every year. Playing for Coach Sortino will expose a player to a breadth of softball knowledge and the highest level of professionalism.

Great Cities
Atlantic 10 schools can be found in three of the great cities on the East Coast: New York (Fordham), Philadelphia (St. Joseph's and La Salle), and Washington D.C. (George Washington and George Mason). It is an incredible opportunity to play softball at a high level and live in one of America's great cities. In addition to developing one's game on the field, these cities provide incredible opportunities for career development. Life on the field is only one part of the college experience and cities provide incredible opportunities for growth off the field.

Community
All universities claim to foster a sense of community and it is truly epitomized by Atlantic 10 schools, especially St. Bonaventure. St. Bonaventure has the smallest budget of any Atlantic 10 school and it is not in close proximity to any other school, but it is a truly special. The environment on and off the field in Olean, leaves players with a long lasting love for St. Bonaventure. It takes a special player to be a Bonnie and while it may not be easy, the work ethic and relationships that will be formed while playing at St. Bonaventure will last a lifetime.

Leaving A Legacy
Until 2010 (with the exception of 2004), the Atlantic 10 was essentially a one team league, as UMass dominated all facets of league play. Times have changed and while UMass is still a force, they have some fierce competition now. Bridget Orchard and Terri Adams have built incredible programs at Fordham and St. Joseph's, essentially from scratch and the best part is that they aren't satisfied yet. Fordham and St. Joseph's are continually striving to get better and they are not satisfied with the status quo. George Washington is making a name for itself under Stacey Schramm. Transfers can help build a program and leave a lasting legacy on the field. The A10 is headed in an upward trajectory, so why not build something special. A transfer can reinforce the tradition of excellence at UMass, strive to maintain that excellence at Fordham, take the program to new heights at St. Joseph's and George Washington, or establish a new culture of success at La Salle, Dayton, St. Louis, St. Bonaventure, Rhode Island, and George Mason.

Current transfers in the Atlantic 10:
Elise Fortier, Fordham
Rachel Gillen, Fordham
Emma Mendoker, UMass
Katie Kroeger, St. Louis
Ashley Olson, Rhode Island
Who will be the next to join their ranks?

2013 Season in Review

While 2012 was the year of Sara Plourde and shutdown pitching, 2013 was the year of offense and balance.  The six team conference tournament field was not decided until the final weekend, as both the top four seeds and bottom two spots were up for grabs.

St. Joseph's was the top team in the regular season, as the Hawks won their first ever regular season title. Fordham finished second for the second straight season. Temple had one of its better season's finishing third and George Washington had its best regular season ever by finishing fourth. St. Louis returned to the A10 tournament after missing the previous two, while Dayton returned after a one year absence. 

The 2013 Atlantic 10 Championship was without a couple of familiar faces as UMass and Charlotte both missed the A10 Tournament for the first time ever. Butler came up just short in its bid as rain did in its and Charlotte's chances.

While the pitching records is the A10 remained untouched and unthreatened, the offensive records were demolished for the most part. New single season bests were recorded for HR (Elise Fortier with 20), RBI (Steph Pasquale with 80), and Runs (Sarah Prezioso with 65). Jamie LaBovick also had an amazing 28 game hitting streak for Fordham. Temple also left the A10 with a blast as they hit 94 HR in their Atlantic 10 swan song. The conference as a whole saw increased numbers across the board in Batting Average, Runs, Hits, Doubles, Triples, Home Runs, Steals, as well as virtually every other offensive category.

Steph Pasquale (Thom Kendall)

Steph Pasquale of Temple had one of the greatest seasons in A10 history and was the slam dunk choice for Player of the Year. She hit a staggering .465 with 87 Hits, 15 HR, and 80 RBI, but the stat that truly indicates how tough of an out she was her 3 SO in 187 AB. Pasquale knows the zone better than just about anyone out there and she got in her hacks every time she stepped in to the batter's box. A10 pitchers are breathing a sigh of relief that she will be moving on to the American to terrorize pitchers.

With the graduations of Sara Plourde, Jen Mineau, and Erin Gallagher it was expected that pitching numbers would be down, but few expected them to plummet as much as they did. In fact, the only major pitching statistic that was an improvement from 2012 was saves. It will be interesting to see whether 2014 will see a return of the 2012 numbers or the beginning of a trend favoring hitters.

Taryn Ashway (Thom Kendall)

There was one shining star in the circle during the regular season and it was Taryn Ashway of St. Joseph's. Ashway closed her career out in style, as she went 25-4 with a 1.88 ERA and 181 SO in 204.2 IP. She played a central role in leading the Hawks to their first ever Atlantic 10 Regular Season Title.

Sarah Yoos (Thom Kendall)

Another big part of St. Joseph's regular season title was freshman Sarah Yoos. Yoos was the hands down choice for Rookie of the Year. She burst on to the scene with a .367 BA, 44 Hits, 3 HR, and 33 RBI. However, the best stat to characterize her impact was her .519 OBP, which led the conference. Yoos did it all for the Hawks in 2013 and she will be a big part of their success moving forward.

Patti Maloney (Thom Kendall)

The Atlantic 10 Tournament was all about taking care of business and that's exactly what Fordham did as soon as they stepped on to the field. After being denied the title in 2010 in Amherst, it was clear that they were not going to let that happen again. The Rams relied on a solid trio of pitching in the circle with Michele Daubman, Jamie LaBovick, and Patti Maloney and a powerful lineup that produced hits and runs 1-9. Paige Ortiz came away with the Most Outstanding Player award (and was the top offensive force after having a great week), but it was really the entire team that stepped up their efforts en route to the title.

Paige Ortiz (Thom Kendall)

After winning in Amherst, Fordham has the misfortune of being sent to Norman, Oklahoma to a brutal regional. The Rams performed well against Arkansas, but came up just short in two games. Fordham ensured its Empire State supremacy by taking down Marist as well.

Fordham's Seniors (Thom Kendall)

The Rams were just able to fend off St. Joseph's, which refused to go away after dropping the winner's bracket final against Fordham. St. Joseph's scrapped and clawed their way to Sunday and even forced the winner-take-all game. Liz Mendez was absolutely spectacular for St. Joseph's and if the conference would award MOP to a player from a losing team (note Kristin Schmidt of LSU won WCWS MOP after finishing 3rd), Mendez would win it hands down. She went 3-1 and allowed just 4 ER on 20 hits in 24.1 innings, while striking out 20. She made a name for herself at the A10 Tournament, which makes the snub of her from the Second Team All-Conference and the All-Rookie that more glaring of an omission. She enters the summer as the clear favorite for 2014 Pitcher of the Year.

Liz Mendez (Thom Kendall)

The breakout star of the tournament may have been Liz Mendez, but Brianna Lore came in a close second. The lefty was outstanding in Amherst and she came very close to getting the Billikens to Sunday. Lore has an incredibly bright future and she will be one to watch next year.

In the past nine years, only UMass and Fordham have won the Atlantic 10 Tournament, so it will be interesting to see if one of them can win it again in 2014. It is important to peak during the postseason and the Rams did just that this year.

To wrap up the season further and look towards next year, here are some of the posts we have coming up
Why transfer to the A10?
Taking the conference tournament to the next level
Parting is such sweet sorrow: saying goodbye to Temple, Charlotte, and Butler

We welcome feedback any other news whether it be recruiting/scheduling/transfer/thoughts on the conference tournament or anything else. Please email us at atlantic10softball@gmail.com

Atlantic 10 Tournament: Day 2

Due to impending rain again, the game schedule has been moved up by 2 hours once again.

Liz Mendez (Photo by Thom Kendall)

Game 4:
St. Joseph's 4 St. Louis 3
WP-Liz Mendez (9-5)
LP-Laney Kneib (13-8)

St. Louis jumped out to a early 3-0 lead over St. Joseph's, behind RBI hits from Lindsay Friedman and Laura Bohning. The Billikens chased Taryn Ashway and Terri Adams turned to freshman Liz Mendez who completely changed the course of the game. Mendez was outstanding in relief as she went 4.1 shutout innings in relief and allowed just 2 hits while striking out 7. The momentum completely turned when Mendez went in and the Hawks offense was finally able to break through. The Hawks loaded up the bases against Brianna Lore with 0 outs, which prompted Coach Christy Connoyer to turn to Laney Kneib. The Hawks scored one in the 3rd, before scoring 3 in the 4th, as Connoyer was forced to bring Lore back in to quell the damage. Maria Ficca had a big home run to leadoff the 4th and Nicole Palase and Monica Aguilar followed with a RBI triple and single respectively to put the Hawks ahead.

Fordham after Paige Ortiz' HR (Photo by Thom Kendall)

Game 5:
Fordham 8 Temple 2
WP-Michele Daubman (17-7)
LP-Kelsey Dominik (15-7)

The battle of the big bats was a decidedly one-sided affair as Michele Daubman was on her game and held Temple to just a solo HR by Sarah Prezioso and a RBI single by Steph Pasquale. It was an impressive feat for Daubman, as Temple is the leading run scoring team in the A10 and the second best home run hitting team nationally. Conversely, Fordham went to work early as they scored 5 runs in the second inning off of a RBI single by Bri Turgeon and a grand slam by Paige Ortiz. Fordham added two more runs in the 4th as Ortiz came through with a RBI single and Jamie LaBovick hit a sac fly. The Rams closed out their scoring on a RBI groundout by Chelsea Palumbo.

Laura Bohning (Photo by Thom Kendall)

Game 6:
St. Louis 8 George Washington 3
WP-Laney Kneib
LP-Courtney Martin

The Billikens came to play in Amherst and they stuck to George Washington early and often. St. Louis jumped on Colonial starter Courtney Martin and touched her up for four runs before doing the same thing to reliever Meghan Rico. Eight of the nine Billiken starters recorded hits and Jessica Van Nostrand, Aly Brand, and Elizabeth Everingham combined to drive in seven run. Laney Kneib started and went four innings for St. Louis and allowed three run before Brianna Lore came in and shut the door for the final three innings. St. Louis has come to play this week and they will come to play vs. Temple tomorrow.

Atlantic 10 Tournament: Day 1

Brianna Lore (Image by Thom Kendall)

Game 1: St. Louis 4 George Washington 2
WP-Brianna Lore (14-14)
LP-Courtney Martin (13-12)

Brianna Lore got in a groove early and the Colonials struggled to figure her out. Lore induced a lot of weak ground balls and her defense did an excellent job of backing her up, save for a brief lapse in the 6th. St. Louis got things going on offense by simply putting pressure on the George Washington defense. The Billikens were able to get productive outs and clutch hits to jump out to a 4-0 lead. The Billikens chased Colonial starter Courtney Martin, but Meghan Rico came in and shut the door on the St. Louis offense, going 5 innings and allowed just 1 hit in relief. Laura Bohning led St. Louis' 6 hit attack by going 2-4 with a RBI, Lindsay Friedman, Kelsey Biggs, Jessica Van Nostrand, and Aly Brand added hits as well. Tori Valos and Autumn Taylor each went 2-3 and drove in a run for the Colonials. Julie Orlandi recorded the other hit for George Washington.

Ali Robinson (Image by Thom Kendall)

Game 2: Temple 7 Dayton 2
WP-Kelsey Dominik (15-6)
LP-Emily Froment (8-5)

Dayton made an interesting choice to start freshman Emily Froment instead of sophomore ace Kayla English.  Froment is a down ball pitcher, while English throws the high heat. Temple jumped on top early and never looked back. Ali Robinson sat back on an off-speed pitch and deposited it over the left field fence to give Temple a 1-0 lead in the first. The home run was Robinson's 15th and it broke a four-way tie for the team lead and it was also Temple's 92nd homer of the year. In the second, the bottom four hitters in the Temple order got the job done as Devynne Nelons, Annie Marcopolous, Julia Kastner, and Lacey McKeon all reached and scored for the Owls in the 2nd. The big four for the Owls got it done driving in runs once again, as Sarah Prezioso went 1-3 with a RBI, Robinson went 2-3 with 3 runs scored, Steph Pasquale went 3-3 with 2 RBI and a walk, and Kelsey Dominik went 1-4 with 2 RBI. Dominik was in control all game en route to her 15th win of the season. She limited Dayton to just 8 hits and got great defense behind her, as Gina Sciarrone and Steph Pasquale made web gems for the Owls. Kathleen Maloof and Rachel Archer each picked up two hits for the Flyers.

Courtney Martin (Image by Thom Kendall)

Game 3: George Washington 2 Dayton 1
WP-Courtney Martin (14-12)
LP-Kayla English (9-11)

The final game of the day was a real pitcher's duel, which was finished in some questionable weather conditions. Courtney Martin got the start again for George Washington and she was sharp, as she allowed just 4 hits and 1 ER while striking out 7. Jordan Jennings put Dayton on the board first in the 5th as she slammed a HR to LF and she also recorded a double in the 7th. After Dayton went on top 1-0, George Washington immediately responded as the first two hitters reached and Samantha Dos Santos drove them in with a 2 out single to give the Colonials the 2-1 lead. Martin kept the Flyers off the board, despite horrendous playing conditions, in which she was barely able to grip the ball. Kayla English picked up the loss for Dayton as she allowed 3 hits in 6 innings.

Game Notes:
-Of the 18 runs scored today, only 10 were ER
-Every team committed at least one error and 9 total were committed
-Two home runs were hit
-No triples were hit

Official Atlantic 10 All-Conference Selections: Do Better

Here are the official Atlantic 10 All-Conference Selections:

We are going to give our take on them. First, the coaches and SIDs nailed Player, Pitcher, Rookie, and Coach of the Year, though to be frank each was a slam dunk winner.

Tori Valos

The big issues lie with the Atlantic 10's formatting for the teams, as they are insistent on only one player from each position. The shortstops in the Atlantic 10 were particularly strong this season and in the conference only stats (the Atlantic 10 only publishes the top 15 hitters, which is another head scratcher) there were 5 SS among the top 15 hitters, unfortunately only 2 of those shortstops got honored. The other three received nothing despite having a top 15 BA in both conference and non-conference play. Tori Valos of George Washington only hit .358 with 11 HR and 51 RBI (a total which is 3rd in the conference), Natalie Capone hit .364 for Charlotte, and Quianna Diaz-Patterson hit .357 for UMass. If the conference wants to honor the best players, which it attempts to do on the All-Rookie Team, it should select them regardless of position. In no circumstances should there ever be a situation where a .358 hitter with 11 HR and 51 RBI isn't honored especially after watching her play. Valos is not only a stud on offense, but also defense, which apparent isn't factored into consideration.

The All-Conference Teams also struck out on hitting pitchers, as Michele Daubman of Fordham and Kelsey Dominik of Temple put up solid seasons in the circle and at the plate. Both Daubman and Dominik picked up double digit win totals and hit over .300 at the plate, yet neither was honored on the All-Conference Team. Clearly, these hitting pitchers had no spot allocated for them on the All-Conference Team, which is plain wrong. These players should not be punished for having more than one position and frankly they should be rewarded for their utility. Both Dominik and Daubman saw action at four different positions, which is incredible. The NFCA has a utility spot on its All-American honors, yet the A10 doesn't.

As egregious as the other omissions were, this one was perhaps even worse: Emily McDonough did not receive All-Rookie honors despite hitting over .300 in both conference and overall while stealing 23 bases. If McDonough played for any team other than St. Bonaventure she would have been a slam dunk. The All-Rookie Team is not constrained by positions and is supposed to honor the top newcomers regardless of position, hence the 6 pitchers. McDonough hit .330 with 29 runs scored and 23 steals, while also being a solid defensive presence out there. On the surface, it appears that some coaches and SIDs did not even think there would be a player worthy of All-Conference honors at St. Bonaventure and did not even take a look at the stats. A word of advice, take a look at the players from every team, not just the top ones.

Chelsea Ingersoll also found herself snubbed despite hitting .353 overall and .388 in conference play. Call it what you want, but she was robbed just like some of the other players on this list. Ingersoll will get kudos from us for hitting .353 with 10 HR and 31 RBI and .388 with 6 HR and 19 RBI in conference play.

Unfortunately the list doesn't end there. Liz Mendez played an integral part in St. Joseph's success this season, as she has performed well all year in the circle. She had a top ERA both in conference play and overall, yet she is not honored. Mendez had the 6th best ERA overall, as she went 9-5 with a 2.65 ERA and 99 SO in 103 innings pitched. In conference play she was 5-3 with a 2.44 ERA and 44 SO in 51.1 IP. These figures should have easily put Mendez on the All-Rookie Team.

So here it is the All-Snub Team, which in case you haven't noticed doesn't have a single senior. Clearly, seniority is a factor that coaches consider when making these decisions.

P Liz Mendez, St. Joseph's                 9-5  2.65 ERA  99 SO   103 IP
P Michele Daubman, Fordham          16-7 3.55 ERA 102 SO  160 IP
                                                               .341 BA 46 Hits 6 HR   30 RBI
P Kelsey Dominik, Temple               14-6 3.94 ERA   59 SO 124.1 IP
                                                              .300 BA 45 Hits  14 HR 35 RBI
C Chelsea Ingersoll, Charlotte                 .353 BA 49 Hits 10 HR 31 RBI
C Kasi Vasquez, Dayton                        .386 BA 22 Hits    4 HR 18 RBI**
SS Tori Valos, George Washington        .358 BA 53 Hits  11 HR 51 RBI 5 SB
SS Quianna Diaz-Patterson, UMass       .357 BA 46 Hits    3 HR 23 RBI 8 SB
SS Natalie Capone, Charlotte                .364 BA 56 Hits    0 HR 15 RBI 10 SB
SS Emily McDonough, St. Bonaventure .330 BA 58 Hits     0 HR  8 RBI 23 SB
3B Devynne Nelons, Temple                 .328 BA 20 Hits   11 HR 18 RBI**
3B Grace Rooney, St. Bonaventure       .368 BA 46 Hits     0 HR 12 RBI 4 SB
OF Jessica Plemmons, Charlotte           .350 BA 49 Hits 14 2B 2 HR 31 RBI
                                                            .404 BA 21 Hits     2 HR  14 RBI**
**Conference only stats

Final note: to those still playing use it as motivation and to those who are done for the season use it as motivation every day in the offseason.

All Conference Selections

This is our take on the awards. We did follow the Atlantic 10's archaic nominating system, which rewards the top players at each position instead of the top overall players. In a more ideal world, we would have included more shortstops on the first team to more accurately reflect the impact shortstops had on the league this year. There was a lot of talent in the A10 this year and these were not easy decisions to make by any means. Even if players do not end up receiving all conference accolades, they should hold their heads up high for great seasons.

Steph Pasquale, Temple

Player of the Year: Steph Pasquale, Temple
Pitcher of the Year: Taryn Ashway, St. Joseph's
Rookie of the Year: Sarah Yoos, St. Joseph's
Coach of the Year: Terri Adams, St. Joseph's

First Team
P Taryn Ashway, St. Joseph's
P Jenny Esparza, Butler
C Steph Pasquale, Charlotte
1B Jamie LaBovick, Fordham
2B Sarah Yoos, St. Joseph's
3B/SS Elise Fortier, Fordham
SS Sarah Prezioso, Temple
OF Katie Bettencourt, UMass
OF Cyndil Matthew, UMass
OF Jessica Plemmons, Charlotte
P/DP Michele Daubman, Fordham

Second Team
P Courtney Martin, George Washington
P Kristin Gutierrez, Butler
C Gabby Luety, Fordham
1B Tiffany Meeks, UMass
2B Samantha Slade, Charlotte
3B Kayla Lombardo, Fordham
SS Victoria Valos, George Washington
OF Autumn Taylor, George Washington
OF Ali Robinson, Temple
OF Dana Parks, St. Joseph's
P/DP Kelsey Dominik, Temple

Honorable Mention

C Kasi Vasquez, Dayton
C Chelsea Ingersoll, Charlotte

3B Devynne Nelons, Temple
SS Quianna Diaz-Patterson, UMass
SS Natalie Capone, Charlotte
OF Chelsea Palumbo, Fordham

All-Rookie Team
P Meg Rico, George Washington
P Emily Froment, Dayton
P Kristin Gutierrez, Butler
P Liz Mendez, St. Joseph's
P Kelsey Dominik, Temple
P Brianna Lore, St. Louis
P Laney Kneib, St. Louis
1B Carlee Gray, George Washington
2B Taylor Carbone, UMass
2B Sarah Yoos, St. Joseph's
SS Emily McDonough, St. Bonaventure
OF Jessica Plemmons, Charlotte
OF Kendra Heyer, La Salle

Instead of the Scholar-Athlete team, we will be doing an All-Defensive Team
P Mary Cate Scott, La Salle
P Kristin Gutierrez, Butler
C Samantha Dos Santos, George Washington
1B Kelsey Biggs, St. Louis
2B Emily Belfield, St. Bonaventure
3B Elizabeth Everingham, St. Louis
SS Elise Fortier, Fordham
OF Ali Robinson, Temple
OF Cyndil Matthew, UMass
OF Annie Marcopolous, Temple

A10 Tournament Field is set!

After an exciting final day of play the seedings are set for the 2013 Atlantic 10 Championship
1. St. Joseph's 17-5*
2. Fordham 15-7*
3. Temple 15-7
4. George Washington 13-7
5. St. Louis 13-9
6. Dayton 12-9

St. Joseph's and Fordham both earn 1st round byes. Fordham and Temple finished tied at 15-7, but by virtue of tiebreaker Fordham earns the #2 seed.

Wednesday matchups:
#5 St. Louis vs. #4 George Washington 12 PM
#6 Dayton vs. #3 Temple 2:30 PM
Losers of Games 1 and 2 5 PM

Records vs. the field
St. Joseph's 7-3
Fordham 7-3
George Washington 5-5
St. Louis 5-5
Temple 4-6
Dayton 2-8

After being in the conference since its inception in 1983, St. Joseph's finally won its first regular season title. Coach Terri Adams has done an outstanding job at Hawk Hill and this regular season championship is the culmination of all of her hard work. She will now look to bring the Hawks their first Atlantic 10 Tournament title and an automatic bid to NCAA Regionals.