Atlantic 10 at ASA Gold

Dayton verbal Manda Cash turned in a dominating performance at ASA Gold for the Ohio Nightmare in the circle and at the plate. Cash went 3-2 in the circle with a 1.24 ERA and 44 SO in 45 innings, while hitting .286 with 2 RBI. The Nightmare finished the tournament with a 5-3 record.

Paige Kovalsky

George Washington signee Paige Kovalsky hit .143 with 3 RBI and went 2-0 in the circle with a 1.50 ERA and 8 SO in 9.1 IP for Wagner's Gold. Wagner's finished the tournament with a 9-3 record.

George Washington signee Marissa Mangini hit .192 for the Florida Gators Gold and picked up 1 RBI for her squad. The Gators Gold finished the tournament with a 5-3 record.

La Salle signee Valerie Pineiro played 7 games for the New Jersey Gators and picked up 1 RBI. The Gators went 4-3 at ASA Gold.

St. Joseph's signee Nikki Alden hit .391 for the Newtown Rock with a tournament high 3 HR and 7 RBI, while picking up 5 walks. The Rock finished the tournament with a 5-3 record.

St. Joseph's signee Isabella Picard hit .500 and recorded a walk and a steal for the Worcester Hawks, which went 0-4 at the tournament.

Atlantic 10 at PGF

UPDATE

Dayton signee Hannah DeSalvo hit .363 with 2 RBI for the Indiana Shockwaves, which went 1-3-2 on the week at Premier.

Dayton verbal Jaclyn Kweder hit .500 with 5 RBI for the Indiana Shockwaves.

Lauren Quense

Fordham signee Lauren Quense had a solid tournament for the Delco Chaos, as she went 1-0 with a 2.33 ERA and 7 SO in 9 IP. Quense also did well at the plate, hitting .300 with a HR. Quense is sure to make an impact at the plate and in the circle for Fordham next year.

Fordham verbal Morgan Figueroa hit .368 in 8 games for the Washington Ladyhawks, while picking up 2 RBI for her squad. The Ladyhawks finished 4-5 at the tournament.

Fordham signee Stephanie Ferri hit .091 with a double and 3 RBI for SoCal 3D. SoCal 3D finished with a 5-3 record in the PGF Platinum Division.

Sarah Costlow

George Washington verbal Sarah Costlow turned in a dominating performance at 16U PGF Nationals, as she went 1-0 with a 0.35 ERA and 12 SO in 20 innings. Costlow helped lead the OC Batbusters-Myers to a second place finish in the 16U division.

Jill Galich

George Washington signee Jill Galich played in 8 games for the New Lenox Lightning and hit .083 with 3 RBI. The New Lenox Lightning finished 6-2 in pool play and bracket play at PGF.

George Washington signee Madi Myers-Cook hit .364 for The Next Level at PGF Nationals. TNL finished the tournament with a 2-2-1 record.

George Washington verbal Riley Tejcek hit .200 in four games for the Indiana Magic and picked up a walk for her squad. The Indiana Magic finished PGF with a 0-3-2 record.

George Washington verbal Alana Anderson hit .231 with 2 RBI for the Arizona Storm. The Storm finished PGF with a 4-4-1 record.

George Washington verbal Rochelle Draper played in 5 games for Team Mizuno-Gonzalez at PGF Nationals.

George Washington verbal Aiyana Leal-Robles played in 5 games for Team Mizuno-Gonzalez at PGF Nationals.

George Washington signee Morgan Rinehart hit .333 for the Vienna Stars with one walk.

La Salle signee Tori Gollie hit .182 for the NJ Inferno at PGF. The Inferno finished the tournament with a 3-4 record.

La Salle signee Christina Bascara hit .250 for the Lower South Liberty and recorded 2 steals. The Liberty finished the tournament with a 1-4 record.

Christina Bascara

La Salle verbal Angelina Refice hit .333 for the Lower South Liberty at PGF.

La Salle verbal Taylor Rohrbaugh went 1-1 for Krunch Gold with a 1.45 ERA and 8 SO in 19.1 innings. Rohrbaugh helped lead the Krunch to a 3-3 record in the PGF Platinum Division.

Tara Klee

UMass signee Tara Klee hit .125 for the Delco Chaos and picked up a RBI and 2 walks. Klee is recovering from an injury and did not see any time in the circle. The Chaos finished 1-4 in the tournament.

UMass signee Ashton Wince had a big tournament for the Vienna Stars, hitting .364 with a double and 2 RBI. The Stars finished the tournament with a 2-3-1 record.

Ashton Wince

St. Joseph's signee Maddie Brunck hit .143 with 1 RBI and 3 runs scored for the NJ Cheetahs. The Cheetahs finished 4-3 in the PGF Platinum Division.

St. Joseph's verbal Erica Nugent hit .286 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI for the NJ Cheetahs.

Temple signee Kaylyn Zierke hit .313 with 5 hits and 3 RBI for the New Lenox Lightning at PGF.

If any players were missed please email atlantic10softball@gmail.com

Ashley Alden transfers to St. Joseph's

In big transfer news, Ashley Alden has transferred from Rutgers to St. Joseph's. Alden is a 6'0" 1st baseman that is sure to shore up the Hawks lineup and their infield defense.

Alden has played in 98 games over the past two seasons, starting 75 of those games. Alden hit 7 HR over the past two seasons and drove in 30 for the Scarlet Knights. Coach Terri Adams will look for Alden to compete for playing time at either designated player or 1st base.

Alden played travel softball for Newtown Rock Gold and will be the first Rock Gold player to play for an Atlantic 10 school. Alden's sister Nikki has also committed to the Hawks.

Nikki Alden pitches and plays a number of different positions. The younger Alden will compete for playing time right away. At ASA Gold Nationals, Alden hit .391 with 9 hits, 3 HR, and 7 RBI, as well as 5 walks. Alden helped lead the Rock to a third place finish at ASA Gold Nationals and her 3 HR tied for the tournament lead.

Nikki Alden

Alden was the first 2014 commitment for the Hawks and since been joined by Madison Clarke and Erica Nugent. Terri Adams is putting together a very solid recruiting class.

Riley Tejcek verbals to George Washington

George Washington picked up its first 2015 verbal as Riley Tejcek committed to the Colonials.

Tejcek is a talented infielder that swings a powerful bat from the right side. Tejcek was a highly sought after prospect that should start right away for George Washington. Tejcek plays for the Indiana Magic, which just wrapped play at the Premier Girls Fastpitch Nationals.

Tejcek is the first 2015 commitment for George Washington, which has done an incredible job recruiting recently due in large part to the efforts of recruiting coordinator Dan Sperl and head coach Stacey Schramm.

Tejcek is the second 2015 commit in the Atlantic 10, joining Marlo Roadcap who verballed to La Salle.

Marlo Roadcap verbals to La Salle

Marlo Roadcap

La Salle and Coach Ron Shoemaker picked up the first 2015 verbal in the conference as pitcher Marlo Roadcap verbally committed to the Explorers.

Roadcap is a 5'11" LHP for the Rock Gold travel team. She also starts in the circle for Millersburg Area HS. She is a tall lanky lefty that could come in and be a program changer for the Explorers.

Coach Shoemaker did some great work turning the Explorers around in 2013 and with his aggressive recruiting it is clear that La Salle has a very bright future. Roadcap joins a talented crop of pitching verbals, which includes McKenzie Peace and Taylor Rohrbaugh. Roadcap has all the makings of a big time college and she may help elevate La Salle to that next level.

Roadcap is the first reported 2015 verbal in the conference. If you have any verbal news please email atlantic10softball@gmail.com

Morgan Figueroa verbals to Fordham

Morgan Figueroa

Fordham picked up a big verbal commitment from Morgan Figueroa, a 2014 lefthanded slap hitter from the Washington Ladyhawks.

Figueroa is an outfielders and second baseman who is sure to add some speed to the Rams lineup. Figueroa has great bat control and she should be a fixture at the top of the order. Coach Bridget Orchard will look to develop Figueroa's slapping abilities, as well as hitting away to make her a triple threat at the plate.

Figueroa joins Madi Shaw in Fordham's 2014 recruiting class. Coach Orchard is already putting together a great recruiting class and it will be exciting to see who the next player that verbals is.

Figueroa is not the first lefty slapper from the Washington Ladyhawks to play for Fordham, as Lindsey Kay Bright has that distinction. Bright was a four year starter in the outfield for the Rams and she left her mark on the Fordham record book, as she holds the single season record for steals with 29 and was one of just six players in Ram history to have recorded 200 hits.

There have been some other Ladyhawks that have also gone on to play in the Atlantic 10, including Maura Murphy, Devynne Nelons, Crystal Nyman, Teea Rogers, Erin Fisher, and Melissa Wilson.

Taylor Rohrbaugh verbals to La Salle

Taylor Rohrbaugh

Coach Ron Shoemaker continued his aggressive 2014 recruiting as he picked up another big verbal commitment with Taylor Rohrbaugh commiting to play for La Salle.

Rohrbaugh is a pitcher and corner infielder for Krunch Gold and she should add solid depth to the Explorer's lineup. Rohrbaugh has also been solid for Central York HS and was named player of the year in her area last year. She put up impressive numbers at the plate and in the field. She finished with a 1.26 ERA and 140 SO in 156 innings, while hitting .446 with 29 hits and 16 RBI at the plate.

Rohrbaugh joins McKenzie Peace, Angelina Refice, and Valerie Pinheiro in La Salle's 2014 recruiting class. Coach Shoemaker is doing a great job at La Salle and this program is making solid strides under his watch.

Ali Summers and Ashley Dumoulin sign with Rhode Island

If you know of any Atlantic 10 softball news please email us at atlantic10softball@gmail.com

Rhode Island picked up a solid catcher from New Jersey and a pitcher/outfielder from Texas, as Ali Summers of the New Jersey Mystics and Ashley Dumoulin signed to play for the Rams next year.

Ali Summers

Summers plays for Camden Catholic in addition to playing for the Mystics. Summers is a solid righthanded bat that should add some power to the Rams lineup.

Ashley Dumoulin

Ashley Dumoulin comes from Byron Nelson High School in Northlake, Texas and the American Freedom travel team. Dumoulin is a 5'4" pitcher and outfielder who should see time in the circle and at the plate for the Rams.

Dumoulin put up solid numbers for Byron Nelson in the circle this year, as she went 23-8 with a 1.47 ERA and 127 SO. For her efforts, Dumoulin was named 5-4A Pitcher of the Year in 2013.

Summers and Dumoulin join Jenna Cubello, Danielle Gariglio, and Marylynn Muldowney in URI 2013 signing class. The Rams are looking for Summers and Dumoulin to be important pieces of their push towards the A10 Tournament in 2014.

Which team will get the 1st 2015 Atlantic 10 Verbal?

It is getting around that time of year when the verbals will start to pour in to Atlantic 10 schools. The big questions on the table are: who will be the first 2015 verbal and which school will receive the commitment?

Quianna Diaz-Patterson

George Washington received the first 2014 verbal with Rochelle Draper, St. Joseph's received the first 2013 verbal with Stephanie Chaiser, and UMass received the first 2012 verbal with Olivia Godin and the first 2011 one with Quianna Diaz-Patterson.

Who will the first 2015 be?

Recruiting: Thinking Outside the Box

Sometimes recruiting habits form and coaches look to just a few travel teams or a certain area to fill their recruiting classes. This approach has worked, but it's always good to think outside the box sometimes and go outside of comfort zones, whether it is looking at JUCO players or international one. You never know where you are going to find a program changing player.

Currently the Atlantic 10 has just one JUCO transfer in URI rising senior Ashley Olson. Olson was an impact player for the Rams in 2013, as she hit .270 with 24 hits, 2 HR, and 13 RBI. JUCO players come in a little more seasoned than freshmen and can contribute right away.

Here are a few JUCO and international players that could be impact players in the Atlantic 10:

Rita Hokianga

Rita Hokianga, LHP, Eastern Arizona College, New Zealand
Hokianga stands at just 5'3", but this Kiwi packs a punch. Hokianga has pitched for the New Zealand Junior National Team, in addition to tossing for Eastern Arizona. Hokianga fared fairly well in her first season in the United States, as she went 22-6 with a 1.40 ERA and 252 SO in 219 IP. Hokianga's international experience and southpaw look would make her a great addition to an A10 team.

Courtney Gettins, RHP, New Zealand
Gettins is one of the youngest players to ever pitch for the New Zealand National Team, as she made her debut at age 16. Gettins sister Melanie Gettins was a standout catcher at Iona. Gettins is a winner, as she has done so at both the national and international level.

Stephanie Trzcinski, RHP, Australia
Trzcinski is a pitcher on the Australian Junior National Team and she would be a fine addition to an Atlantic 10 school. She was named the most valuable pitcher at the Elinor McKenzie Shield, which is Australia's U19 Championship. Some past winners of that same award include Georgia Casey (Oklahoma), Simone Freeman (Oklahoma State), Kaia Parnaby (Hawaii), and Kristen Wadwell (Louisville)

Eva Voortman

Eva Voortman, LHP, Chipola, Netherlands
Voortman is a lefty pitcher from the Netherlands who currently plays for Chipola College in FL. Voortman is a crafty southpaw that could be a real impact pitcher in the circle for an Atlantic 10 school. Voortman has experience pitching in the US for Chipola College and internationally for the Dutch Junior and Senior National Teams. Voortman went 23-3 with a 0.95 ERA in the circle in 2013 for Chipola.

Letiticia Matsuoka, OF, Northwest Florida State, Brazil
Matsuoka is a speedy Brazilian outfielder for Northwest Florida State and she could be an immediate starter. Matsuoka hit .420 with 68 hits, 6 HR, 49 RBI, and 4 steals for Northwest Florida State. She has experience playing for Brazil and in a tough JUCO league in Florida.

Maria Ueno, IF, Miami Dade, Brazil
Ueno is a left handed hitting infielder from Brazil who is currently starring for Miami Dade. Ueno hit .372 with 51 hits, 1 HR, 35 RBI, and 3 steals. Ueno did all that in her first season in the United States and should have a high learning curve out there.

Raquelli Bianco, P, Miami Dade, Brazil
Bianco is one of the first Brazilian pitchers to throw in the United States and she has been very successful in the circle and at the plate for Miami Dade. Bianco hit .342 with 26 hits, 3 HR, and 19 RBI. In the circle, Bianco went 10-3 with a 2.27 ERA and 116 SO in 103 IP.

Some others to look at:
Rosanne de Vries LHP/OF, Chipola, Netherlands
Floor van Dijk, C (R/R), Gulf Coast, Netherlands
Lynn Dollekamp, 2B/OF, Florida State College, Netherlands
Marjolein Merkx, P, Florida State College, Netherlands
Greta Longagnani, P, Pensacola State, Italy
Lara Cecchetti, IF (R/R), Polk State, Italy
Ivona Firicka, OF, Polk State, Czech Republic
Stefania Aradillas 2B (R/R), Mt. SAC, Mexico
Te Reo Powhiri Matautia, OF (L/R), Tallahassee, New Zealand
Krysta Hoani, RHP (R/R), Tallahassee, New Zealand
Tammy McMillan, IF (R/R), Tallahassee, Australia
Karla Claudio, RHP/OF (R/R), Santa Fe, Puerto Rico
Galis Lozada Reyes, SS/OF (S/R), Santa Fe, Puerto Rico
Sian Colee, C (R/R), Gulf Coast, Australia
Nicole Miller, C (L/R), Indian River, Canada

Future International Players in the Atlantic 10:
Madison Clarke 2014 P Canada (St. Joseph's)

Past International Players in the Atlantic 10:
Jessica Tolmie P Australia (Temple)
Kaila Holtz P Canada (UMass)
Syndey Cicchetti P Canada (Dayton)
Leah Sitter OF Canada (Dayton)

American Born Players for Foreign National Teams
Candice Molinari OF Italy (UMass)
Davina Hernandez OF Puerto Rico (UMass)

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