Loyola Softball, Tabbed 8th in A-10 Preseason, Look Ahead to Season

The Loyola softball team (4-14) will begin conference play March 18. The Ramblers were ranked No. 8 in Atlantic 10 (A-10) preseason polls and are coming off a 17-30, 10-17 season in the Missouri Valley Conference. In the postseason, the Ramblers got their only win in the opening round of the conference tournament. 

In its 52-game season, Loyola has played in 18 of its 24 non-conference games as it braces for 28 conference games. The team will face tough competition in the A-10, but according to Loyola Assistant Coach Beth Wallace, two teams in particular stand out.

“When we’re looking out to conference, it looks like George Washington and Fordham will probably be our toughest two to take on,” Wallace said. 

Fordham is expected to defend its A-10 Championship after being ranked at No. 1, receiving six out of ten first-place votes. Fordham University is predicted to defend its A-10 championship title this season according to the A-10 preseason poll, receiving six out of ten first-place votes in the annual preseason A-10 coaches poll, according to the A-10 preseason poll. Last year, Fordham finished the regular season with a 27-19 record and defeated George Washington (GW) in a sudden-death match to win its ninth league championship.

Saint Joseph’s University (SJU) earned 2nd place in the preseason poll. The Hawks finished 14-8 and claimed the third seed in the A-10 championship last year. Graduate student Taylor Marinelli delivered a walk-off home run to defeat University of Massachusetts in the tournament’s first game. SJU advanced into the main seed and fell to Fordham 3-2. After this, they were placed in the tournament’s elimination match and fell to Dayton 3-1. 

GW came in at No. 3 in the preseason poll. Looking to capture its third A-10 regular season championship in three years, GW returns 12 letter-winners from the 2022 roster, adding six first-years and one transfer. A notable returner includes reigning A-10 Player of the Year Alexa Williams. 

University of Dayton earned a fourth place ranking in the preseason poll. The Flyers are returning six of their starting players, including 2022 A-10 Rookie of the Year Emma Schutter. Schutter was ranked 29th nationally with a .419 batting average. In league matches, that average was .547 percent. 

Saint Louis University took fifth in the preseason poll. Billikens graduate Gabbie Kowalik was recently named A-10 player of the week on March 8th. She led the A-10 in hits 23 and 42 total bases.

The team’s non-conference opponent George Mason University was tabbed 7th in the preseason poll. The Patriots 26-player roster includes 11 newcomers, three graduate transfers and eight first-year students. Patriots stand-out, senior utility player Haley Taormina was recently named A-10 Player of the Week for the second time this season. When she won the award Feb. 21, Taormina led her team with a .500 hitting average, 1.333 on-base percentage and slugging percentage, slugging percentage of .833, and 10 bases gained.

University of Rhode Island came in ninth in the preseason poll. The Rams defeated Georgia State University 7-0 in their first win of the season with 12 hits, tying the most in their season so far. 

The A-10 preseason poll placed St. Bonaventure University 10th after Bonnies’ head coach Mike Threehouse announced the addition of five players to their 2023 recruiting class, including ​​Eleanor Park, Kelsey Brady, Kymora Wang, Kaylee Grace and Sydney DeGram.

Many players are crucial to this year’s Rambler roster. Still, according to Wallace, senior utility player Amelia Thomas and graduate infielder Madison Elbing are standout players, but she praised the entire starting lineup. 

The Ramblers didn’t lose many players after last year, which Wallace helped the team substantially heading into this season. 

“We only lost three last year and that hat was pretty helpful from the standpoint of I think it made our transition for our freshmen pretty easy,” Wallace said. “I do think our freshman and our one transfer put in a good amount of work to help bring us together.”

The three first-year students — outfielder Sierra Sass, outfielder Bella DeZeeuw, catcher Abbie Gregus and one transfer student — walked into an already-established system. Instead of having holes to fill, the new players helped solidify and fine-tune spots on the team. 

Wallace said he is confident as the team aspires to qualify for regionals and the playoff tournament. Wallace and the team’s aspirations for this season are to contend for the A-10 crown.

In its most recent outing, Loyola traveled to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California to compete in the Mustang Classic, a three-game tournament. However, the Ramblers returned to Rogers Park after rainy conditions canceled the tournament because the field was unplayable. The matches will not be rescheduled. 

The Ramblers are set to open A-10 action at George Mason University in a three-game series March 18. The teams will play a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m., while March 19 will feature a single game with the first pitch set for 11 a.m. Broadcast information is yet to be announced. 

Featured image courtesy of Steve Woltmann for Loyola Athletics