NEWPORT NEWS, VA. – After winning a school-record 27 games in 2013 and advancing to its second straight Atlantic 10 Championship, the George Washington softball team was predicted to finish in a tie for second place in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll according to a vote of the league’s 10 head coaches.
Reigning A-10 champion Fordham is the favorite to repeat as conference champ. GW, which will be led by fourth-year head coach Stacey Schramm, is tied for second with Saint Joseph’s, which won the 2013 regular-season title.
Massachusetts took the fourth spot in the poll, followed by Saint Louis (5th), Dayton (6th), George Mason (7th), St. Bonaventure (8th), La Salle (9th) and Rhode Island (10th) round out the 10-team poll.
The six-team Atlantic 10 Championship will take place from May 7-10 at Fordham’s Murphy Athletic Complex in Bronx, N.Y.
GW enjoyed its most successful campaign in program history in 2013, winning a school-record 27 games, including 13 in Atlantic 10 play to earn the fourth seed in the A-10 Championship.
The Colonials return 10 letterwinners from last season’s squad, including junior shortstop Victoria Valos, the two-time team MVP who has hit a school-record 11 home runs in each of her first two seasons, as well as senior pitcher Courtney Martin, and 2013 A-10 All-Conference first team selection.
GW opens its 2014 campaign on Friday, Feb. 7, against Kent State at the Beach Invitational hosted by Long Beach State.
2014 A-10 Softball Predicted Order of Finish (2013 Record)
1. Fordham (36-23/15-7)
T2. GW (27-23/13-7)
T2. Saint Joseph’s (37-10-1/17-5)
4. Massachusetts (18-25/12-10)
5. Saint Louis (28-23/13-9)
6. Dayton (22-24/12-9)
7. George Mason (18-37/6-15 CAA)
8. St. Bonaventure (10-42/4-18)
9. La Salle (16-31/3-19)
10. Rhode Island (10-37/3-18)
