NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Fordham Rams and George Washington Colonials shared the top spot in the 2020 Atlantic 10 Softball Preseason Poll, announced Wednesday. The Poll, conducted of the league’s 10 head coaches, predicts the winner of the 202 A-10 Softball Championship.
 
Fordham and George Washington, both under first-year head coaches, shared the championship title in 2019 after the deciding game was cancelled due to rain. Each team received 89 points in the vote, with Fordham receiving three first-place votes and GW receiving five.
 
Massachusetts narrowly took the third spot in the poll with two first place votes and 87 points followed by Dayton (64) and Saint Joseph’s (56). Saint Louis and George Mason were predicted sixth and seventh, respectively, and Rhode Island (37), La Salle (20) and St. Bonaventure (10) rounded out the poll.
 
Fordham enters the 2020 season as the defending regular season champion and looks to defend its championship title after winning eight of the last nine years. Fordham returns Pitcher of the year and 2019 Championship Most Outstanding Player Madie Aughinbaugh, All-Rookie selection Makenzie McGrath and Starters Sarah Taffet and Rachel Hubertus. The Rams are led by 2019 Coach of the Year Melissa Inouye.
 
George Washington is coming off of its first A-10 Conference Championship title and first post-season berth in program history. Behind second-year head coach Shane Winkler, The Colonials are led by 2019 Player of the Year Jenna Cone, First Team All-Conference Pitcher Sierra Lange and second-team All-Conference selections Jessica Linquist and Alessandra Ponce.
 
The 2020 regular season kicks off the Weekend of February 6-9 with six of the 10 A-10 teams in action. The 2020 Atlantic 10 Softball Championship will be hosted by Saint Louis University May 6-9. View the full A-10 softball schedule at atlantic10.com.