Softball Tabbed A-10 Co-Favorite
1/29/2020 2:01:00 PM | Softball
Colonials share top spot with Fordham
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - After sharing the Atlantic 10 title with Fordham last spring, George Washington softball has been voted as the conference co-favorite, along with the Rams, heading into the new season.
GW and Fordham both received 89 points in the annual poll of the league's coaches with the Colonials garnering five first-place votes to three for the Rams.
Massachusetts was close behind with 87 points and two first-place votes with Dayton (64) and Saint Joseph's (56) rounding out the top five.
GW seems well-positioned to follow up last season's success under head coach Shane Winkler. The Colonials return most of the cast that posted a program-record 44 wins en route to a share of their first A-10 title and first postseason berth. They'll look to take the next step after concluding the 2019 campaign in the NISC Liberty Regional.
Jenna Cone, the 2019Â A-10 Player of the Year, leads the group, seeking to close out her decorated career in style. The senior infielder equaled a conference record with 20 home runs and broke her own program mark with 67 RBIs to earn All-America honors from Softball America. She enters her final season ranking first nationally with 187 career RBIs and fourth with 50 career home runs.
Last season, Cone had plenty of help as part of an offense that ranked second in the nation with a .341 batting average and averaged 6.0 runs per contest.Â
GW also brings back All-Conference performers Jessica Linquist (.488 OBP, 65 runs) and Alessandra Ponce (25 extra-base hits, 37 RBIs), plus starters Sidney Bloomfield, Priscilla Martinez, Elena Shelepak and Hannah Eslick.
In the circle, the Colonials return four of their top five pitchers, though Sierra Lange, an All A-10 First Team selection in 2019, is out indefinitely as she recovers from an injury suffered in the fall.
The Buff and Blue open the 2020 season on Feb. 6 in Mexico with a doubleheader vs. BYU and Utah Valley as part of the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. They'll kick off their 29-game home slate on Feb. 28 vs. Towson in the opener of their annual Colonial Classic.
GW and Fordham both received 89 points in the annual poll of the league's coaches with the Colonials garnering five first-place votes to three for the Rams.
Massachusetts was close behind with 87 points and two first-place votes with Dayton (64) and Saint Joseph's (56) rounding out the top five.
GW seems well-positioned to follow up last season's success under head coach Shane Winkler. The Colonials return most of the cast that posted a program-record 44 wins en route to a share of their first A-10 title and first postseason berth. They'll look to take the next step after concluding the 2019 campaign in the NISC Liberty Regional.
Jenna Cone, the 2019Â A-10 Player of the Year, leads the group, seeking to close out her decorated career in style. The senior infielder equaled a conference record with 20 home runs and broke her own program mark with 67 RBIs to earn All-America honors from Softball America. She enters her final season ranking first nationally with 187 career RBIs and fourth with 50 career home runs.
Last season, Cone had plenty of help as part of an offense that ranked second in the nation with a .341 batting average and averaged 6.0 runs per contest.Â
GW also brings back All-Conference performers Jessica Linquist (.488 OBP, 65 runs) and Alessandra Ponce (25 extra-base hits, 37 RBIs), plus starters Sidney Bloomfield, Priscilla Martinez, Elena Shelepak and Hannah Eslick.
In the circle, the Colonials return four of their top five pitchers, though Sierra Lange, an All A-10 First Team selection in 2019, is out indefinitely as she recovers from an injury suffered in the fall.
The Buff and Blue open the 2020 season on Feb. 6 in Mexico with a doubleheader vs. BYU and Utah Valley as part of the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. They'll kick off their 29-game home slate on Feb. 28 vs. Towson in the opener of their annual Colonial Classic.
Players Mentioned
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