CHICAGO (May 10, 2023) - The No. 2 seeded Loyola Ramblers head to the A-10 Tournament this week hosted by Fordham in Bronx, New York. The Ramblers have a first round bye and will play the winner of No. 3 Dayton vs. No. 6 Rhode Island for their first game on Thursday, May 11 at 1:30 p.m. CT. All games will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats can be followed here. 

LEADING OFF
• Loyola pulled off its first perfect home season last weekend after sweeping Dayton. The Ramblers finished 14-0 at home. The sweep also helped Loyola nab the No. 2 seed and a first round by in the A-10 Tournament.
• The Ramblers swept a total of four home series vs. A-10 opponents, and they won two more series on the road. The sweeps came against Saint Joseph's, George Washington, Rhode Island and Dayton. The road series wins were at UMass and St. Bonaventure.
• Earlier this week, the A-10 announced its 2023 All-Conference award winners. Four Ramblers collected five honors.
• Madison Ebeling was named First Team for the first time in her career. Ebeling led Loyola in A-10 play hitting .343. She also led the team with three homers, 28 runs and 17 stolen bases.
• Amelia Thomas collected two honors. She was named to the A-10 Second Team and All-Academic Team. On the field, Thomas led the Ramblers all season at the plate. She's hitting .338 with a team-high 10 doubles and three triples.
• In the classroom, Thomas boasts a 3.8 GPA as an information systems & analytics major. She is the lone Rambler earning an All-Academic nod this season.
• Joining Thomas on the Second Team is Peyton Pepkowski. Pepkowski leads Loyola and ranks in the A-10 top-five in ERA (2.48), wins (13), shutouts (4), and strikeouts (162). She earned Pitcher of the Week honors following a no-hitter vs. Butler earlier this year.
• Closing out the All-League recognition is Sierra Sass with an All-Rookie nod. Sass was second on the team in A-10 play hitting .340. On the year, she totaled 23 hits, including her first career double at UIW.
• Head coach Alicia Abbott is in her fourth year at the helm. During her tenure, the Ramblers are 66-87.

SCOUTING THE FIELD
No. 1 Saint Louis
The Billikens are 29-23 overall and won the regular season title with a 20-5 finish. Dayton took two wins, while UMass, George Mason, and Rhode Island won one to hand Saint Louis its five league losses. The Billikens are hitting a combined .286 through 52 games. In the NCAA, they currently rank 14th in walked (191) and 67th in doubles (67).

Billikens To Watch
• Gabbie Kowalik leads Saint Louis hitting .393 with 64 total hits. She has 12 doubles, four triples, and five homers. In the nation, she ranks 70th in batting average, 36th in hits, and 52nd in stolen bases (23).
• Abby Mallo has a team-best 12 home runs this season. She also has five doubles helping her to 39 total hits. Mallo is average .300 at the plate this season and has brought in a team-leading 53 RBI.
• In the circle, Chloe Wendling leads the Billikens with a 2.62 ERA. Over 213.2 innings of work, Wendling has pitched 23 complete games and sits at 20-12 on the season. She has 160 strikeouts. Wendling ranks third in the country in innings pitched, 16th in wins, and 47th in strikeouts.

No. 3 Dayton
The Flyers wrapped up the regular season at 33-18 overall and 15-7 in the A-10. Loyola handed Dayton a sweep in the final weekend of action to move the Flyers into third. Dayton has yet to see Fordham this season and has won series against UMass, George Washington, Saint Louis, St. Bonaventure, Rhode Island, and George Mason. As a team, the Flyers are ranked 23rd in the nation hitting .312, 29th in doubles (74), and 72nd with a 2.85 ERA.

Flyers To Watch
• Emma Schutter leads the Flyers hitting .467. She ranks fifth in the NCAA in batting average and fourth with 79 total hits. Twelve of those hits are doubles, while three are triples. Schutter has 29 stolen bases, 42 runs scored, and 23 RBI.
• Maddie Kapsimalis is second on the team hitting .372. She has 42 hits, including 12 doubles and four homers. Kapsimalis has totaled 22 RBI and 23 runs over 39 starts.
• Izzy Kemp remains one of the top pitchers in the league and nation. In the NCAA, she ranks 15th in saves (5), 47th in ERA (1.71), and 24th in strikeouts (184.) Kemp has 12 wins this season and three shutouts over 32 appearances.

No. 4 George Mason
The Patriots concluded the 2023 regular season with a 31-21 overall record and took fourth with a 16-10 finish in the A-10. George Mason put together a seven-game win streak earlier this season against A-10 opponents. The took two over St. Bonaventure, two vs. George Washington, and three vs. Saint Joseph's during the stretch. The team is hitting .285 and leads the league and is eighth in the NCAA with 131 steals this year.

Patriots To Watch
• Nicole Bechtel leads the Patriots hitting .352 this season. She's got 50 hits including 13 doubles, two triples ad three homers.
• Haley Taormina has a team-high 55 hits, 19 doubles, six homers, 43 RBI and 39 runs scored. Taormina also has 10 stolen bases and two triples. Her 19 doubles leads the country.
• In the circle, Aly Rayle has made 30 appearances and 28 starts. She enters the week sitting 15-8 with 203 strikeouts. She is 16th in the nation in total strikeouts and 116th with a 2.20 ERA.

No. 5 Fordham
The Rams are 20-26 overall and 11-10 in the A-10 as the regular season wrapped up. They won their last three with a sweep vs. George Washington. Fordham is 6-2 over their last eight games, which includes another sweep vs. UMass. Fordham is hitting .244 over 46 games. The pitching staff holds a 4.10 ERA.

Rams To Watch
• Neleh Nogay leads the Rams hitting .395, which ranks 66th in the NCAA and second in the league. Nogay has a team-best 49 hits including just one double and triple. Nogay has recorded six RBI, 24 runs, and 14 stolen bases.
• Sydney Wells leads the Rams in extra-base hits with 16 total. She has seven doubles, one triple, and eight homers. Wells is hitting .259 and has brought in a team-best 36 RBI.
• In the circle, Holly Beeman has pitched the most innings at 99 on the year. She is 8-8 with 11 complete games and three shutouts. Beeman has 55 strikeouts. Her opponents are hitting .222.

No. 6 Rhode Island
Rhode Island is 22-29-1 overall and 12-13 heading into the A-10 Tournament. The Rams snuck out a 1-0 win against Saint Louis to open the last weekend of the regular season before the Billikens rebounded with two straight. The Rams have sweeps against St. Bonaventure and UMass this year helping them to the final seed of the championships. URI is hitting .257 through 52 games and has a 3.72 ERA. The team ranks 70th in the NCAA with nine shutouts.

Rams To Watch
• Rachel Zingerman is hitting .304 to lead the Rams. She has a team-high 41 hits, which includes seven doubles, seven triples, and three homers. Zingerman also has 25 runs, 14 RBI, and 18 stolen bases.
• Becca Zawistowski is hitting .238. She leads the team with 19 RBI. Zawistowski has totaled 19 RBI, five runs, two doubles, and a home run this season.
• In the circle, Liz Lynchard has a 3.52 ERA over 33 appearances. She has pitched the most innings at 141. Lynchard ranks 70th in the NCAA and fifth in the A-10 with 142 strikeouts. She is 10-13 with four shutouts this year.