LEADING OFF
Loyola Chicago meets George Washington for its fifth Atlantic 10 series of the season on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19. The Ramblers are hosting their Home Run Derby to fundraise for Cal's Angels, a nonprofit for cancer research and awareness, after the doubleheader.
GAME SCHEDULE
- Saturday, April 18 vs. George Washington – 12 p.m. | 2:30 p.m.
- Sunday, April 19 vs. George Washington – 12 p.m.
QUICK HITS
- Loyola clinched its fourth A-10 series of the season with its second road sweep, taking down Rhode Island last weekend, 4-0, 5-3 and 7-2.
- Junior infielder Nat Lesnicki was named A-10 Player of the Week thanks to a .533 batting average, eight hits and six RBI through Loyola's last four games. She totaled 12 bases, had one double and hit her third home run of the year. Lesnicki is on a five-game hitting streak heading into the weekend and ranks second in the league in batting average (.402) and hits (49) and is fifth in OPS percentage (1.026). It was the second weekly award of her career and third overall for the Ramblers this season.
- Rookie pitcher Anna Kiel (9-5) Kiel recorded her second shutout of the season in a three-hit 4-0 win over the Rams. She leads Loyola's bullpen with a 3.21 ERA while her freshman counterpart Katie Geydoshek has the team-high 48 strikeouts, good for ranks 10th in the league.
- Redshirt junior Liz Sedakis and Lesnicki lead the Ramblers' offense with 27 and 25 RBIs, respectively.
- Redshirt junior infielder Abbie Gregus leads the league with 11 runs caught stealing, placing her 21st in the country.
- The Ramblers were picked to finish sixth in the A-10 Preseason Poll, receiving 38 points.
- Loyola returned 13 letterwinners and welcomed eight newcomers, including six true freshmen and two transfer students.
SCOUTING REPORT
Currently sitting third in the conference standings, George Washington is 19-15 overall and 8-7 in A-10 action, securing series wins over Saint Louis, George Mason and Saint Joseph's. The Revolutionaries are coming to Chicago on the heels of back-to-back shutout wins. Junior pitcher Cece Smith garnered her third A-10 Pitcher of the Week award earlier this week after recording a 0.47 ERA over 15.0 innings pitched and striking out nine batters in the Saint Joeseph's series. She ranks second in the league with a 2.30 ERA so far this season.
As a unit, the Revolutionaries pace the league in pitching with a 3.32 ERA, rank second in batting behind a .279 BA and are fourth in fielding. Junior outfielder Paige Hayward leads George Washington at the plate with a .358 batting average and 38 hits, good for sixth and eighth in the league, respectively.
SERIES HISTORY
The Ramblers own a 5-4 record over the Revolutionaries in a series dating back to 2023, Loyola's inaugural season in the A-10. Last season, George Washington clinched the weekend series with two wins at Loyola Softball Park.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Stream the first and third games of the series on ESPN+. Follow Loyola on Instagram and X/Twitter @RamblersSB for in-game updates.
