By Emmanuel Berbari

Fordham News and Notes from April 4-10, 2018. (Courtesy of Fordham Athletics)

Football Hires Two Assistant Coaches

First-year head coach Joe Conlin added two coaches to his staff on Monday as the team continues to gear up for the 2018 season. Steve Thames was brought on as the Assistant Defensive Backs and Safeties Coach, while Vincent DiGaetano earned a spot as Volunteer Special Teams Quality Control Assistant Coach. Thames worked as an assistant at Dartmouth College the past two years, where the Big Green ranked third in the Ivy League in rushing (180.0 yards/game) under his watch. The New Hampshire alum also assisted in mentoring Ivy League Rookie of the Year Hunter Hagdorn. On the other hand, DiGaetano recently spent two years at Wagner College, serving as a defensive assistant. Prior to that tenure, he was the linebackers coach at Nassau Community College (2015) and spent ten years on the SUNY-Maritime staff beforehand. The Wagner alum was among the finalists for the 2014 AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year award in Division III. DiGaetano became the only college coach to be named to the USA Football Master Trainer program in 2013.

Baseball Recognized with Two Individual Awards

Fordham is fresh off a tremendous week on the diamond, and two of its players were awarded accordingly for their efforts. Junior Brian Goulard was named the A-10’s co-Player of the Week, while freshman Jake MacKenzie earned the conference’s Rookie of the Week award. This is the first time that both players have been honored by the conference, with MacKenzie becoming the team’s fourth different Rookie of the Week this season. Goulard batted .500, drove in six runs and swiped two bags this past week, while MacKenzie hit safely in all four games, batting .444 with four RBI, two doubles and two triples.

Softball Earns Two Weekly Honors

Sophomore Madie Aughinbaugh and freshman Paige Rauch earned weekly awards for the Rams, as the duo was honored with Pitcher of the Week and Rookie of the Week, respectively, for the second time this season. Aughinbaugh pitched to the tune of a 1.84 ERA over 19 innings this past week, while Rauch reached base in all five games, scored seven runs, blasted three home runs and drove in six.