The number of extracurricular activities at Fordham are nearly endless. The university provides students with a plethora of opportunities to enjoy themselves, influence career paths and connect with students and alumni alike. One club in particular that has done nothing but blossom in this respect is the Fordham Sports Analytics Society (FSAS). In just a few days, the student organization will be hosting a charity wiffle ball tournament to bring the students of Fordham University together, as well as raise money and awareness for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. 

 The tournament will take place Sept. 24, with final rounds to be played on Sept. 25 if necessary, and is open to all Fordham undergraduate and graduate students. All games will be played on Murphy Field between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m., and the deadline to register is Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 11:59 p.m. 

So, how can you register? Head to the IMLeagues website or download the IMLeagues app. Select Fordham as your “School/Organization” and login to IMLeagues using your Fordham credentials. On the “Network” tab, select “Intramurals” and then “Wiffleball Tournament.” On the page displaying all current teams, select the clear box titled “Info.” In “League Description,” click the link to complete your donation. Finally, return to the previous page to create your team. Once registered, you will receive an email a few days prior to the tournament with the date and field location of your first game. 

Each game will be four innings long with all innings consisting of two outs. Each team will be made up of three players. Teams can score a maximum of eight runs per innings before switching

sides, and the tournament will be played in single elimination fashion. On offense, batters will start with no balls and one strike. Strikeouts are recorded after two strikes are thrown and walks will be the traditional four pitches to miss the strike zone. A chair will be placed behind home plate to dictate balls and strikes. Singles, doubles, triples and home runs are determined by the distance the ball is hit — with zones being designated on the field. Double and triple plays, sacrifice flies and bunting are all prohibited in tournament play. 

On the defensive side of things, teams are allowed to have three players on the field including the pitcher. There will also not be any actual baserunning, with theoretical or “ghost” baserunners advancing the same number of bases as the batter. The mercy rule will go into effect if one team is leading the contest by 10 runs after three complete innings.

The Fordham Sports Analytics Society (FSAS) has worked countless hours coordinating and planning the event, but it could never have been done without the help of FSAS Vice President and Business of Sports Society (BSSF) president Connor Dwyer, GSB ’23, as well as current FSAS president and founder Peter Majors,GSB ’23. Over the past few years, the two have been quintessential to building both of these student organizations, devoting much of their time to providing an outlet for students interested in the analytics and business sides of sports. 

While the names above have been critical in the planning and development of the tournament, it would not be possible without the collaborative efforts of Fordham Intramurals and Fordham Athletics. From reserving field space to higher level guidance regarding hosting an event of this size, these bodies have been critical in the planning and soon the execution of an

event which aims to have between 40 and 50 student teams in competition. To spread the word even further, FSAS Chief Marketing Officer Matt Stanzione, GSB ’23, produced a promotional video sharing details about the tournament to kick off the registration period. The purposefully humorous video can be viewed on FSAS’ official Instagram and Twitter pages, @sportsfordham. On the matter, Stanzione commented, “It is always a lot of fun to get a group together to promote something you are all working hard on. We hope this tournament will get a lot of the Ram community together to have fun and raise money.” 

Outside of Fordham, the official Wiffle company and the New Jersey chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation have also put their stamp on the charity event. Wiffle has given discounts for wiffle bats and balls and the foundation has donated CF branded attire for teams that place high in the tournament. On FSAS’ collaboration with these groups, Dwyer said, “It’s been awesome to see the willingness and dedication from other organizations to help put on this event. Wiffle and the CF Foundation have made sizable contributions, and the event would not be possible without them.” 

Originally from Wallingford, Conn., Dwyer is a senior in the Gabelli School of Business where he is studying Information Systems and Sports Business. He currently holds the position of Director of Analytics and Player Development for the Fordham baseball team. After graduation, he hopes to work within the baseball operations department of an MLB front office. The other half of this fantastic duo, Majors, is a senior from Kinnelon, N.J. studying Accounting Information Systems with a minor in Computer Science. Majors’s younger brother, Matthew, was born with cystic fibrosis, and is one of the estimated forty thousand Americans students will be playing for to help raise awareness and money for CF Foundation’s research. From an early age, Majors has been involved in the CF Foundation, attending foundation-run events such as the annual CF Sports Challenge at MetLife Stadium and countless walkathons throughout his home state of New Jersey. Now, he’s thrilled to organize his own event to continue spreading the word about a disease many are unfamiliar with. “In organizing this event, we’ve really tried to push raising awareness for cystic fibrosis above all else,” Majors said. “As college students, we don’t have the resources to make large contributions on our own. So we’re looking to inspire the next generation of donors and advocates.” 

Seeing Fordham students come together to make a difference not just in their community, but in their society is truly inspiring. Dwyer and Majors are just two examples of what it truly means to be a Fordham Ram. 

For any concerns about the tournament format or registration, you can contact  Dwyer, [email protected], and  Majors, [email protected]. Fordham Rams Wiffle for a Cause is expected to have a huge turnout and all Fordham students are encouraged to participate. Let’s play ball!