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ap 2023
Alecia Hall/[27]5 Creative

Softball Brandon Sans

Seahawks Open 2023 Practice

Defending CAA Softball Champions Begin 2023 Preparations

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – The defending Colonial Athletic Association Champion UNCW softball team began preparations for the 2023 season with a Wednesday afternoon practice at Boseman Field.

The Seahawks, who begin their first year under Head Coach Ashley Wade, welcome back 20 letter winners, including CAA Pitcher of the Year Emily Winstead and Rookie of the Year Kara Hammock, along with six newcomers to the 2023 squad.

UNCW, 32-15 one year ago, will traverse through a 50-game schedule that includes 28 home games at Boseman Field. In addition to a 24-game CAA gauntlet, the Seahawks will play a 26-game non-conference slate featuring four NCAA Tournament opponents – Campbell, Duke, Illinois and Virginia Tech – from 2022.

"We couldn't be more excited to kick off practice today," said Wade. "The team put in a lot of hard work last semester in the weight room and on the field and we have already seen so much progress.

"The last few practices of the fall were incredible, so we are excited to pick up where we left off and get after it! The Seahawks are hungry and can't wait to get back to work."

Led by Winstead and Hammock, the UNCW pitching staff produced a 1.85 ERA, the ninth-lowest mark in the nation one year ago, along with 23 complete games and 10 shutouts. Winstead set a freshman record with 184 strikeouts, the second-most ever by a Seahawk, while Hammock led the conference with a 1.92 ERA after ending her season with a 10-inning, 10-strikeout effort vs. Louisiana in the NCAA Clemson Regional.

Senior right-hander Amberlyn Pearce matched a school record with three saves while pitching to a team-low 0.97 ERA across 21.2 relief innings. Graduate two-way star Janel Gamache, meanwhile, enjoyed her best season in the circle with a 1.48 ERA and two shutouts in 28.1 innings.

Gamache, who has started 150 career games, also paced the 2022 Seahawks in batting average (.347), home runs (7) and RBI (29). One of the most prolific sluggers in the program's 39-year history, Gamache ranks within the top-10 all-time in many statistical categories: batting average (8th, .334), doubles (t-6th, 33), home runs (3rd, 24), RBI (5th, 109), slugging percentage (2nd, .600) and on-base percentage (3rd, .426).

Junior middle infielder Tayler Vitola is poised to top the Seahawk lineup after batting .322 with 49 hits, the seventh-highest mark in the CAA, as a sophomore. The 5-7 speedsters' league-high 26 stolen bases set the tone for the Seahawks stealing 130 bags, good for the third-most stolen bases-per-game mark (2.34) in the country.

UNCW earned its first conference championship by storming through the CAA Tournament held at Elon's Hunt Softball Park. The Seahawks upset the tournament's top two seeds, Delaware and Hofstra, in a pair of pitching duels before downing the host Phoenix, 10-2, in six innings.

The championship clinched the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament where UNCW drew the Clemson Regional that featured the host Tigers, Auburn and Louisiana.

The Seahawks open their season on Friday, Feb. 10, vs. Purdue Fort Wayne at 7 p.m. The matchup is the first of a three-day weekend tournament to kick off the 2023 season.
 
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Players Mentioned

Janel Gamache

#9 Janel Gamache

P/IF
5' 11"
Graduate Student
R/R
Kara Hammock

#18 Kara Hammock

P
6' 2"
Sophomore
R/R
Amberlyn Pearce

#5 Amberlyn Pearce

P
5' 6"
Senior
R/R
Tayler Vitola

#27 Tayler Vitola

UTIL
5' 7"
Junior
L/R
Emily Winstead

#13 Emily Winstead

P
5' 8"
Sophomore
R/R

Players Mentioned

Janel Gamache

#9 Janel Gamache

5' 11"
Graduate Student
R/R
P/IF
Kara Hammock

#18 Kara Hammock

6' 2"
Sophomore
R/R
P
Amberlyn Pearce

#5 Amberlyn Pearce

5' 6"
Senior
R/R
P
Tayler Vitola

#27 Tayler Vitola

5' 7"
Junior
L/R
UTIL
Emily Winstead

#13 Emily Winstead

5' 8"
Sophomore
R/R
P