WILMINGTON, North Carolina – UNCW softball Head Coach Ashley Wade has announced a 52-game schedule for the 2024 season that features 13 games against seven opponents from last season's NCAA Tournament. 

The Seahawks, who achieved a program-record 17 Coastal Athletic Association wins en route to a second-place finish in the conference, will play 28 home games at Boseman Field, 19 road contests and five neutral site games away from the Port City. 

Boseman Field will serve as the site of the 2024 CAA Softball Championships from May 8-11. It will mark the first time the league's postseason tournament will be held in Wilmington. 

UNCW will play 27 CAA games against nine league foes including hosting defending CAA Champion Hofstra from Mar. 29-31. Other NCAA teams from 2023 include George Mason (H – Mar. 22), UMBC (H – Mar. 25), Minnesota (N – Mar. 2-3), Charlotte (A – Mar. 3), Duke (A – Mar. 20) and new league member Campbell (H – Apr. 19-21). 

The 25-game non-conference slate includes home contests vs. Michigan State (Feb. 28), Coastal Carolina (Mar. 6) and East Carolina (Apr. 17) as well as an away doubleheader against the Blue Devils and a single contest at North Carolina (Apr. 3). 

"We are excited to once again kick off opening weekend at home in front of our fans," said Wade. "Our schedule is packed with a combination of strong regional teams, power five opponents and teams who competed in last years' NCAA tournament. Facing strong competition each week during pre-season will help us be well-prepared heading into CAA play.  

The second season of the Wade era begins on Feb. 8 vs. Queens (N.C.) in part of a five-team, four-day home tournament that also includes DePaul, North Dakota State and Furman. It is one of two home tournaments for the Seahawks in February as they will also host the Atlantic 10 Champion Patriots, Kent State, Merrimack, Providence and American East Champion Retrievers. 

UNCW will also play in two road tournaments starting in Jacksonville from Feb. 16-18. The Seahawks will battle North Florida, Jacksonville, Mercer and Samford throughout the weekend. 

The final early season tournament takes UNCW to Charlotte to play Big Ten Challenger Golden Gophers, Fordham and the host 49ers. 

UNCW returns three All-CAA performers in First-Teamers Kara Hammock and Arial Pearce as well as Second-Teamer Tayler Vitola. The Seahawks also boast 2022 CAA Pitcher of the Year Emily Winstead who, along with Hammock, will headline a pitching staff that has produced a league-low 2.29 ERA and logged a league-high 570 strikeouts (over 120 more than the next closest team) dating back to the start of the 2022 campaign.