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2023 Preseason Poll

Softball Brandon Sans

Softball Tops CAA Preseason Poll

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Defending Colonial Athletic Association softball champion UNCW is perched atop the CAA Preseason Poll for the first time in school history ahead of the 2023 season.

The Seahawks, 32-15 one year ago, edged Delaware by four points to claim the top spot in the predicted order of finish as voted on by the league's 11 head coaches. UNCW and the Blue Hens each received five first-place votes while Hofstra also garnered one top vote.

"We are honored to be ranked as the preseason favorite by our conference opponents," said Ashley Wade, the Seahawks' first-year skipper. "This experienced core group provides a strong foundation for us to build off for this year.

"The bulk of this group has had a taste of NCAA Regionals. They are hungry for more and our new players are excited to make their mark in the CAA. Even as the preseason favorite, we know we still need to continue putting in the work to return to the NCAA Tournament."

UNCW features four returning All-CAA performers on the CAA Preseason Watch List with a pair of First-Teamers – catcher Mackenzie Amodeo and right-hander Emily Winstead – plus two Second-Teamers – right-hander Kara Hammock and outfielder Arial Pearce – from 2022.

The Seahawks return 20 letter winners, including eight players that started over 25 games, from last season's squad that appeared in the NCAA Clemson Regional.

The first-place projection is the highest preseason ranking since UNCW was predicted to finish third in 2019. The Seahawks have been picked correctly or beaten the poll prediction in 12 of the last 17 seasons.

UNCW was forecasted to finish sixth last year before going 11-8 in the league and winning the CAA Tournament for the first time. The 2022 Seahawks were the fifth team since 2005 to earn the conference's automatic NCAA berth despite not being projected to finish first or win the regular season.

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 at Boseman Field that also features no. 11 Virginia Tech and East Carolina.

2023 CAA Softball Preseason Poll
Team (1st) Points
1. UNCW (5) 95
2. Delaware (5) 91
3. Hofstra (1) 80
4. Elon 71
5. Stony Brook 69
6. Charleston 54
7. Drexel 45
8. Towson 33
9. Monmouth 31
10. Hampton 21
11. North Carolina A&T 15

 
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Players Mentioned

Mackenzie Amodeo

#3 Mackenzie Amodeo

C
5' 8"
Sophomore
R/R
Kara Hammock

#18 Kara Hammock

P
6' 2"
Sophomore
R/R
Arial Pearce

#26 Arial Pearce

UTIL
5' 7"
Sophomore
L/L
Emily Winstead

#13 Emily Winstead

P
5' 8"
Sophomore
R/R

Players Mentioned

Mackenzie Amodeo

#3 Mackenzie Amodeo

5' 8"
Sophomore
R/R
C
Kara Hammock

#18 Kara Hammock

6' 2"
Sophomore
R/R
P
Arial Pearce

#26 Arial Pearce

5' 7"
Sophomore
L/L
UTIL
Emily Winstead

#13 Emily Winstead

5' 8"
Sophomore
R/R
P