Softball Preview: CAA Championships

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – With a school record 17 Colonial Athletic Association victories under its belt, the second-seeded UNCW softball team takes aim at its second straight CAA Championship on Thursday, May 11, at Hofstra's Bill Edwards Stadium in Hempstead, N.Y.

The Seahawks (23-25, 17-7 CAA) open play vs. the host Pride (25-24, 16-7 CAA) at 2:30 p.m. after Hofstra, the No. 3 seed, bested seventh-seeded Stony Brook on Wednesday. The two teams did not meet in the regular season.

"Our goal for the season was to continue to improve each week and by winning 14 of our last 18 conference games, we are gaining momentum heading into the CAA Tournament," said UNCW Head Coach Ashley Wade. "I'm extremely proud of how hard they've worked to position themselves as the number 2 seed. We aren't focusing on our bigger goals; rather, we have a narrow focus on executing the little things, staying true to ourselves and sticking to our plan, and playing for each other and our university."

Much like last season's championship run, the 2023 Seahawks have been guided by strong pitching with the league's two lowest individual ERAs in Janel Gamache (1.50) and Kara Hammock (1.79) as well as the conference's lowest team mark (2.51).

Gamache, a two-way player, was named CAA Player of the Year after a standout season in which she limited opponents to a .208 batting average in 70.0 innings and finished tied for sixth in the CAA with a .360 average to go with four home runs and 26 RBI.

The graduate student, along with Hammock and outfielder Arial Pearce earned All-CAA First-Team notice while junior second baseman Tayler Vitola captured an All-CAA Second-Team nod.

The Seahawks swept every conference home series for the first time in program history and have won nine of their last 12 CAA games, including taking two of three at Charleston to close out the regular season.

Pearce and Vitola combined for seven of UNCW's 13 hits in the Seahawks' 6-2 win over the Cougars last Saturday that locked up the number two seed and the double-bye in this week's CAA Tournament.

UNCW is looking to become the third school to ever win consecutive CAA Championships after Hofstra and James Madison.

A victory on Thursday would send the Seahawks to the winner's bracket game on Friday, May 12, at Noon. A loss would pit UNCW in an elimination contest on either Thursday or Friday, depending on the result of No. 1 Delaware's opening game on Thursday.

TOURNAMENT NOTES: Gamache and shortstop Mary Sobataka enter with six-game hitting streaks … UNCW makes its sixth appearance at the CAA Tournament … All six appearances have been back-to-back (2006-07, 2017-18, 2022-23) … The Seahawks are the No. 2 seed for the first time … UNCW is 7-8 all-time at the CAA Tournament … UNCW is 0-2 at Bill Edwards Stadium at the CAA Championship … The Seahawks went 3-0 last season and have won three of their last four games at the tournament … UNCW returns 18 players from the 2022 title team, including seven hitters who started at least 29 games.

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Players Mentioned

#9 Janel Gamache: P/IF; 5' 11"; Graduate Student; R/R

#18 Kara Hammock: P; 6' 2"; Sophomore; R/R

#26 Arial Pearce: UTIL; 5' 7"; Sophomore; L/L

#33 Mary Sobataka: IF; 5' 7"; Senior; R/R

#27 Tayler Vitola: UTIL; 5' 7"; Junior; L/R

Players Mentioned

#9 Janel Gamache
: 5' 11"; Graduate Student; R/R
: P/IF

#18 Kara Hammock
: 6' 2"; Sophomore; R/R
: P

#26 Arial Pearce
: 5' 7"; Sophomore; L/L
: UTIL

#33 Mary Sobataka
: 5' 7"; Senior; R/R
: IF

#27 Tayler Vitola
: 5' 7"; Junior; L/R
: UTIL

UNC Wilmington Athletics

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Softball Preview: CAA Championships

Players Mentioned

#9 Janel Gamache

#18 Kara Hammock

#26 Arial Pearce

#33 Mary Sobataka

#27 Tayler Vitola

Players Mentioned

#9 Janel Gamache

#18 Kara Hammock

#26 Arial Pearce

#33 Mary Sobataka

#27 Tayler Vitola