UNCW prepares for NCAA Softball Regional Tournament
Athens, Georgia (May 16, 2024) – CAA softball champion UNCW begins NCAA Tournament play Friday at 5:30 p.m. against No. 11 Georgia at Jack Turner Stadium. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Joining the Seahawks and Bulldogs in the Athens area of the University of Georgia campus are American Athletic Conference champion Charlotte and Conference USA champion Liberty.
The winners of the first two games will face off on Saturday, May 18th at 1pm, with the losers playing in a repechage match at 3:30pm.
UNCW (33-21) The Seahawks are making their second NCAA Tournament appearance in the past three seasons, having won the 2022 CAA Championship. The Seahawks became the third program in CAA history to win multiple conference titles after winning the 2024 CAA Championship on home turf.
Kara hammock He pitched 25.0 innings, posted a 0.56 ERA, went 3-0, and was named the Most Valuable Player of the CAA Tournament. The junior right-hander was named to the All-CAA second team this spring, posting a 17-5 record and ranking second in the CAA with a 1.47 earned run average, which ranks 21st nationally.with her Emily Winstead (13-7, 1.73 ERA, 141 K) The Seahawks rank 19th in the NCAA in team ERA (2.15) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.55) and have one of the top pitching staffs in the country. There is.
skyler stockton He made the Hammock’s all-tournament team and was a first-team All-CAA honoree as an outfielder, leading the Seahawks’ lineup with a .355 batting average and contributing 25 points and 23 RBIs. Taylor Vitra (.328, 37R) and cassidy relay (.353, 25R) were also recognized in the postseason, earning Second Team All-CAA and CAA All-Rookie honors, respectively. The top two players combined for 111 hits, 62 points, and 36 stolen bases.
Georgia (39-16) has hosted regionals for the second straight season and has appeared in the NCAA Tournament 22 consecutive times. The Bulldogs were selected by the SEC and finished tied for sixth in the league. Georgia has power, ranking 6th in the nation in home runs per game (1.51) and 12th in slugging percentage (0.533). The Bulldogs have six players batting over .300. Daris Goodnight He recorded a batting average of .361. Jada Carney He led the team in hits (59), batting average .347, OPS 1.172, and recorded team highs 19 home runs, 50 RBIs, and 36 RBIs. sarah mosley (Batting average .319, 40 RBI) also recorded double-digit home runs with 17 and was the top of the batting lineup with 59 RBIs.
Charlotte (38-16) They enter the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year with a program-record and national-best 16-game winning streak. This winning streak led the 49ers to win the AAC Tournament and the first conference championship in program history.AAC pitcher of the year in the circle barefoot georgianna He led Charlotte’s staff with a 2.19 ERA, and had a record of 13 wins and 2 losses with 90 strikeouts in 143.2 innings. ariana rodi He batted .362 with a 1.276 OPS in the 49er lineup. She led the team with 59 hits, 21 home runs, and 52 RBIs, and was second with 35 RBIs.
Liberty (36-23) They won the CUSA Tournament and regular season titles in their first year in the conference and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year. The Flames won four straight elimination games, including a bye in the title game, to capture the sixth conference championship in program history. rachel lupe At the bat, he leads the team in batting average (.368), on-base percentage (.512), OPS (1.312), hits (60), home runs (17), RBIs (41), and runs scored. (45) and walking (45). Elena Escobar He boasted a team-best ERA of 2.64, had 110 strikeouts in 124.1 innings, and had a record of 14 wins and 5 losses.
The Seahawks have a lot of experience competing on the field. UNCW is 0-6 overall against Georgia, most recently facing the Bulldogs twice in Athens during the 2020 season. The Seahawks have a 3-18 record against in-state foe Charlotte, including a 2-1 loss on March 3 of this year. Lastly, the Seahawks maintain an 8-14 record against the Liberty, their last meeting being in 2017.
Follow CAA Facebook, twitter and Instagram Stay informed and learn more about all CAA member institutions and their teams.
