Coastal Athletic Association (CAA Sports)

CAA Has 23 Players Selected In MLB Draft: The CAA had 23 players selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, which was the second-highest total (28 in 2006) in conference history. UNCW pitcher Brad Holt was chosen in the supplemental first round (33rd overall) by the New York Mets, becoming the highest draft selection in Seahawks’ history. W&M first baseman Mike Sheridan and ODU pitcher Dan Hudson were selected in the fifth round and Delaware infielder Alex Buchholz went in the sixth round. A complete list of draft picks is included at the bottom of this release.

Five CAA Players Earn All-America Honors: Four CAA players were recognized on the Louisville Slugger NCAA Division I Baseball All-America third team announced by Collegiate Baseball. Named to the squad were UNC Wilmington senior catcher Mark Carver, who batted .347 and topped the CAA with 21 homers and 82 RBI, UNCW junior pitcher Brad Holt, who was 11-1 with a 3.18 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 93.1 innings, William & Mary senior catcher Tim Park, who hit .418 with 14 homers and 62 RBI, and W&M junior first baseman Mike Sheridan, who led the CAA with a .423 batting average while contributing 26 doubles, 15 homers and 72 RBI. Carver, who was also named the ECAC Player of the Year, was chosen as a 3rd team All-American by the ABCA along with Holt, Sheridan and JMU outfielder Brett Sellers, who batted .410 with 17 homers.

Seven Recognized On Freshman All-America Squads: Seven CAA baseball players earned Freshman All-America honors. UNC Wilmington relief pitchers Cameron Roth and Stephen Harrold, Towson pitcher Drew Permison, James Madison reliever Kevin Munson and JMU pitcher/infielder Travis Knight were named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America team by Collegiate Baseball. Roth, the CAA Rookie of the Year, went 5-3 with four saves and a 3.77 ERA. Harrold was 4-2 with a team-high six saves and a 3.71 ERA for the Seahawks. Permison posted a perfect 6-0 record and had one save in 21 outings for the Tigers. Munson compiled a 2-0 record with four saves and a 2.84 ERA in 21 relief appearances for JMU. Knight posted a 7-3 record with a team-high six saves for the Dukes. He also batted .360 with seven doubles, three homers and 28 RBI. UNCW catcher Cody Stanley, who batted .288 with five homers, was named to the PINGBaseball Freshman All-America third team, while JMU pitcher Turner Phelps, who was 8-0 with a 3.87 ERA, earned 2nd team Freshman All-America honors from PINGBaseball and the NCBWA.

Two CAA Teams Receive NCAA Berths: For the first time since 2004, a pair of CAA baseball teams were selected for the NCAA Baseball Championship. CAA champion James Madison received a #4 seed in the Raleigh regional and regular-season champ UNC Wilmington earned a #2 seed in the Cary regional as an at-large team. The CAA had multiple teams participate in the NCAA’s each year from 1998-2004, but had just one entry for the past three seasons.

UNCW Reaches Regional Championship Game: UNC Wilmington posted a 2-2 record at the Cary Regional and reached the regional finals for the third time in four NCAA appearances. The 2nd-seeded Seahawks opened the regional with a 5-2 victory over #3 Elon as junior pitcher Brad Holt scattered six hits to capture his 11th straight decision (11-1) and freshman Alex Hill went 4-for-4 at the plate. UNCW fell 5-1 to #1 North Carolina in Saturday’s winner’s bracket despite a complete-game pitching effort from senior Jeff Hatcher (6-2), who fanned nine. In a Sunday rematch with Elon, UNCW exploded for 11 runs in the ninth and overcame a six-run deficit to stun the Phoenix 15-11. Sophomore outfielder Bobby Leeper went 4-for-5 and drove in three in the victory. In the regional final, UNCW dropped a 7-3 decision to UNC. Senior outfielder Jason Appel led the way with a 3-for-5 effort. The Seahawks loaded the bases in the ninth, but couldn’t rally. UNCW’s Nate Hall, Mark Carver, Leeper and Holt received All-Regional honors.