UNCW Prepped for NCAA Softball Regional
Hunter Peters
ATHENS, Ga. (May 16, 2024) – CAA Softball Champion UNCW begins play in the NCAA Tournament on Friday at 5:30 p.m., facing No. 11 Georgia at Jack Turner Stadium. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Joining the Seahawks and Bulldogs in the Athens Regional on the campus of the University of Georgia are the American Athletic Conference Champions Charlotte and the Conference USA Champions Liberty.
The winners of the first two games will meet at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, while the losers will follow in an elimination game at 3:30 p.m.
UNCW (33-21) is making its second NCAA Tournament appearance in the past three seasons after its debut in 2022. The Seahawks became the third program in CAA history to win multiple conference titles after winning the 2024 CAA Championship on their home field.
Kara Hammock was named the Most Outstanding Player of the CAA Tournament, going 3-0 in the circle with a 0.56 ERA in 25.0 innings pitched. The junior right-hander was a Second Team All-CAA selection this spring, posting a 17-5 record and ranking second in the CAA with a 1.47 ERA, which is 21st nationally. She and
Emily Winstead (13-7, 1.73 ERA, 141K) anchor one of the top pitching staffs in the country as the Seahawks rank 19th in the NCAA in team ERA (2.15) and 33rdin strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.55).
Skylar Stockton joined Hammock on the All-Tournament team and was a First Team All-CAA honoree in the outfield, leading the Seahawks’ lineup with a .355 batting average while contributing 25 runs scored and 23 RBIs.
Taylor Vitola (.328, 37R) and
Cassidy Relay (.353, 25R) also received postseason recognition, earning Second Team All-CAA and CAA All-Rookie accolades, respectively. The duo at the top of the order have combined for 111 hits, 62 runs scored and 36 stolen bases.
Georgia (39-16) is hosting a regional for the second straight season and making its 22nd consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs were an at-large selection out of the SEC, finishing tied for sixth in the league. Georgia brings the power, ranking sixth nationally in home runs per game (1.51) and 12th in slugging percentage (0.533). The Bulldogs have six players hitting above .300, led by
Dallis Goodnight with a .361 batting average.
Jayda Kearney leads the team in hits (59), batting .347 with a 1.172 OPS, recording a team-best 19 homers with 50 RBIs and 36 runs scored.
Sara Mosley (.319, 40R) also has double-digit home runs with 17 dingers, leading the lineup with 59 RBIs.
Charlotte (38-16) enters its second consecutive NCAA Tournament on a program-record and national-best 16-game winning streak. The current streak led the 49ers to their first conference championship in program history, winning the AAC Tournament. In the circle, AAC Pitcher of the Year
Georgeanna Barefoot leads the Charlotte staff with a 2.19 ERA, posting a 13-2 record with 90 strikeouts in 143.2 innings.
Arianna Rodi paces the 49er lineup, hitting .362 with a 1.276 OPS. She leads the team with 59 hits, 21 home runs, and 52 RBIs while ranking second with 35 runs scored.
Liberty (36-23) won the CUSA Tournament and Regular Season title during its first season in the conference to qualify for its fourth straight NCAA Tournament. The Flames won four straight elimination games, including a walk-off in the title game to win its sixth conference championship in program history.
Rachel Roupe makes things go at the plate, leading the team in batting average (.368), on-base percentage (.512), OPS (1.312), hits (60), home runs (17), RBIs (41), runs scored (45) and walks (45).
Elena Escobar has a team-best 2.64 ERA, posting a 14-5 record with 110 strikeouts in 124.1 innings.
The Seahawks have plenty of experience against the field. UNCW is 0-6 all-time against Georgia, facing the Bulldogs most recently in Athens twice during the 2020 season. The Seahawks are 3-18 versus in-state adversary Charlotte, including a 2-1 setback on March 3 this year. Finally, the Seahawks maintain an 8-14 record against Liberty, with their last matchup coming in 2017.
Follow the CAA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get up-to-date information and learn more about all CAA member institutions and their teams.