UNCW Rallies Past Charleston, 6-4, To Capture League-Record Eighth CAA Baseball Championship
Rob Washburn
Box Score
WILMINGTON, N.C. (May 26, 2024) – UNCW got three RBI’s from outfielder Trevor Marsh and a career-best pitching performance from Trace Baker as the second-seeded Seahawks rallied past #1 Charleston, 6-4, to capture their league-record eighth CAA Baseball Championship on Sunday afternoon at Brooks Field.
UNCW (39-19) won its sixth conference title since 2012 and passed East Carolina for the most CAA baseball championships in league history. It was the first back-to-back titles since the Seahawks took home trophies in 2018 and 2019. UNCW earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, whose 64-team field will be announced at Noon on Monday.
Charleston (41-14), which won 25 of its final 28 regular-season games and claimed the conference regular-season title, awaits a potential NCAA at-large bid on Monday.
Marsh was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after going 2-for-4 and driving in three, including a two-run single in the seventh that put the Seahawks ahead to stay, 5-4.
Baker, who hadn’t worked more than two innings in a game all season, came on in relief in the bottom of the third and held the Cougars to an unearned run and just three hits over 6.0 frames. The sophomore right-hander struck out four and recorded his first win of the year (1-0).
Marsh was one of five Seahawks with two hits in the game, and was joined by Jac Croom, Aiden Evans, Tanner Thach and Brock Wills.
For Charleston, Avery Neaves was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI’s and Kevin Madden was 1-for-3 and drove in a run.
UNCW put a run on the board in the top of the first following consecutive singles from Evans, Thach and Marsh. However, Charleston responded quickly, scoring in each of its first three frames.
Neaves led off the bottom of the first by doubling off the fence in right-center and came home on Madden’s sacrifice fly. Neaves came up big again in the second, giving the Cougars a 3-1 lead by launching a two-run homer to right, which was his 15
th of the season. Charleston pushed the margin to three in the third when Madden reached on an infield single and scored on a two-out Seahawks’ error.
UNCW climbed back with solo runs over the next two innings. In the fourth, Alec DeMartino drew a leadoff walk, advanced to third on an error and scored on Wills’ grounder. In the fifth, Kevin Jones led off with a walk and was brought in on an Evans sacrifice fly to trim the deficit to 4-3.
The Seahawks regained the lead in the seventh. Evans opened the inning with a base hit and Thach followed with a double to left. That set the stage for Marsh, who knocked them both in with a single to right.
UNCW tacked on an insurance run in the eighth when Marsh scored on Wills’ high chop in front of the plate.
Luke Craig retired all three batters he faced in the ninth to seal the victory and record his seventh save of the season.
CAA ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Trace Baker, UNCW
Jac Croom, UNCW
Aiden Evans, UNCW
Trotter Harlan, Charleston
Steve Harrington, Hofstra
Aidan Hunter, Charleston
Aidan Kane, Delaware
Cole Mathis, Charleston
Avery Neaves, Charleston
Tanner Thach, UNCW
Most Outstanding Player: Trevor Marsh, UNCW