'It would mean everything': How UNCW softball aims for first NCAA tournament win this week

There were times when it looked like the UNCW softball team's 2024 season was moments away from ending last week.

Then, there were times when the Seahawks, who always found a way to come out on top in the 2024 CAA Softball Tournament, rallied in a way that can only be quantified as gritty.

UNCW (33-21) claimed its second CAA title in three seasons Saturday, defeating top-seeded Campbell 3-1 in a winner-takes-all championship matchup. The team earned an automatic spot in the NCAA Tournament and will play in the Athens Regional on May 17-19.

SEAHAWKS CLAIM CAA UNCW softball rallies to capture CAA Championship, earns automatic spot in NCAA Tournament

UNCW IN NCAA TOURNAMENT UNCW softball to face Georgia in NCAA Tournament Athens Regional

While the final game of their CAA Tournament ride was riveting, the previous four games spelled out what the team was made of.

"We got tested a lot," coach Ashley Wade said. "Our backs were against the wall. It wasn't easy for us to come out on the winning side."

Junior pitcher Kara Hammock thrilled all tournament long, highlighting her talents in the Seahawks' 5-0 win over Delaware on Tuesday. She threw 159 pitches in the 11-inning battle, earning the shutout and securing the pivotal victory to send the Seahawks to the championship bracket.

"We're definitely excited right now, but we just need to keep our composure when we're out there," Hammock said at the team's NCAA selection show watch party on Sunday. "We're just trying to keep the emotions level, not letting them get too high."

UNCW opened the tournament with a 5-2 victory over Elon on Wednesday before knocking off Campbell 2-1 on Thursday. The Seahawks' only loss came as the Fighting Camels secured a 2-1 win in the first of Saturday's championship games.

Hammock and about half of the current roster were a part of the team that secured the school's first CAA title and NCAA Tournament bid in 2022.

While they've been here before, UNCW will search for its first NCAA win this week.

"It would mean everything," Wade said of earning a regional-round victory. "We have set history all along the way, and this is hopefully another weekend where we can set another milestone in our program's history."

UNCW opened the season ranked No. 4 in the CAA preseason poll. In last week's CAA Tournament, the Seahawks were the No. 4 seed and, in this week's Athens Regional, they'll receive the same ranking, playing underdog to nationally ranked host Georgia on Friday.

"We're a team that doesn't care who gets the job done; they just want it to get done," Wade said. "When you have that, it's really special to never care about who gets the credit and just care about doing it for the team."

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: How UNCW softball earned a spot in the 2024 NCAA Tournament