Staff reports

Welcome to the CAA, UNCW’s softball team.

After playing for a number of years in the Southern Conference, the softball team shifted to the CAA.

“The advantage of the CAA is we are now in a conference that everyone else plays at the school,” said UNCW coach Melissa Jarrell whose squad is 17-29 overall, 3-9 in the conference. “We will have more emphasis put on our games because people recognize the CAA. Win or lose, we will get more recognition.”

Heading into the final weeks, the Seahawks held an outside shot of making the conference tournament. Only four teams make the field, and if UNCW holds any hope of making it, it will have to execute in the final four regular-season games at Delaware (April 24 and 25) and George Mason (May 8 and 9).

“This is our first year and we have to make our presence known in the CAA and we don’t have anything to lose,” said Christy Ross, the team’s lone senior. “We all feel like people will come to our games more because people know the teams we are playing.”

The switch hasn’t changed much for the program. The Seahawks have lost 15 of 16 games heading into the April 21 non-conference game at Campbell. There is some good news for UNCW. The squad has played competitively despite a small 14-player roster.

“Very up and down season,” Jarrell said. “It’s been frustrating, with our low numbers we are playing on the edge all the time. The kids have responded and have done the best they can. We have played really well for a few games and then we go through a drought.”

Staff writers Matt Blood and Matt Gottlieb contributed to this story.