Press Release Written by Sports Information Graduate Intern MaryKate Rumbaugh
NEW CASTLE, Del. - The Wilmington University softball team has earned a spot in the NCAA Division II East 2 Regional Tournament after winning its third Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Title in six years. The Wildcats earned the No. 3 seed and will host the No. 6 seed Adelphi in New Castle, Delaware at Asbury Field.
This is the first time in program history that the Wildcats will be hosting the NCAA Division II East 2 Regional Tournament at Asbury Field. This is their third automatic big to the tournament in the past six years, while it is their fifth appearance in six years.
The Wildcats are in a four-team bracket with No. 2 LIU Post, No. 6 Adelphi, and No. 7 New Haven. On the other side of the East Regional Tournament, St. Anselm earned the No. 1 seed and will host, playing No. 8 Bridgeport, while No. 4 Georgian Court will face off with fifth seeded Southern New Hampshire.
The Wildcats and Panthers will play on Thursday, May 9 at 11:00 a.m. to kickoff Regional play.
Location of NCAA Division II East 2 Regional Tournament:
320 N. Dupont Highway
New Castle, DE 19720
Ways to Follow the Action:
Video for All Games: CACCNetwork.com/Wilmington
Tournament Home Page: 2019 NCAA DII East 2 Regional Tournament
Scouting the No. 3 Wilmington University Wildcats:
The Wildcats set a new program record with 39 wins so far this season, which is also head coach Mike Shehorn's best record since his first season in 2014. Their 22 wins in the CACC was also a new program record, beating the 21 wins from last year, and five losses.
The Wildcats had a record seven members voted All-CACC, including senior pitcher Caitlyn Whiteside who was named the CACC Pitcher of the Year. Junior left fielder Rosa'Lynn Burton also earned CACC Player of the Year for the first time in program history. Sophomores Lauren Lopez and Makayla McCarthy both joined Whiteside and Burton on First Team All-CACC, while senior Jazmeen Llamas, junior Alyssa Velasquez, and red shirt junior Kiana Broderson-Jones all earned Second Team All-CACC.
Whiteside leads the CACC with 20 wins this season, while sitting third in the league with a 2.04 ERA. She has 106 strikeouts this season in 22 complete games and seven shutouts. In 206.0 IP, she's allowed 169 hits, 60 earned runs, and 44 walks in 34 appearances.
Burton leads the Wildcats and is first in the CACC with a .521 batting average while also leading the CACC with 88 hits, is tied for first with teammate Kiana Broderson-Jones with 61 runs scored, and is also first with 60 stolen bases. Her 60-60 stolen bases are already a single season program record while she also broke the program's career mark of hits set by Cambria Ziemba from 2013-16 earlier this season.
Lopez leads the team and is first in the CACC with 60 RBI while sitting ninth in the league batting .379 on the year. She has 66 hits, including 17 doubles, also leading the league. Makayla McCarthy is second in the CACC with 18 wins on the season, while sitting fifth in the conference with a 2.16 ERA, and third in the league with 127 strikeouts. In 133.0 IP, she's allowed 104 hits, 41 earned runs, and 45 walks. In her 28 appearances, she has 18 complete games and nine shutouts.
As a team, the Wildcats lead the league batting .331, first in the CACC with 69 stolen bases, and third overall with a .451 slugging percentage. They are also second in the CACC with 270 hits, behind Caldwell with 280 hits, who did not reach the NCAA Regional Tournament.
As a staff, the Wildcats are second in the CACC with a 2.32 ERA, just six points behind Georgian Court's 2.26 team ERA. The Wildcats rank first in the league with a .965 fielding percentage.
All-Time in the NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament:
2014 (1-2): #1 LIU Post def. #8 Wilmington, 1-0; #8 Wilmington def. #4 New Haven, 2-1; #5 Southern New Hampshire def. #8 Wilmington, 1-0
2015 (1-2): #4 Adelphi def. #5 Wilmington, 3-1 (16 inn.); #5 Wilmington def. #8 Pace, 2-0; #1 Caldwell def. #5 Wilmington, 7-2
2016 (0-2): #1 Caldwell def. #8 Wilmington, 4-1; #5 Le Moyne def. #8 Wilmington, 3-2 (8 inn.)
2017: (2-2): #1 Adelphi def. #8 Wilmington, 5-3; #8 Wilmington def. #4 New Haven, 9-3; #8 Wilmington def. #5 Mercy, 12-3; #1 Adelphi def. #8 Wilmington, 5-0.
Overall: 4-8
Season and All-Time Series vs. NCAA East 2 Region Participants:
#2 LIU Post University: 2019 – 0-2; All-Time – 2-4; NCAA Tournament – 0-1
#3 Wilmington University Wildcats
#6 Adelphi University Panthers: 2019 – 0-1; All-Time – 1-7; NCAA Tournament – 0-3
#7 University of New Haven Chargers: 2019 – DNP; All-Time – 2-1; NCAA Tournament – 2-0
2019 NCAA Division II East Region 2 Tournament Game Schedule:
Thursday, May 9
Game 1 – 11:00 a.m. - #3 Wilmington vs. #6 Adelphi
Game 2 – 1:30 p.m. - #2 LIU Post vs. #7 New Haven
Friday, May 10
Game 3 – 10:00 a.m. – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Game 4 – 12:30 p.m. – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Game 5 – 3:00 p.m. – Loser Gam 3 vs. Winner Game 4
Saturday, May 11
Game 6 – 12:00 p.m. – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5
Game 7 – 2:30 p.m. (if necessary) – Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6