NEWARK, Del. - - The Wilmington University baseball team is looking to defend its title, as the Wildcats are the reigning Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament Champions. The Wildcats are making their 14th straight appearance in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament in 2023, this year as a No. 1 seed after winning the South Division Regular Season Championship. The 2023 tournament will be hosted by Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut.
The Wildcats won the 2023 CACC South Division with an 18-6 CACC record, earning a bye into the double-elimination portion of the CACC Tournament. They will square off against the North Division's No. 2 seed Felician in the first round on Thursday after the Golden Falcons swept Bloomfield in the best-of-three play-in series.
The Wildcats are looking for their 10th CACC Tournament Championship in 2023, having won the postseason championship in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2022.
Location of 2022 CACC Tournament:
Municipal Stadium
1200 Watertown Ave.
Waterbury, CT 06708
Admission for CACC Tournament:
$10.00 for adults
$5.00 for students, children, and seniors
Links to Follow the CACC Tournament:
Live Video: https://www.caccnetwork.com/
Live Stats vs. Felician: https://wildcats.athletics.wilmu.edu/sports/bsb/2022-23/boxscores/20230511_rkbz.xml
CACC Tournament Central: https://www.caccathletics.org/sports/Championship/2022-23/BASE
Scouting the No. 2 Wilmington University Wildcats:
The Wildcats begin postseason play with a 27-19 overall record. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games overall. The team was honored with ten All-CACC selections, seven being on the First Team, including the CACC Pitcher of the Year in Matt Warrington.
Matt Warrington becomes the seventh Wildcat to win the CACC Pitcher of the Year award in the program's NCAA era, making it back-to-back years that Wildcat has won CACC Pitcher of the Year, with Ryan Sandberg winning the award in 2022.
Inside the CACC the Wildcats rank second overall with a .304 batting average. Erik Grady's (First-Team All-CACC), ranks second in the CACC in batting average with a .391. They are also fourth with an overall mark of .397 in on-base percentage and first overall with a .452 slugging percentage.
One of the Wildcat's key strength in the CACC is on the mound, as they lead the CACC with a 4.92 team ERA, the only team in the conference with an under five ERA. The staff is third overall in striking out 9.01 batters per nine innings as well.
The team also does well behind their pitchers, ranking tied-second overall with a .957 fielding percentage, with a league low 65 errors in 1,511 total chances. They had allowed only 68 stolen bases this season.
Wilmington in the CACC Tournament:
2005 (1-2): # 4 Wilmington def. #1 NJIT 7-1; #2 Dominican def. #4 Wilmington 6-1; #1 NJIT def. #4 Wilmington 6-3
2006 (0-2): #3 Bloomfield def. #2 Wilmington 6-2; #1 Dominican def. #2 Wilmington 2-1
2007 (3-0): #2 Wilmington def. #3 Felician 14-11; #2 Wilmington def. #4 Dominican, 1-0 #2 Wilmington def. #1 Caldwell 10-7 (Championship)
2008: DNP
2009 (3-0): #3 Wilmington def. #2 Bloomfield 12-7; #3 Wilmington def. #4 Nyack 6-3; #3 Wilmington def. #1 Dominican 5-4 (Championship)
2010 (1-2): #5 Post def. #1 Wilmington 4-2; #1 Wilmington def. #3 Felician 4-0; ; #5 Post def. #1 Wilmington 8-4
2011 (3-0): #2 Wilmington def. #3 Post 9-0; #2 Wilmington def. #1 Dominican 3-0; #2 Wilmington def. #1 Dominican 10-3 (Championship)
2012 (3-0): #2 Wilmington def. #3 Dominican 1-0; #2 Wilmington def. Felician 4-2; #2 Wilmington def. #1 Felician 1-0 (Championship)
2013 (3-0): #1 Wilmington def. #5 Felician, 5- 4; #1 Wilmington def. #6 Chestnut Hill, 10-0; #1 Wilmington def. #6 Chestnut Hill, 15-0 (Championship)
2014 (2-2): #5 Dominican def. #1 Wilmington, 5-4; #1 Wilmington def. #6 Post, 5-2; #1 Wilmington def. #5 Dominican, 2-1; #2 Felician def. #1 Wilmington, 8-3 (Championship)
2015 (3-0): #1 Wilmington def. #4 Dominican, 4-1; #1 Wilmington def. #3 Chestnut Hill, 13-0; #1 Wilmington def. #3 Chestnut Hill, 10-9 (12 inn.) (Championship)
2016 (0-1): #6 Dominican def. #3 Wilmington, 3-1
2017 (2-2): #2 Wilmington def. #7 Nyack, 2-1 (11 inn.); #6 Dominican def. #2 Wilmington, 4-0; #2 Wilmington def. #8 Philadelphia, 11-7; #4 Chestnut Hill def. #2 Wilmington, 5-3.
2018 (5-1): S#2 Wilmington def. N#3 Nyack, 2-0; S#2 Wilmington def. N#1 Post, 5-0; S#1 Felician def. S#2 Wilmington, 6-1; S#2 Wilmington def. N#1 Post, 11-4; S#2 Wilmington def. S#1 Felician, 2-0 (10 inn.); S#2 Wilmington def. S#1 Felician, 8-3.
2019 (4-0): S#2 Wilmington def. N#3 Nyack, 14-3; S#2 Wilmington def. S#4 Jefferson, 2-1; S#2 Wilmington def. N#2 Dominican, 5-3; #2 Wilmington def. N#2 Dominican, 14-8.
2020: DNP – COVID-19
2021 (0-1): S#2 Jefferson def. S#3 Wilmington, 4-1
2022 (3-1): S#1 Wilmington def. N#2 Felician, 11-8; S#1 Wilmington def. N#1 Post, 12-0; N#1 Post def. S#1 Wilmington, 6-5; S#1 Wilmington def. N#1 Post, 8- 6
Overall: 36-15
Season and All-Time Records vs. CACC Tournament Participants:
North Division:
#1 Post University Eagles: 2023 – 0-2 (at L 2-1, L 2-1); All-Time – 36-14; CACC Tournament – 6-3
#2 Felician University Golden Falcons: 2023 – 1-1 (vs. W 9-0, L 5-4); All-Time – 34-21; CACC Tournament – 8-2
#3 Bloomfield College Bears: Eliminated
South Division:
#1 Wilmington University Wildcats
#2 Goldey-Beacom College Lightning: 2023 – 2-1 (vs. W 13-3 (7), at L 5-0, at W 12-2); All-Time- 14-6; CACC Tournament – 0-0
#3 Thomas Jefferson University Rams: Eliminated
2022 CACC Baseball Tournament Game Schedule:
Thursday, May 11 (Day 1)
Game #1: N#1 Post vs. S#2 Goldey-Beacom (11 a.m.)
Game #2: S#1 Wilmington vs. N#2 Felician (2 p.m.)
Game #3: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser (5 p.m., Elimination Game)
Friday, May 12 (Day 2)
Game #4: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner (11 a.m.)
Game #5: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser (2 p.m., Elimination Game)
Saturday, May 13 (Day 3, Championship Final)
Game #6: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner (11 a.m.)
Game #7: "If Necessary" Game (3 p.m.)