LAKEWOOD, N.J. - - For the first time in program history, the Wilmington University softball team heads into the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament as the No. 1 seed and will face No. 4 Bridgeport in the second round on Thursday hosted by Georgian Court University.
The Wildcats were the the No. 2 seed the previous three seasons. They Wildcats will seek their first conference championship since the 2019 season.
Scouting the No. 2 Wilmington University Wildcats:
The Wildcats finished 35-12 overall for the 2022 season, going 21-3 in CACC play, sitting atop the CACC by two games. The Wildcats will face Bridgeport in their inaugural season in the CACC. In the regular season the Wildcats split the two games against the Purple Knights, winning 9-0 (5) and then losing 6-5 in extra innings.
The Wildcats placed six players on the All-CACC Teams, including Lexi Moore (SS), Kylee Gunkel (P), Taylor Gillis (OF), and Sara Miller (UTIL) on the First Team. Delani Sheehan (P) and Jess Reed (DP) were named Second Team All-CACC. Lexi Moore becomes the second Wildcat to win the CACC Player of the Year award, joining Rosa'Lynn Burton in 2019. Kylee Gunkel was voted the CACC Pitcher of the Year. Lastly, Mike Shehorn wins his first ever CACC Coach of the Year Award.
As a team, the Wildcats have the third highest batting average in the CACC, hitting at a .334 clip. They are fifth with a .378 on-base percentage and fourth with a .443 slugging percentage. As a pitching staff, they are second overall with a 2.17 earned run average and second overall in strike outs with 233 K's. Defensively, the Wildcats are first overall with a .965 fielding percentage.
Nationally, the Wildcats are fourth in all of NCAA DII with 64 sacrifice bunts and 14th with 2.47 stolen bases a game on the season. They also lead the CACC and are 16 in the country with 116 stolen bases this season. Lexi Moore is ranked 12th in NCAA Division II in batting average with a .468 batting average.
Admission to CACC Tournament:
- Adults: $10.00
- Seniors, Children & College Students w/ school ID: $5.00
- Children under 3 are free
- Purchase tickets online: https://caccathletics.hometownticketing.com/embed/event/51?es=uj6hr5vd0ckb3lb27q8jeufutu&single=1
- Directions to Georgian Court University: 517 9th St., Lakewood, NJ 08701 https://gculions.com/sports/2009/8/28/gcudirections.aspx
Ways to Follow:
- CACC Tournament Central: https://www.caccathletics.org/sports/Championship/2022-23/SOFT
- Video vs. Bridgeport: https://caccnetwork.com/?bfplayvid=566938
- Stats vs. Bridgeport: https://wildcats.athletics.wilmu.edu/sports/sball/2022-23/boxscores/20230504_owb8.xml
All-Time in the CACC Tournament:
2005 (1-2): #3 Felician def. #6 Wilmington, 5-4; #6 Wilmington def. #4 Post, 3-0 (8); #5 Goldey-Beacom 8 def. #6 Wilmington, 8-1
2006: DNP
2007 (2-2): #3 Wilmington def. #6 Felician, 3-2; #2 Caldwell def. #3 Wilmington, 7-5; #3 Wilmington def. #6 Felician, 6-1; #2 Caldwell def. #3 Wilmington, 9-2
2008 (0-2): #4 Holy Family def. #5 Wilmington, 1-0; #3 Dominican def. #5 Wilmington, 9-4
2009 (0-2): #2 Caldwell def. #7 Wilmington, 3-0; #6 Philadelphia def. #7 Wilmington, 5-4
2010: DNP
2011 (2-2): #5 Caldwell def. #4 Wilmington, 2-0; #4 Wilmington def. #8 Felician, 7-5; #4 Wilmington def. #7 Bloomfield, 1-0; #5 Caldwell def. #4 Wilmington, 7-2
2012 (0-2): #5 Post def. #4 Wilmington, 6-1; #8 Holy Family def. #4 Wilmington, 8-5
2013 (2-2): #3 Wilmington def. #6 Holy Family, 10-2; #2 Caldwell def. #3 Wilmington, 1-0; #3 Wilmington def. #5 USciences, 1-0; #4 Georgian Court def. #3 Wilmington, 7-0
2014 (4-0): #5 Wilmington def. #4 Holy Family, 4-2; #5 Wilmington def. #1 Caldwell, 6-3; #5 Wilmington def. #3 Post, 6-0; #5 Wilmington def. #2 Georgian Court, 5-2
2015 (2-2): #3 Wilmington def. #6 Felician, 4-0; #3 Wilmington def. #2 Dominican, 3-2; #1 Caldwell def. #3 Wilmington, 4-3; #2 Dominican def. #3 Wilmington, 3-0
2016 (4-0): #3 Wilmington def. #6 Concordia, 1-0; #3 Wilmington def. #7 Bloomfield, 10-5; #3 Wilmington def. #4 Holy Family, 9-2; #3 Wilmington def. #4 Holy Family, 1-0
2017 (0-2): #5 Goldey-Beacom def. #4 Wilmington, 2-0; #8 Post def. #4 Wilmington, 9-1 (6 inn.)
2018 (2-2): #7 Holy Family def. #2 Wilmington, 7-6 (8 inn.); #2 Wilmington def. #6 Felician, 6-5; #2 Wilmington def. #5 Post, 7-2; #4 Dominican def. #2 Wilmington, 7-6.
2019 (5-1): #2 Wilmington def. #7 Nyack, 8-0 (6 inn.); #2 Wilmington def. #3 Caldwell, 9-2; #1 Georgian Court def. #2 Wilmington, 4-2; #2 Wilmington def. #8 Jefferson, 3-0; #2 Wilmington def. #1 Georgian Court, 4-2; #2 Wilmington def. #1 Georgian Court, 5-4 (9 inn.)
2020: DNP – COVID-19
2021: (single elimination): #3 Wilmington defeated #6 Caldwell, 7-6; #7 Bloomfield def. #3 Wilmington, 8-1
2022: #2 Wilmington defeated #7 Bloomfield, 4-1; #2 Wilmington defeated #3 Caldwell 4-3; #1 Georgian Court defeated #2 Wilmington, 6-4; #2 Wilmington defeated Caldwell, 6-3
Overall: 28-23
Season Series and All-Time vs. CACC Tournament Participants:
#1 Wilmington University Wildcats
#2 Caldwell University Cougars: 2023 – vs. W 4-3 (11)/L 4-2; All-Time – 17-34; CACC Tournament – 4-7
#3 Georgian Court University Lions: 2023 – at W 5-0/W 8-2; All-Time – 27-17; CACC Tournament – 3-3
#4 University of Bridgeport Purple Knights: 2023 – at W 9-0 (5)/L 6-5 (8); All-Time – 4-4; CACC Tournament – 0-0
#5 Felician University Golden Falcons: 2023 – at W 5-1/L 4-0; All-Time – 31-12; CACC Tournament – 5-1
#6 Holy Family University Tigers: 2023 – at W 6-4/W 14-5 (5); All-Time – 23-20; CACC Tournament – 4-3
#7 Bloomfield College Bears: 2023 – at W 7-0/W 5-2; All-Time – 31-7; CACC Tournament – 3-1
#8 Goldey-Beacom Lightning: 2023 – vs. W 5-3/W 3-2; All-Time – 30-9; CACC Tournament – 1-2
2022 CACC Softball Tournament Game Schedule:
Thursday, May 4
Game 1 - #1 Wilmington vs. #4 Bridgeport – 11:00 am
Game 2 - #2 Caldwell vs. #3 Georgian Court – 1:30 pm
Game 3 – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser – 4:00 pm
Friday, May 5
Game 4 – Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner – 11:00 am
Game 5 – Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser – 1:30 pm (Elimination Game)
Sunday, May 7
Game 6 – Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner – 11:00 am
Game 7 – "If Necessary" Game (Approx. 1:30 pm)