Baseball (11-4, 2-1 in Week 4) 

The UNC Wilmington baseball team continued a hot streak at the plate this weekend in Tempe, Arizona, taking the last two games of the three-game set with Arizona State. The opening game of the series was similar to UNCW’s bout with Coastal Carolina the week prior, in which the Seahawks had five costly errors, leading to an easy Sun Devils victory. However, the rest of the weekend was all Seahawks.  

UNCW out-hit the Sun Devils 34-26 on the weekend while outscoring them 16-10. After allowing nine runs in the series opener, the UNCW pitching staff slowed down the Sun Devils hitters by allowing only one run the rest of the series.  

Pitcher of the Week: Zarion Sharpe 

In his fourth start of the season, the sophomore left-hander looks to finally have hit his stride on the mound. The reigning CAA Rookie of the Year has had a slow start to the season, losing his first two starts and getting a no-decision last weekend against Princeton, but this weekend he picked up his first win (1-2) after allowing no runs and only three hits in 5 1/3 innings. Sharpe didn’t allow a hit until the third inning while adding four strikeouts in a shutout day. 

Player of the Week: Ryan Jeffers 

The leader of the UNCW offense continued to pace the squad with another monster weekend. The junior catcher posted a .500 batting average (6-of-12) while scoring four runs. He added two doubles and two homers on the weekend, driving in four runs. Jeffers raised his team-leading batting average to .333 on the year as well as pushing his home run total up to five. 

Freshman of the Week: Greg Jones 

The UNCW freshman phenom continued his hot hitting by posting a .333 average over the weekend. Jones’ four hits included a solo home run on Friday night and a two-RBI double in Saturday’s 9-0 win at Arizona State. Jones also had an on-base-percentage of .500 (8-16) on the weekend, in which he drew two walks and was hit by a pitch twice. The shortstop’s weekend raised his season batting average and on-base percentage to .319 and .439 respectively. 

What’s to come: 

The Seahawks start a nine-game homestand this week by hosting Ohio State for a midweek series on Tuesday and Wednesday (UNCW dropped game one to the Buckeyes, 8-3). Quinnipiac will also visit Brooks Field this weekend for a three-game set starting on Friday. The weekend will be highlighted by the Seahawks having Military Appreciation Day on Saturday, in which their on-field jerseys will be auctioned off for charity. 

Around the CAA: 

College of Charleston continues to lead the CAA after a 3-1 week with a midweek loss to No. 19 East Carolina and a series sweep of CSU Bakersfield. Hofstra has surged to the top of the pack as well, as the Pride pushed their win streak to seven games and sit 7-2 overall. The Pride also threw their second no-hitter of the season on Saturday against Mount St. Mary’s. 

Softball (7-13, 2-3 in Week 4) 

The UNC Wilmington Softball team hosted the 2018 Seahawk Softball Showcase — their second and final tournament of the season at Boseman Field. The Seahawks finished the weekend with a 2-3 record. Though the record still doesn’t keep pace with the rest of the conference and last year’s accomplishments, it is an improvement on last week’s 1-5 showing. The Seahawks also lost two other opportunities to pick up wins as the team’s doubleheader at Gardner-Webb was canceled due to rain. The Seahawk bats are starting to wake up a bit, as the team scored a total of 14 runs in the five-game tournament. 

Pitcher of the Week: Laurel Koontz 

Koontz has stepped into a closer role in her junior season, and she is still excelling at the end of games. Koontz pitched a total of 4 1/3 innings in relief while allowing no runs over the weekend. The closer only allowed four hits and one walk and added two strikeouts in her three outings. Koontz registered her first two saves of the season in both the Seahawks’ wins while lowering her team-best ERA to 0.81. 

Player of the Week: Kali Jones 

UNCW’s centerfielder is starting to heat up at the plate after going 6-14 (.429) at the dish this weekend. She had a career day in a loss on Saturday, as she went 4-4 and stole a base. The stellar weekend may be a good sign for the Seahawks, as Jones looks to be a key contributor going forward. 

Freshman of the Week: Emily Langkamp 

The freshman first baseman continues to be the most consistent rookie for the Seahawks, as she had another great weekend at the plate. Like Jones, Langkamp went 6-14 (.429) with two multi-hit games in the tournament. She raised her batting average from .268 to .309, which sits third on the team. 

What’s to come: 

The Seahawks will have another five-game week as they have midweek games at East Carolina and at home versus North Carolina on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. The Seahawks will then open conference play over the weekend at Hofstra. 

Around the CAA: 

Towson went 4-0 on the week and is on top of the standings with a record of 16-3. JMU finished their second week in Honolulu, Hawaii, with a 3-3 record to keep them just behind Towson at 17-5.