Gamache only second softball Seahawk to win CAA Player of the year

3 other UNCW players join Gamache on the all-CAA teams

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) – For only the second time in school history, a Seahawk has won the CAA softball award for the Player of the Year.

Below is from UNCW on the announcement of Janel Gamache earning the award:

UNCW two-way star Janel Gamache has captured Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year honors following one of the most well-rounded efforts at the plate and in the circle in school history.

Gamache, a do-it-all infielder and right-handed pitcher, headlines three Seahawks on the All-CAA First-Team along with pitcher Kara Hammock and outfielder Arial Pearce. Junior second baseman Tayler Vitola earned her first All-CAA nod with a Second-Team distinction.

“Having four players named all-conference makes this an outstanding achievement both individually and for our program,” said UNCW first-year Head Coach Ashley Wade. “Tayler, Arial and Janel have been a consistent force at the top of our lineup, while Kara has dominated in the circle all season long.

“This recognition is a true testament to their hard work and dedication to our program, as they push themselves every day to be their best for their teammates.”

Gamache, a graduate student, becomes the second Seahawk to win the league’s Player of the Year award with UNCW Hall of Famer Carley Hughes in 2007. It also marks the first time the Seahawks have had three representatives on the CAA’s top team and the second straight year the program has collected four All-Conference honors.

A native of Exeter, R.I., Gamache tied for sixth in the circuit with a .360 average with a team-high four home runs and 26 RBI. In the circle, Gamache went 7-4 with a league-low 1.50 ERA (ranked 30th in NCAA Division I) in 70.0 innings.

“Janel being voted Player of the Year is the cherry on top of her incredible career as a Seahawk. She epitomizes being a member of our program, as her commitment to herself, her teammates, and her university has never wavered,” said Wade. “Janel has never focused on individual awards, but it’s exciting to finally see her be rewarded for her hard work and constant pursuit of excellence.

“She has made such an impact on our program through her leadership on and off the field, as well as her many contributions at the plate, on the field, and in the circle. Janel leads by example in all that she does, representing UNCW and the CAA in the highest regard, making this honor very well-deserved.”

Gamache has recorded 11 muti-hit games and carries a six-game hitting streak into the 2023 CAA Championship from May 9-13 in Hempstead, N.Y. She ranks top 10 in 18 different pitching and hitting categories in the circuit.

One year after capturing the CAA Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie and Second-Team, Hammock ascends to the First-Team after finishing behind only Gamache in the league’s ERA battle with a 1.79 mark to go with 85 strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .222 average.

The sophomore workhorse has totaled a team-high 105.1 innings and tossed 10 complete games in 15 starts this season. The 6-2 right-hander has also produced a pair of shutouts and collected a save.

Pearce, like Hammock, elevates to the league’s top team after earning All-Second-Team and All-Rookie nods in 2022. The dynamic outfielder paced the CAA with a .435 average in league games and hit an inside-the-park grand slam in UNCW’s 7-3 win vs. North Carolina A&T on Mar. 25.

The 5-7 sophomore has recorded two three-hit performances as well as a 4-for-4 effort in the Seahawks’ crucial regular-season finale victory at Charleston to secure the second-seed and double-bye in the CAA Tournament.

Vitola, a 2021 CAA All-Rookie selection, shores up the Second Team with a team-high 16 multi-hit games, including five with three or more knocks. The speedy lead-off hitter was eighth in the league with a .359 average and finished the regular season in seventh with a team-high 55 hits.

A speedster on the basepaths, Vitola is the sixth UNCW roadrunner to swipe over 50 career bases with 12 swipes this season.

Second-seeded UNCW begins its CAA Championship title defense on Thursday, May 11, at 2:30 p.m. at Hofstra’s Bill Edwards Stadium in Hempstead, N.Y.