2022 Colonial Athletic Association Forecast

From January 3 through the beginning of the regular season, we’re going to take a look at every Division 1 conference and Forecast what to expect in each league this season. Today, we take a look at the Colonial Athletic Association.

I. Conference Breakdown

There are eight teams that play softball in the CAA. Those programs include College of Charleston, Delaware, Drexel, Elon, Hofstra, James Madison, Towson, and UNC Wilmington.

Monmouth, Stony Brook, and Hampton will join the CAA on July 1, 2022. James Madison is scheduled to leave the CAA in 2023 to join the Sun Belt on a full-time basis; the Dukes have been said to be headed for status as a de facto associate member of the Sun Belt a year early, which could see JMU forego a CAA conference schedule as soon as next season.

After James Madison announced plans to leave the C AA, the conference voted to prohibit the Dukes from participation in the conference postseason. In effect, this means that the JMU softball program is no eligible to contend for the CAA’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament and would have to be selected for the tournament as an at-large team based on merit. The Dukes *can* win the CAA regular-season title.

During the 2021 season, the CAA moved to a divisional-style formatting within the conference, splitting into two four-team divisions. CAA teams played other teams in their division in home-and-home weekend series’ to fulfill their conference slate. James Madison lost just one game in conference play, winning the league’s regular season and conference tournament titles. The Dukes won the Knoxville regional, the Columbia Super regional, and advanced to the Women’s College World Series for the first time in program history.

II. 2022 Award Predictions

Player of the Year: Devyn Losco, Hofstra
Pitcher of the Year: Alissa Humphrey, James Madison
Coach of the Year: Jen Steele, Delaware
Conference Champions: Delaware Blue Hens

III. Who to Watch

James Madison — The Dukes’ postseason ineligibility dominates any CAA preview, sure, but JMU is still a program coming off of a Women’s College World Series berth that took the sports world by storm. After that run, the Dukes lost a number of the personnel who helped them get to that point in the postseason. Six of the Dukes’ top seven hitters from a season ago are departed, as is Oddici Alexander who notched 144 innings of work from the pitching circle. The Dukes have a boatload of youth on their roster this year, and while the program has hard-earned momentum on their side, they also have something of a rebuild on their hands. Alissa Humphrey could be a star-in-the-making in the circle, and a valuable arm is never a bad thing to have on your side.

Kristi DiMeo, Drexel — For the last several years, the Dragons have boasted a hearty 1-2 power punch in the middle of their lineup thanks to DiMeo and Linda Rush. Now, Rush is graduated and DiMeo returns for one final season. She continued her career’s torrid pace last year, batting .429 on the year with ten doubles, eleven home runs, and 53 RBIs to her credit.

Delaware — Since Jen Steele took over the program, the Blue Hens have been a program on the rise and 2022 could be their year to truly break through. This is the same Delaware team that was 19-4 before the 2020 season abruptly ended, and for whom a 25-9 overall record – including a win over Villanova – was overshadowed by a 3-2 conference tournament showing. The Blue Hens boast key returners on offense, including Hanna Garber (.384/.596/.475, 28 runs scored, 12 stolen bases in 2021), as well as in the circle, including Emily Winburn (13-4, 2.79 ERA, 84 strikeouts in 2021).

Devyn Losco, Hofstra — An All-Region and all-conference selection after last season, Losco’s presence behind the plate was solid, but it was her presence AT the plate that really set her apart. She batted .364 on the year, with 22 runs scored, 2 home runs, and 12 RBIs. She recorded a .385 on-base percentage and was perfect in stolen base attempts (5-5).

IV. Coaching Moves

Three of the eight CAA programs changed head coaches this offseason. College of Charleston hired Tracey Lynch as their new head coach, while Drexel hired Katie Jansson to lead their program and Hofstra brought program alum Adrienne Clark back to her alma mater. On the assistant coaching front, each of the new head coaches hired brand-new staffs; additional moves included Elon’s hiring of Taylor Waldrop as pitching coach and UNCW’s hiring of Diego Ibarra and Erin Dixson to complete their staff.

V. Storylines to Watch

> How will James Madison’s absence from the conference postseason be seen on a national level? The Dukes will have to qualify for the NCAA tournament based on their own merits, but also may be looked upon favorably by the selection committee due to the fairly-uncharted situation. If the Dukes were to be selected for the NCAA tournament, it would put the CAA in a rare position of being a multi-bid league to the NCAA postseason.
> Both Delaware and Drexel enjoyed solid showings last season and finished with high RPIs. If either of those teams wins the CAA’s conference tournament this year, they deserve to be seen on their own merits with multiple quality seasons in a row on their resumes –  and not in any way as asterisked-champions.

VI. Burning Questions

* Can James Madison sustain their momentum from last season’s magical postseason run?
* Who in the CAA will step up and show themselves as true championship contenders?

VII. Projected Standings

* James Madison

1. Delaware
2. Drexel
3. Hofstra
4. Elon
5. UNC Wilmington
6. Towson
7. College of Charleston