First-time Colonial Athletic Association champion Northeastern could be primed for a second in as many seasons. Behind All-American pitcher Cam Schlittler, the Huskies were tabbed as the league’s preseason favorite. 

But after advancing to the NCAA Tournament on a 10-inning CAA championship decision, the UNC-Wilmington team that Northeastern beat in the title round will again be in the mix atop the Colonial. 

Charleston 

Joseph Mershon leads a Charleston team picked to finish third in the preseason CAA poll. Mershon batted .314 in 2021 and stole 11 bases in 2021. Catchers Jared Kirven and Tanner Steffy both delivered more than 40 hits last season and versatile infielder Trotter Harlan hit a hair below .300 with 24 RBI and five home runs in a team-high 220 at-bats, and 10 stolen bases. 

Right-hander Ty Good is the ace of the pitching staff, coming off a campaign in which he had team-highs in wins (7), strikeouts (85) and the best ERA (3.71) among usual starters. 

Delaware

The Blue Hens aim to defy expectations after a selection of eighth in the preseason poll. Delaware finished the 2021 season 12-22 overall and 8-16 in the CAA, but returns some key pieces around whom to build in 2022. 

Righty Chris Ludman threw three complete games in 11 starts last season, striking out 64 and posting a WHIP of 1.22. His brother, Eric Ludman, made his Delaware debut as a designated hitter in 2021. The Blue Hens batting rotation welcomes back some of its more productive hitters, including Joseph Carpenter and Jordan Hutchings, who combined for 45 RBI. 

Elon

Elon looks to return to the peak it reached in 2019 with the CAA’s best regular-season mark, and finish the job with a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Phoenix are picked fourth heading into the year, but could be a spoiler to watch as the season unfolds. 

Credit in no small part the returning outfielder Alex Iadisernia, who hit team-bests .368 with a 1.074 OPS, 10 home runs and 30 RBI. First baseman Cole Reynolds is also back after batting .292 with 25 RBI. Reynolds also pitched four innings out of the bullpen. 

Brian Edgington and Joe Savino head up the starting pitching rotation, both of whom struck out more than 65 batters in 2021. 

Hofstra

Coming off a 17-22 and 8-16 finish to 2021, the 2022 Hofstra Pride will feature some new faces in more prominent roles. Gone from last season’s roster are Austin Gauthier, Rob Weissheier and Brian Goulard, the team’s leaders in home runs and RBI. 

Hofstra also loses Jimmy Joyce and Jack Jett from the pitching staff, but veteran Brad Camarda returns. He had a 4.22 ERA and struck out 22 in 2021. 

Anthony D’Onofrio, Santino Rosso and Ryan Morash lead Hofstra’s returning batters, all of whom connected for at least 30 hits last year. 

James Madison

Preseason All-American Chase DeLauter leads James Madison into 2022, coming off an outstanding campaign in which he hit .386 with a 1.231 OPS and .723 slugging percentage. DeLauter also made limited appearances on the mound. 

Pitching could be the primary question mark that determines if the Dukes contend in the CAA. Liam McDonnell, Donovan Burke and Justin Showalter were the only JMU pitchers to throw more than 30 innings. Burke finished with an ERA of 3.00 and WHIP of 1.09, while McDonnell and Showalter had ERAs of 7.12 and 4.37. 

Northeastern 

Dominant righty Cam Schlitter, the CAA Co-Rookie of the Year and a 2021 Freshman All-America choice, heads into the 2022 campaign as a preseason All-American—and with good reason. 

Schlitter posted an excellent 1.88 ERA and 8-1 record, striking out 85 while walking only 20 batters. The 6-foot-6 hurler leads a rotation that also welcomes back Wyatt Scotti, a 4-2 starter with a 2.82 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 2021. 

Max Viera, Mike Sirota, Danny Crossen, Jeff Costello and Luke Beckstein—who all batted better than .300 last season—shape the batting lineup. 

Towson

The Tigers look to build on a promising 2021 with a lineup that features a variety of new faces. Towson welcomes transfers for 2022 including Nate Nabholz, a pitcher from East Carolina; outfielder James Moses from Lamar College; and infielder Jordan Peyton from Radford. 

Another Radford transfer, Bryce Frederick, is among the returning starters from a year ago. Frederick boasted a .787 OPS in 2021, ranking near the top of the Tigers roster. Danny Becerra also finished last season with an OPS above .700 on a team-high 221 at-bats. 

UNC-Wilmington

Deep and talented, UNC-Wilmington has the makings of an NCAA Tournament team in 2022. The Seahawks received three first-place votes in the CAA preseason poll and were just three points behind favorite Northeastern. 

UNCW’s bright outlook starts with preseason All-American Brooks Baldwin, a .325 hitter who drove in 45 and hit 15 home runs a season ago. The versatile Baldwin has played all over defensively, starting at shortstop in 2020 before the pandemic, and operated at both first and second as well as the outfield in 2021. 

Along with catcher Matt Suggs, UNCW has two hitters coming off seasons with .900+ OPS. 

The Seahawks will undergo some changes in the pitching staff with Adam Smith and Landen Roupp gone. 

William & Mary

The Tribe welcome a new head coach in 2022, Mike McRae. McRae arrives in Williamsburg with no shortage of accolades, including a 2021 NCAA Tournament appearance with VCU. 

William & Mary’s new staff inherits a veteran roster, starting with plus-.300 hitters Jack Cone and Ben Williamson. The duo’s knack for getting on base helped the Tribe play an aggressive brand of small ball that resulted in 50 stolen bases a season ago. 

Lefty senior Zach Tsakounis returns after producing a 3.63 ERA, a high among Tribe starters.