With wins in 6-of-7, including a three-game series sweep over William & Mary last weekend, Charleston has surged out ahead of the pack in the Colonial Athletic Association. 

The Cougars are the CAA’s first team to 10 conference wins following victories of 7-2, 4-3 and 7-5 against a Tribe club that came into the April 15-17 series tied for first place. 

One game behind Charleston in the loss column is UNC Wilmington, which won its own series sweep with decisions of 8-7, 11-5 and 8-6 over Towson. Otherwise, CAA teams head into the back-half of April with little separation both in standings and head-to-head over series like Hofstra-Delaware (the Pride won 2-1) and James Madison-Northeastern (the Dukes took two). 

The end of the conference season is fast approaching, which places a particular premium on the CAA series still to come. 

Old Dominion Vs. William & Mary

Tuesday, April 19 at 5 p.m. ET 

Former CAA member Old Dominion has been outstanding in 2022, heading toward a likely NCAA Tournament berth. The Monarchs took 3-of-4 from UAB in Conference USA competition over the weekend, following up on a 9-2 drubbing of a top 5-ranked Virginia bunch. 

William & Mary must contend with a lineup featuring five primary hitters who are batting .308 or better. The trio of Matt Coutney, Andy Garriola and Carter Trice come in with 16, 15 and 13 home runs, setting the pace for an Old Dominion club that ranks third in the nation with 75 total round-trippers.

Charleston Vs. Elon

Friday, April 22 at 6 p.m. ET; Saturday, April 23 at 4 p.m. ET; Sunday, April 24 at 1 p.m. ET 

Charleston has clearly separated itself as the team to catch down the stretch in Colonial competition. Trotter Harlan has been on a tear, last week producing a pair of multiple-hit games against both The Citadel and William & Mary. JT Marr, meanwhile, highlighted the weekend with a two-home run outing against the Tribe. 

Elon returns to conference action trying to cool the league’s hottest team after the Phoenix bookended a non-conference week with losses to East Carolina and UNC Asheville. The Sunday defeat against UNCA denied Elon a series sweep following strong pitching performances from Joe Savino and Brian Edgington.

William & Mary Vs. James Madison

Friday, April 22 at 6 p.m. ET; Sunday, April 24 at 1 p.m. ET 

Fenwick Trimble rolls into the week riding a five-game hitting streak for James Madison. With a pair of non-conference dates against Richmond on Tuesday and at George Mason on Wednesday, Trimble could be looking at an opportunity to reach 10 straight games with a hit by series end against William & Mary.

Just one game separates the Dukes and Tribe after last week’s results. William & Mary must solve the outstanding starting pitching duo of Liam McDonnell and Ryan Murphy to avoid losing ground in the CAA championship chase.

UNC Wilmington Vs. Delaware

Friday, April 22 at 7 p.m. ET; Saturday, April 23 at 3 p.m. ET; Sunday, April 24 at 1 p.m. ET 

Last week served as a reminder of how quickly things can flip for a baseball team. Delaware was the CAA’s hottest team heading into a non-conference tilt with Saint Joseph’s, but after the loss then dropped 2-of-3 in conference play against Hofstra. 

From winners of nine straight to losing 3-of-4, the Blue Hens look to get back on track against a tough UNC Wilmington squad. The Seahawks suffered a disappointing loss last week against NC State, leading the 2021 College World Series participants 6-4 before surrendering three in the bottom of the ninth. 

Despite the setback, UNCW rallied for a series sweep of Towson. Jac Croom had an outstanding series at the plate, going 6-of-12 against the Tigers. 

Delaware’s Friday starter, Chris Ludman, will look to start the series getting back on track after giving up 10 hits in the opener last week to Hofstra.