The 2024 CAA season saw the addition of Campbell University, adding to the conference’s rise in the college baseball season. However, the Camels didn’t steal the show in 2024 — but rather the UNC Wilmington Seahawks. And, UNCW is in good shape heading into 2025. Here’s our 2025 CAA college baseball season preview.
Campbell
We’ll start with Campbell, a team poised for success in 2024 after flirting in the top-25 to begin the year and loaded with talent. However, the Camels didn’t have as much success compared to past seasons in the Big South. Campbell went 12-15 in conference play and dealt with a myriad of injuries, including to standout bat Grant Knipp.
Knipp was one of several losses the Camels sustained over the winter. Some of their players lost eligibility, some went pro, and some transferred after head coach Justin Haire went to Ohio State. New head coach Chris Marx will look to get things back on track in 2025.
Luckily for the Camels, the team has relatively good pitching. The Camels did lose now-sophomore to Haire at Ohio State but bring back Jackson Roberts and Cooper Clark. Both logged key innings last season, especially Clark, who slotted into the rotation as a freshman. Clark has a chicken-wing-esque delivery and struck out 47 over 51.1 IP, sitting largely in the low-90s with a slider.
College of Charleston
College of Charleston finished 2024 with the best record in the conference. However, CoC was unable to seal the deal against UNCW to win the conference in the postseason. It was a bitter pill, especially when taking into account that Charleston had a strong, older team last season.
Avery Neaves and Kevin Madden were both strong performers last season but only the former will return in 2025, as a grad student. And arguably their best player, Cole Mathis, overcame a very slow start to hit 14 home runs and .335. Mathis, a borderline top-100 prospect in the 2024 MLB Draft, went in the second round to Chicago (NL).
The Cougars are still expected to be competitive in 2025. Aside from Neaves, Charleston welcomes back innings-eater Jake Brink. Brink threw 92.2 IP last season and posted a 3.69 ERA.
Delaware
The Delaware Hens have continually made progress in the CAA. Delaware followed up a 30-29 with a 31-26 campaign in 2024. Their 16-11 in-conference record was fourth-best among their peers.
The Hens return arguably their two best bats in the 2024 season, for 2025. Aaron Graeber hit .312 with 14 home runs last season for Delaware, while Brett Lesher hit .290 with seven home runs. Both Lesher and Graeber made the preseason all-CAA team.
Elon
The Elon Phoenix have largely been a shining light in the CAA over the years, consistently producing college talent. And, that talent has helped Elon remain competitive. Although, the 10-17 record in the CAA last year was not indicative of that.
Elon was largely an older team last season but did retain arguably their best hitter. Kenny Mallory Jr. hit .354 with seven home runs and 19 extra-base hits for the Phoenix in 2024.
The most notable name on Elon’s roster this season is pitcher Justin Mitrovich, who had a very impressive season as a sophomore. Mitrovich finished just inside of the top-70 in the NCAA in total strikeouts, with 96 over 80 frames.
Hofstra
Despite good performances from some of their upperclassmen last season, Frank Catalanotto’s Pride didn’t excel in the CAA last season. Hofstra finished 13-14 in conference play and had a grueling non-conference schedule. That won’t be the case in 2025, although the Pride will open up the year against defending champion Tennessee.
Hofstra did retain arguably their two best players on last year’s roster. One was Dylan Palmer, who finished 2024 in the top-20 in hits last season and was Hofstra’s sparkplug. Palmer will get on base by any means necessary, whether it be poking it through a hole or bunting. He’s got above-average speed and is an interesting 2025 MLB Draft prospect. However, he has to hit in; he’s a 20-grade power hitter with no standout tool.
The other notable prospect on the Pride is Carlos Martinez, who struck out 95 over 78.1 IP. Martinez is the more interesting MLB Draft prospect (can be seen in this video, taken in April 2024). The right-hander has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s, with a slider with average to above-average flashes at times. Martinez, however, is out for all of 2025.
Monmouth
Among CAA schools, Monmouth had the second-worst total winning percentage. Monmouth just barely beat out Towson for last in the preseason conference poll.
No players from the Hawks made the preseason all-CAA team. However, pitcher Alec Couture was an honorable mention. Couture struck out 65 over 83 frames and posted a sub-4.00 ERA lasts season.
North Carolina A&T
The North Carolina A&T Aggies finished with the second-worst in-conference record last season. And much like 2024, the Aggies are expected to be underdogs again in 2025.
NC A&T finished just head of Monmouth and Towson in the preseason poll. And unlike those two schools, no player made either the all-CAA team or the honorable mentions.
Northeastern
Northeaster, like Campbell, was a borderline top-25 team heading into 2025. And much like the Camels, the Huskies didn’t live up to expectations. Although the Huskies finished 38-17 (18-9), there were a lot of reasons why Northeastern failed to make it to the tourney. Aiven Cabral, a standout freshman starter in 2023, posted a ERA of north 7.00. Mike Sirota had a very quiet spring, leading him to slide in the MLB Draft.
There were, however, bright spots. 1B/DH Alex Lane hit .375 with 18 home runs, leading the charge for the Huskies. Lane’s back for 2025. So are Jack Goodman and Gregory Bozzo, both of whom were named to the preseason all-CAA team.
Perhaps the most notable prospect on Northeastern is speedy outfielder Cam Maldonado. Maldonado hit .354 with 13 home runs as a freshman but just .265 as a sophomore. The 21-year-old hit .258 in the Cape last summer, a better end to a tough 2024.
Stony Brook
Stony Brook got stuck in the middle last season, finishing eighth in the conference and posted a 24-28 record overall
The Seawolves have two players to watch heading into 2025. One is 1B/DH Erik Paulsen, who hit .299 as a freshman and made the preseason all-CAA team. The other is Eddie Smink, who struck out 56 over 53 frames as a sophomore.
Towson
The Towson Tigers had a very difficult 2024 campaign, finishing with just a 5-20 conference record over the regular season. Towson’s not expected to do much better in 2025, as the Tigers were voted to finish last yet again.
Towson placed just one player in the preseason all-CAA team. Infielder Jordan Peyton, a .336 hitter last season, was that one individual.
UNC Wilmington
To little shock, UNC Wilmington is favored to win the CAA. The Seahawks won the CAA conference for the second-straight season in 2024 and may very well do so again thanks to arguably the best bat in the conference — and it might not be close.
Infielder Tanner Thach finished 2022 tied for 11th in the nation in home runs last season. Then, Thach followed it up with a torrid summer in the Cape Cod League, finishing tied for third in home runs (8) and a .859 OPS.
Thach will be re-joined by infielder Kevin Jones and outfielder Alec DeMartino, two of UNCW’s regulars from 2024. Zane Taylor, who struck out 56 over 58.2 IP, is also back for 2025. Taylor will look to fill the void left behind by R.J. Sales, picked by Detroit in 2024.
William & Mary
Our 2025 CAA preview ends with William & Mary. The Tribe did fine in the CAA last season, thanks largely to Nate Knowles, who struck out 112 over 80 and earned himself a fourth-round selection by the Rays last season.
William & Mary also benefitted greatly from Ben Parker and Joe Delossantos, 23-year-old who led the team in home runs last season. Parker will return as a graduate student.
The Tribe have a difficult non-conference schedule, highlighted by games against ECU, Kansas State, and Virginia. Other notable returns include Anthony Greco and senior reliever Carter Lovasz.
Make sure to check out our previews for the Patriot League and SEC.