NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Christopher Newport University baseball collected its second preseason national ranking today, when the D3baseball.com/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released its poll listing the Captains as the seventh-best team in the country. The Captains, under the direction of head coach John Harvell, were picked as the number four team in the Collegiate Baseball News preseason poll, and were also pegged as the preseason favorite in the USA South Coaches Poll.

CNU is coming off one of the finest seasons in program history, racking up 39 wins and a record 26-game winning streak in 2011. The Captains reached the nation's number one national ranking for the first time in school history and ranked in the top 25 in nearly a dozen offensive categories. Leading the way were All-Americans Matt Shoemaker and Connor Madden, each returning for their senior season in 2012. They each blasted eight home runs, and Madden broke the school record for doubles in a season with 23.

On the hill, CNU will return two of its top three starters from a year ago, along with a strong bullpen that led to a 22nd ranked team ERA in the nation last year at 3.19. Sophomore Bryan Bierlein was 6-0 with a 2.29 ERA in his rookie campaign, and junior Greg Goldsmith added seven victories and a 3.22 ERA. In the pen, Ryan Fleischmann was among the nation's top closers, with a 4-1 record and eight saves to go with his 1.45 ERA, while setup man Matt Verdillo struck out 11.7 batters per nine innings.

This season, the Captains will face a tough schedule, including an early battle with 5th-ranked Cortland State and a two-game set against 9th-ranked Salisbury. Shenandoah, picked second in the USA South, ranks 21st in the preseason poll.

Opening day for CNU is February 9th as the Captains host Hampden-Sydney at 2:00 pm to kick off a six-game homestand to start the season.