BRIDGEWATER, Va. -- CNU Baseball returns to action on Thursday, as they travel to Bridgewater College (13-7) for a non-conference game against the Eagles at 4:00 pm. Bridgewater is receiving votes in the D3baseball.com Top 25, while Christopher Newport has won four of its last five games improving to 11-9 overall this season. 

Live stats and a live video webcast will be available for today's game, with links found at CNUsports.com or on the Bridgewater College athletics website. 

The game is the first of five in the next five days, including four conference games. Today's out of league action is the most recent edition in one of the most competitive matchups in CNU baseball history, as Bridgewater holds a 26-20 advantage in the all-time series. 

The Captains offense has been powerful this season, leading the nation in home runs with 22 blasts this year, led by senior Billy Steel with seven. Steel is second in the nation in four-baggers, and also ranks tenth nationally in total bases, with 58. The shortstop has started all 20 games this season, hitting .423 with a team-high 23 runs scored and 23 RBI. 

Junior Tommy Vitaletti has returned from a minor injury and is now leading the team with a .426 batting average, while chipping in 10 extra-base hits. He has scored 13 times and is one of five players with double-figure totals in runs batted in, with 11. Senior Justin Weaver has 14, hitting .372 at first base, and sophomore Jacob Houston has 12, while hitting .333 in 17 starts this year. 

Bridgewater swept Guilford in a conference doubleheader earlier this week, but are just 4-4 in their last eight games. Today's game is the fourth in a seven-game homestand for the Eagles. Sophomore Justin Petock leads the team with a .351 average, while Brendan Howell is hitting .329 with a team-best 19 RBI. The squad has just seven home runs this season, and is hitting .287 as a team, but stellar pitching to the tune of a 2.86 team ERA has led Bridgewater so far. 

Junior Corey Armentrout is 4-2 with a 2.97 ERA, striking out 32 batters in 36.1 innings pitched. A trio of seniors, Nick Corbin (3-1), Kyle Henshaw (2-1) and Robert Gallet (1-1) have helped shore up the rotation while also seeing time out of the bullpen, as all three boast sub-3.00 ERA's.