NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- Softball takes center stage Thursday as Christopher Newport hosts the 2015 Capital Athletic Conference Softball Tournament. The Captains, ranked tied for 16th in the nation this week, will begin defense of their crown by hosting four other schools at Captains Park.

Play begins Thursday morning at 10:00 a.m. as fourth-seeded Mary Washington (20-12, 8-6) takes on fifth-seeded York (19-13, 7-7). In the 12:00 p.m. game, second-seeded Salisbury (23-4, 11-3) plays third-seeded Frostburg State (17-10, 8-6).

The top-seeded Captains will play at 2:00 p.m. Thursday against the winner of the Mary Washington/York game. The double-elimination tournament will run through Saturday when the champion will be decided. CNU won three straight games in last year's tournament, including two in dramatic fashion over Salisbury to claim the league's title in its first year as a conference member.

The Captains are 24-7 overall and won the regular-season title with a 13-1 CAC record. Head Coach Keith Parr, in his 12th season leading the Captains, will be going for his 400th career victory on Thursday. Parr has a career record at CNU of 399-132-1 for a winning percentage of .751.

Christopher Newport has been a high-scoring squad this season, averaging 8.1 runs per game. CNU's pitching has also improved steadily, as the Captains are now giving up just 2.7 runs per game.

CNU has three players hitting .400 or better heading into the tournament. Freshman shortstop Brittney Walters (.429), junior outfielder Meagan Jones (.415) and junior outfielder Scoop Simon (.400) are followed closely by junior second baseman Tori Clarke (.398). Walters tops the squad, and the Capital Athletic Conference, with 39 runs batted in, while Jones leads the team in runs (37), hits (44), and total bases (63).

Senior Sabrina Hill has clubbed a team-high seven home runs and now has 39 for her career. She is just four away from the school's all-time leader, Jessie Atkinson, who hit 43 home runs. Hill also has set school records for runs batted in and total bases in her career as a Captain.

The Captains have hit 28 home runs in 31 games, with Hill followed by Walters, Jones, and junior catcher Hannah Cook with four a piece.

In the pitching circle, junior lefthander Hanah Marshall has posted a 13-2 record this season with an ERA of 2.28.

Following Thursday's four games, three more will be played Friday beginning again at 10:00 a.m. Saturday's Championship will also begin at 10:00 a.m.

All games in the tournament will be broadcast live with video and live stats available at CNUsports.com/live beginning at 10:00 a.m. Thursday.