YORK, Pa. -- Christopher Newport picked up its second Capital Athletic Conference Player of the Week selection in the 2017 season on Monday afternoon when the Captains' junior designated hitter Brandon Ginch collected his first career selection by the league office. Ginch earned the designation after leading the Captains' offense to three wins this week by hitting .444 with 11 RBI. 

Along the way, Ginch hit for the cycle against Eastern Mennonite University, marking the first cycle for CNU baseball in 15 years and only the third in program history. Against the Royals, Ginch doubled, homered, tripled and then delivered a single up the middle to complete the cycle in his first and only four at-bats. He also finished the game with a season-high and career-high matching 5 RBI, while scoring three times. 

In five games this week, the cycle was his finest performance, but Ginch added at least one hit in four contests, while driving in a run in all five. He registered a 2-for-4 effort at Hampden-Sydney College to get the week started, and added 5 runs batted in and two runs scored over the weekend against Oswego State and Gallaudet. 

Ginch finished out his impressive week slugging .944 and hitting .444 (8-18), pounding out a pair of home runs while adding a double and one sacrifice fly. 

The CNU junior joins sophomore Nicholas Baham as Captains selected by the Capital Athletic Conference as Player of the Week this year. 

Christopher Newport will return to action on Tuesday afternoon, welcoming in cross-water rivals Virginia Wesleyan College (4-6) at 2:00 pm. The Captains will also open conference play this week, hosting Southern Virginia University (6-11, 0-0) on Wednesday. The game time, originally published for 3:45 pm, has been moved up to 2:00 for first pitch at Captains Park. 

Virginia Wesleyan had won four of five prior to a doubleheader sweep by 18th-ranked Oswego State, as the Lakers went 4-0 in Hampton Roads this weekend with a pair of wins over the Captains and Marlins. The VWC offense has been held to less than four runs in a game only once this season, and the Marlins are hitting .291 as a team. Junior Deon Hammond is leading the attack, hitting .462 in 10 games played. Junior Randy Neiszhas driven in a team-high 14 runs, while pounding out six extra-base hits. 

Southern Virginia is in the midst of a long trek away from the home field, taking on the Captains in the ninth game of a 12-game road trip. The Knights will play at Washington & Lee on Tuesday before journeying to Newport News for the conference opener on Wednesday. Rookie Cole Critchfield has impressed through his first 16 games, hitting a team-best .462 with seven doubles already, while driving in 11. Zach McNally has driven in a team-high 14 runs and Jordan Keefer is also hitting .367. 

Following the action at home this week, the Captains will hit the road on Saturday, March 11 to face Marymount University for a conference doubleheader.