NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - There will be plenty of softball at Captains Park over the next few days, as Christopher Newport hosts the 2017 Capital Athletic Conference Softball Tournament. The action begins Thursday morning at 10:00 a.m. and continues through Saturday's Championship. The top five of eight schools that compete in softball in the conference will take part in the tournament, with the victor advancing to the NCAA Tournament with an automatic bid.
The opening game Thursday morning at 10 a.m. will feature fourth-seeded York (27-13, 8-6) against fifth-seeded Mary Washington (22-18, 7-7). CNU will open play at 2:00 p.m., and will take on the winner of the York/Mary Washington game.
CNU is hosting the double-elimination tournament thanks to a regular-season title the Captains wrapped up last Saturday.
Keith Parr's squad is 28-8 overall and completed the conference season with a 13-1 mark after sweeping Frostburg State on Saturday in the regular-season finale. Christopher Newport is riding a five-game winning streak entering the tournament.
The other two teams making their way to Newport News, second-seeded Frostburg State (23-13, 11-3) and third-seeded Salisbury (21-15, 10-4), will play at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday. The fourth and final game of Thursday's schedule will start at 4:00 p.m. and will be the first elimination game as the losers of the first two games play each other.
This is the third time Christopher Newport has hosted the CAC Tournament in four seasons of conference membership. CNU has won the previous two tournaments at Captains Park in 2014 and 2015. Last year, Salisbury hosted the event and claimed the title.
CNU is looking to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the 11th straight season, and the Captains are just two victories from reaching the 30-win plateau also for the 11th straight year.
Tickets for the tournament will be available at the Captains Park gates each day. Tickets will be $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children and students. All CNU students will be admitted free with valid ID.
All action in the tournament will be available online with streaming video and live stats at CNUsports.com/live. A website for the tournament has been created and can be found at the link below.
CLICK HERE FOR TOURNAMENT WEBSITE
