FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- After running their season-long winning streak to 11 games, the Christopher Newport baseball team moved up in the ABCA/Collegiate Baseball and D3baseball.com national rankings this week, listed as the No. 7 and No. 9-ranked team in the nation, respectively. The Captains (19-4, 3-0) will travel to Mary Washington (13-7-1, 2-1) for a Capital Athletic Conference matchup on Wednesday at 3:00 pm, putting their top ten designation on the line against the conference foe.
In the ABCA/Collegiate Baseball rankings, CNU made a move up three spots from 10th to 7th; in the D3baseball.com Top 25, CNU surged four spots from 13th to 9th. Rowan held onto the top spots in the ABCA poll while Trinity (Texas) captured the most points in the D3baseball.com rankings.
The Captains have won eight games during their current 11-game winning streak on the road and are now 11-2 in games away from Newport News this season. The 11-game roll is tied for the third longest active streak in the nation, behind only Roanoke and Bethel at Division III. It's among the nation's longest active streaks at all three NCAA Division III levels:
| Active Winning Streaks - NCAA Baseball |
| Team |
NCAA Division - Conference |
Win Streak |
Next Game |
| St. Louis University |
Division I - Atlantic 10 |
14 |
at SIUE (3/28/18) |
| Virginia Commonwealth University |
Division I - Atlantic 10 |
14 |
vs. Virginia (3/28/18) |
| Roanoke College |
Division III - Old Dominion Athletic Conference |
13 |
DH at Hampden-Sydney (3/31/18) |
| University of Illinois Springfield |
Division II - Great Lakes Valley Conference |
12 |
vs. Missouri-St. Louis (3/28/18) |
| Ohio Dominican University |
Division II - Great Midwest Athletic Conference |
12 |
DH vs. Trevecca Nazarene (3/29/18) |
| Bethel University |
Division III - Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
12 |
vs. St. Scholastica (3/28/18) |
| Pacific Lutheran University |
Division III - Northwest Conference |
12 |
vs. Willamette (3/30/18) |
| Christopher Newport University |
Division III - Capital Athletic Conference |
11 |
at Mary Washington (3/28/18) |
| Geneva College |
Division III - President's Athletic Conference |
11 |
DH vs. Medaille (3/30/18) |
| Trinity University - Texas |
Division III - Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference |
11 |
vs. Texas-Lutheran (3/29/18) |
| New England College |
Division III - North Atlantic College |
10 |
DH vs. Thomas College (3/31/18) |
In addition to adding to one of the longest win streaks in program history, the Captains will be looking to avenge a season-ending loss to the Eagles from last year. Mary Washington defeated the Captains, 3-1, in an elimination game during the 2017 CAC Tournament, ending the second-seeded Captains run in the postseason. This year, the Captains are 19-4 with a 3-0 record in conference play, and will take on an Eagles team that is 13-7-1, 2-1 on the year. Mary Washington is also riding a hot streak, going 8-1-1 in their last ten games.
The Captains are excelling on both sides of the baseball this season, ranking in the top ten nationally in shutouts and total runs scored. A patient team at the plate, the Captains rank fourth nationally in walks, and in the top 25 nationally in hits, home runs, and strikeout-to-walk ratio.
The potent offense is being led by junior
Seth Woodard, hitting .415 with 33 RBI, 23 runs scored, and 15 extra-base hits. He's stroked at least one base hit in all but one game this season while starting all 23 games at third base. Across the diamond, junior
Nicholas Baham has added a team-high 5 HR to go with a .323 average, 29 RBI, and 24 runs scored.
On the mound, senior
Logan Harrelson (3-0, 2.16 ERA) anchors a staff that boasts a 3.10 ERA as a team. Sophomore
Thomas Packert (4-0, 3.45 ERA),
Josh Husby (2-0, 3.68 ERA), and
Gray Goodrich (3-1, 4.35 ERA) make up the rotation with Harrelson, while the back-end of the bullpen has been lights out all season. Sophomore
Brian Owens (1-0, 1.77 ERA) and senior
Joe Burris (4-4 SV, 2.30 ERA) lead the relief efforts, while
Logan Aylor (0-0, 2.45 ERA) and
Jaret West (0-0, 2.25 ERA) have helped bridge the gap with eight and seven appearances, respectively.
Mary Washington was picked fifth in the preseason CAC coaches poll and started the season slow with just a 3-4 record through their first four games. Since the calendar turned to March, though, the Eagles have caught fire with a 10-3-1 record in 14 games, including six double-figure scoring performances.
The team is hitting .330 as a unit, led by junior Ramsis Ruiz with 36 hits in 91 at-bats for a .396 average. He has a team-best 29 runs scored and 17 RBI while stealing 11 bags. Junior catcher Kevin France is hitting .360 and senior infielder Mark Smith leads the team with 11 extra-base hits, including two home runs. A young pitching staff is led by sophomores Mason Riser (0-0, 2.92 ERA) and Christian Hague (2-1, 4.30 ERA). Only one upperclassmen has made more than five appearances this season for the Eagles.
Live stats will be available for the action with a link available at CNUsports.com.
American Baseball Coaches Assn.
Baseball Poll
(As of March 27, 2018)
| Rank |
Team (2018 Record) |
Points |
PVS |
| 1. |
Rowan, NJ (11-1) |
473 |
1 |
| 2. |
Trinity, TX (17-1) |
468 |
2 |
| 3. |
Wisc.-Whitewater (5-0) |
449 |
4 |
| 4. |
Concordia-Chicago, IL (12-3) |
419 |
5 |
| 5. |
Mass.-Boston (10-3) |
400 |
3 |
| 6. |
Roanoke, VA (16-3) |
396 |
7 |
| 7. |
Christopher Newport, VA (18-4) |
373 |
10 |
| 8. |
Randolph-Macon, VA (13-3) |
348 |
8 |
| 9. |
Texas Lutheran (20-4) |
335 |
13 |
| 10. |
Redlands, CA (21-6) |
308 |
16 |
| 11. |
Methodist, NC (20-5) |
303 |
6 |
| 12. |
Wooster, OH (9-3) |
296 |
9 |
| 13. |
Case Western Reserve, OH (13-2) |
285 |
12 |
| 14. |
College of New Jersey (8-2) |
204 |
22 |
| 15. |
Cortland State, NY (11-6) |
196 |
20 |
| 16. |
La Roche, PA (11-4) |
193 |
17 |
| 17. |
Frostburg State, MD (12-3) |
183 |
15 |
| 18. |
Marietta, OH (11-4) |
181 |
21 |
| 19. |
Maryville, TN (22-5) |
142 |
23 |
| 20. |
Oswego State, NY (8-5) |
124 |
19 |
| 21. |
Spalding, KY (14-3) |
118 |
27 |
| 22. |
Webster, MO (9-5) |
114 |
14 |
| 23. |
Endicott, MA (7-1) |
112 |
29 |
| 24. |
Bethel, MN (12-1) |
106 |
28 |
| 25. |
Catholic, DC (15-3) |
104 |
18 |
| 26. |
Heidelberg, OH (12-3) |
101 |
RV |
| 27. |
Baldwin Wallace, OH (14-4) |
91 |
30 |
| 28. |
Alvernia, PA (13-4) |
80 |
RV |
| 29. |
St. John's, MN (14-2) |
66 |
NR |
| 30. |
Concordia, TX (16-8) |
42 |
RV |
2018 D3baseball.com/NCBWA Top 25, Week 5
Through games of Sunday March 25, 2018
