NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After a strong start in non-conference play this season, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport baseball team will open Capital Athletic Conference action this weekend with a three-game set against Frostburg State University. The Captains (10-2) will host a doubleheader against the Bobcats (10-0) on Saturday, March 16 starting at Noon, before wrapping up the three-game series at 1:00 pm on Sunday, March 17.
The league changed it's schedule format heading into the 2019 season, as each team will now face off in a three-game series with the other seven teams in the conference. Games will be played in a nine-inning format for all three contests.
Live stats will be available for all the action from Captains Park this weekend, and live video will be available for the final game of the series on Sunday afternoon. Links can be found on the baseball schedule at CNUsports.com.
Last season, the Captains earned a share of the regular season conference title with a 15-3 record in conference play, marking their finest since joining the CAC in 2014. Heading into 2019, the Captains were picked to finish second in the CAC Preseason Coaches Poll behind Salisbury, while Frostburg State was selected to finish fourth. The upstart Bobcats are undefeated through their first ten games heading into the weekend series against CNU.
With a win at Virginia Wesleyan earlier in the week, the Captains bounced back after a two-game slide followed a record-breaking nine-game win streak to start the year. CNU features on the top offenses in the nation, ranking 14th in scoring with 10.4 runs per game, while smacking 45 extra-base hits in the first 12 games. Senior
Ryan Grubbs is hitting .500 (12-24) while sophomore
Conner Clark is adding a .408 mark (20-49) at the top of the order. Clark is also 13-for-14 on the basepaths while scoring 14 runs so far this season. Senior
Jordan Mason leads the team in extra-base knocks, with 10, including a league-leading seven doubles.
On the mound, reliever
Tyler Jumper (3-0, 0.00 ERA) has led the Captains dominating bullpen performance through the first 12 games. Junior
Andrew Suppa has appeared in seven games and has two saves with a 2.84 ERA while
Brian Owens has also appeared in seven contests with a 1-0 record and 2.00 ERA. Sophomore
Josh Husby (2-1) leads the starting rotation with a 2.53 ERA, striking out 25 batters in 21.1 innings pitched.
Frostburg carries an undefeated record into Captains Park this weekend and also features a dynamic offense so far. The Bobcats have smashed 11 home runs and rank 8th nationally in scoring with 11.3 runs per game. Tre D'Amico is hitting .480 with a pair of long balls and 15 RBI to lead the charge, while Jessie Hodge is hitting .419 with 17 runs scored. Ryan Roell has four home runs and ten extra-base hits while hitting .400 in the middle of the Bobcats lineup.
Following the weekend's league-opening series, CNU will return to action on Tuesday, March 19 against Stevens Institute of Technology. Game time is scheduled for 3:00 pm.
