NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- With a busy week ahead, the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport baseball team will look to extend a four-game winning streak on Tuesday afternoon as they host Stevens Institute of Technology (3-7) at 3:00 pm. The Captains (13-2) are coming off a three-game sweep of Frostburg State to open conference play and will play six games over the next seven days.
After scoring 50 runs in three games this weekend, the Captains already dangerous offense ranked all the way up to No. 2 in the nation in scoring, averaging 11.7 runs per game. Christopher Newport has scored more runs, with 175, than any other team in the country and ranks in the top ten in both doubles and home runs per game.
CNU is now 9-2 in home games coming into Tuesday's matchup led by the overpowering offense. Hitting .335 as a team, CNU is slugging .526 and reaching base at a .458 clip. The Captains have also been a dangerous team on the basepaths, stealing 40 bases through the first 15 games, ranking 12th nationally.
Individually,
Conner Clark is leading the team with 25 hits and boasts a .397 batting average. Clark is 15-for-16 to lead the Captains on the basepaths, ranks second in RBI with 20, and is tied for the team lead in runs scored with 19. Senior
Nicholas Baham took over the team lead in runs batted in with 21 after a strong week, including a pair of homers to give him five on the season. Senior
Seth Woodard also logged six extra-base hits in four games last week with seven RBI and eight runs scored to help pace the CNU offense.
On the mound, the Captains bullpen has led the way behind the arms of
Tyler Jumper (3-0, 0.00 ERA),
Brian Owens (1-0, 1.50 ERA), and
Austin Slough (1-0, 1.86 ERA). Jumper leads the nation in earned-run average and has allowed just three hits over his last seven outings, while striking out 15.
Tuesday's matchup will be just the third time the two teams face each other after splitting the first two. Playing in a doubleheader on 2015, the Captains won 4-2 and Stevens picked up a 5-1 victory.
Stevens has started the year with a 3-7 mark after suffering a 9-2 loss at teh Apprentice School on Sunday. Stevens also defeated Tufts, the Captains' opponent this Thursday, 8-7, in Saturday's contest. The Ducks are being led offensively by Tom James, hitting .385 with four RBI. Donny Gherardi is also hitting .324 with 14 total bases and 5 runs scored. On the mound, Danny Poidomani has a team-best 3.18 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 17.0 innings pitched.
Following Tuesday's non-conference tilt, the Captains will take one day off before facing Tufts University at Captains Park on Thursday at 3:30 pm.
