NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport hits the field Saturday for the start of the 2019 Capital Athletic Conference Softball Tournament. The Captains, ranked ninth in the nation this week, are seeded second in the six-team tourney, with three teams playing in Newport News and three in Fredericksburg at top-seeded Mary Washington. The winners of each double-elimination pod this weekend will advance to play next Friday and Saturday, May 3rd and 4th, in a best-of-three championship at the higher-seeded remaining school.

Keith Parr's squad has a record of 28-6 overall and the Captains were 9-3 in league play. CNU will play fifth-seeded Frostburg State beginning at 12 noon Saturday at Captains Park. The Bobcats are 16-18 overall this year and finished 5-7 in the CAC. 

Frostburg State will then take on third-seeded Salisbury (24-11, 8-4) in the second game of the day scheduled to start at 2 p.m. The Captains will return to take on the Sea Gulls in a 4 p.m. scheduled start. The action will then pick up again on Sunday at 11 a.m. at Captains Park.

Christopher Newport is second in the nation in slugging percentage this week (.606) and third in home runs per game (1.35). Freshman Kaitlyn Hasty is tied for third in the country with 14 long balls, and is just three shy of a school single-season home run record.  CNU pitching is presently fifth in the nation in earned run average (1.43). 

The Captains swept a doubleheader earlier this year with Frostburg State, and split two games with Salisbury last Friday.

Live video and live stats of all games this weekend at Captains Park will be available at CNUsports.com/live.

The complete CAC Tournament schedule:
Two Three-Team Pods at No. 1 & No. 2 seeds

Pod A (1, 4, and 6 seeds) - at No. 1 Mary Washington
Day 1 - Saturday, April 27
Game 1 - #1 Mary Washington vs. #6 Southern Virginia, noon
Game 2 - #4 York (Pa.) vs. #6 Southern Virginia, 2 p.m. 
Game 3 - #1 Mary Washington vs. #4 York (Pa.), 4 p.m. 

Day 2 - Sunday, April 28 -IF THREE TEAMS REMAIN
Game 4 - #4 York (Pa.) vs. #6 Southern Virginia, 10 a.m. 
Game 5 - #1 Mary Washington vs. Game 4 winner, noon

Day 2 - Sunday, April 28 -IF TWO TEAMS REMAIN
Game 4 - 2-0 team vs. 1-1 team, 10 a.m. 
Game 5 (if necessary) - Same teams, noon 

Pod B (2, 3, and 5 seeds) - at No. 2 Christopher Newport
Day 1 - Saturday, April 27th
Game 1 - #2 Christopher Newport vs. #5 Frostburg State, noon
Game 2 - #3 Salisbury vs. #5 Frostburg State, 2 p.m. 
Game 3 - #2 Christopher Newport vs. #3 Salisbury, 4 p.m. 

Day 2 - Sunday, April 28th -IF THREE TEAMS REMAIN
Game 4 - #3 Salisbury vs. #5 Frostburg State, 11 a.m. 
Game 5 - #2 Christopher Newport vs. Game 4 winner, 1 p.m.

Day 2 - Sunday, April 28th -IF TWO TEAMS REMAIN
Game 4 - 2-0 team vs. 1-1 team, 11 a.m. 
Game 5 (if necessary) - Same teams, 1 p.m. 

Second Weekend - Best-of-Three Championship Series - at highest remaining seed
Day 1 - Friday, May 3
Game 1 - Team 1 vs. Team 2, 4 p.m.

Day 2 - Saturday, May 4
Game 2 - Team 1 vs. Team 2, 10 a.m. 
Game 3 (if necessary) - Team 1 vs. Team 2, noon