NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The Christopher Newport softball season begins this weekend, as the Captains travel for doubleheaders against opponents from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference on Saturday and Sunday. Keith Parr's squad plays Saturday at Roanoke College at 1:00 p.m. and Sunday at Emory & Henry with the action starting at 12:30 p.m.

The Captains are ranked eighth in the country in the national pre-season poll released by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA)  The Captains are coming off a 39-7 season and a trip to the NCAA Super Regionals.

Christopher Newport heads into the 2020 season with virtually the entire squad returning from last year's 37-9 team. The Captains advanced to the NCAA Super Regional in 2019, the 13th straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. Keith Parr begins his 17th year leading the Captains, who last year earned their first #1 ranking in the weekly national poll.

In all, 17 Captains return for hte 2020 campaign including two All-Americans from last year, junior Patty Maye Ohanian (DP) and sophomore Kaitlyn Hasty (1B). Hasty was selected the CAC's Player and Rookie of the Year in 2019. Also returning will be senior All-Region and All-Conference standout second baseman Grace Wild...and senior starting pitcher Aubrey Bates, also an All-Region and All-Conference performer.

The Captains have captured the last three Capital Athletic Conference titles, and have been selected to repeat for a fourth time by the CAC coaches. Christopher Newport was the unanimous selection, receiving all four possible first place votes in the pre-season poll. Salisbury was selected second with one first place nod. The rest of the poll has Mary Washington slotted third followed by York and Southern Virginia.

Christopher Newport plays its first 16 games of the season away from Captains Park, either in road contests or tournaments. The Captains will host Randolph-Macon on Sunday, March 15th, in their first home action of the season.