HAMDEN-SYDNEY, Va. -- The Christopher Newport baseball team is back in action on Wednesday, March 3 as it travels to Hampden-Sydney College (1-1) for a 3:00 p.m. first pitch against the Tigers. The Captains (1-0) will continue it's six-game season-opening stretch against the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in the game, which is the first of five contests in the next eight days.
The Captains will be the first team to play on Yank Bernier Field at the Ty Cobb Ballpark - Wurdeman Stadium in nearly a year. Adhering to the University's published spectator policy, no fans of visiting teams will be permitted to the contest, but H-SC will provide a live video stream alongside live stats. Links to both can be found on the baseball schedule at CNUsports.com.
The all-time series favors Christopher Newport with a 26-12-1 all-time advantage over Hampden-Sydney including a 27-3 blowout in the Captains last trip to Farmville. The Tigers avenged that loss with a 15-7 victory over the Captains last season, the latest chapter in a series that dates back to 1989.
Christopher Newport was picked second in Monday's Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll and moved up in the "others receiving votes" category of the NCBWA/D3baseball.com National Rankings this week. After posting a thrilling come-from-behind win in the season opener at Roanoke, 8-7, the Captains will look to parlay that momentum into another strong showing on Wednesday.
Sophomore
Ethan Weaver and newcomer
Kyle Schofield each picked up two hits in the opener while Weaver had the lone extra-base hit of the game for CNU with a run-scoring triple. Freshman
Jay Cassady plated the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the 9th against the Maroons and then came on to close out the bottom half of the frame for his first career save.
On the mound, the Christopher Newport staff sent six different first- or second-year arms to the rubber against Roanoke with sophomore
Jack Rosenberg earning the victory in relief.
Dylan Weber started the game, allowing just one unearned run over three innings of work.
Hampden-Sydney is led by senior Nick Grohowski and Ryan Clawson who combined for 24 RBI in last year's shortened season. On the mound, Trenton Tiller (3-1, 1.93 ERA) and Nick Graziano (1-1, 3.32 ERA) are back to lead the rotation.
Following Wednesday's matchup, Christopher Newport will continue the season with the home opener this weekend in a two-game series against Virginia Wesleyan University on Saturday and Sunday, March 6-7. Out of an abundance of caution in protecting the fans, student-athletes, coaches, and game personnel, Christopher Newport will not allow spectators for this weekend's competition.
