NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- In the first of three head-to-head matchups with third-ranked Salisbury University (10-1, 4-0) this week, the Christopher Newport baseball team will host the Sea Gulls in Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference action on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch against Salisbury is slated for 3:00 p.m. from Captains Park, with live stats and live video available of all the action. 

Barring any changes to the schedule, the Captains will take on the Sea Gulls in three straight this week. Facing one of their stiffest challenges of the season in league play at home Wednesday before traveling to Maryland for two on the road this weekend. 

Salisbury enters the game ranked No. 3 in the latest NCBWA/D3baseball.com national rankings after a 10-1 start to the season. CNU is 9-5 overall and has scored 12 or more runs in four of the last five games. The matchup will feature the top two offenses in the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference as Salisbury is averaging 10.9 runs per game this season while the Captains are posting an impressive 11.6 runs per contest against league opponents. 

Helping to lead the offense this season is senior catcher Eric O'Brien, hitting .345 with a team-leading 18 RBI. With his performance against St. Mary's (Md.) last weekend, O'Brien moved into the top-ten all-time with a career .365 average at Christopher Newport. Among players with at least 200 at-bats in their career, O'Brien now ranks seventh with 74 hits in 203 at-bats. 

This season, O'Brien has five extra-base hits and 19 knocks in 55 at-bats. He has scored 13 times and has a team-high 25 total bases. Hitting behind him in the lineup has been designated hitter Kyle Schofield, who leads the team with a .348 average and ranks second with 14 RBI. Schofield is slugging .522 and reaching base at a .483 clip, leading the team in both categories. 

Salisbury has won six straight with their lone loss coming to No. 20 Rowan. The balanced attack features four players with 13 hits or more through the first 11 games of the season. Senior Jimmy Adkins is hitting .342 with 16 runs scored while classmate Justin Meekins is hitting .441 with a team-best 13 RBI and 14 runs scored. Meekins has three home runs to headline an offense that has blasted 14 already this season, ranking 14th nationally in HR per game. 

Fans attending the game in person will be required to follow the Outdoor Spectator Policy. For fans unable to attend, live stats and live video will be available at game time.