NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The 2022 season gets underway Saturday for the Christopher Newport University softball team. The Captains, ranked 19th in the nation in pre-season, travel to Raleigh, N.C., to play in the Grand Slam Triangle Classic. Keith Parr's team opens play on Saturday with a 12:30 p.m. start vs. Rowan University. The Captains then take on Maryville at 3:00 p.m.

The two-day tournament continues on Sunday as the Captains play Oberlin at 10:00 a.m. followed by a 12:30 start with Piedmont.

Christopher Newport is ranked 19th in the country in the pre-season national Top 25 poll from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). The Captains advanced to their 14th straight NCAA Tournament last spring as an at-large bid after being beaten by Salisbury in the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Tournament final.

The 2022 CNU squad features 15 returning student-athletes, including All-American and former National Rookie of the Year Kaitlyn Hasty, now a senior. The Captains will feature a veteran lineup, with almost every spot in the order filled by a returning player. Christopher Newport, however, will have to look to youth in the circle, as three freshmen will be relied on to handle the bulk of the pitching chores. 

Following the weekend action in Raleigh, the Captains will embark on a spring break road trip to Columbus, Ga., next week for the NFCA's Leadoff Classic beginnning next Friday.