NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport is getting ready for a big weekend of softball, playing at home for the first time this season. The Captains, 9-0 and ranked ninth in the country, will host the Cross Bay Bash in conjunction with Virginia Wesleyan University. The weekend schedule has been altered due to rain forecast for much of the day Saturday.

Keith Parr's team will now begin play at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, as the Captains will host Berry College of Georgia at Captains Park. The action will continue on Friday at 3:30 p.m. when CNU takes on Kean University of New Jersey. A third game will be played Friday at 6:00 p.m. at Captains Park as Berry will take on Juniata College.

All games scheduled for Saturday have been postponed. Christopher Newport will then host Muhlenberg College for a doubleheader on Sunday, with the first pitch of game one set to start at 2:30 p.m. The Captains will then play a doubleheader on Monday as well, hosting Juniata beginning at 2:30 p.m.

Christopher Newport had an impressive showing last weekend, winning all six games played in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Georgia. CNU, ranked pre-season at 19th in the country, jumped to ninth in the first poll of the regular season from the NFCA released on Tuesday.

Two Captains received national recognition on Tuesday following a terrific weekend of play in Columbus. Freshman pitcher Kate Alger and senior outfielder Sarah Proctor swept the first Pitcher and Player of the Week honors of the season. Alger and Proctor led the Captains to six straight victories in the three-day tournament to earn the Captains the title. Alger, a freshman pitcher from Staunton, Va., had a perfect game into the seventh inning last Friday against Trine, ranked 16th in the country at the time. Alger had it broken up in the seventh, but ended up with a one-hit shutout. She also tossed an inning of scoreless relief vs. Emory, and then twirled a three-hit shutout over Pomona-Pitzer for the Captains sixth victory of the weekend. For the tournament, Alger was 2-0 with a 0.00 earned-run average, with four hits and two walks allowed, and 20 strikeouts in 13 innings. Meanwhile, teammate Sarah Proctor was similarly successful, hitting .647 (11-for-17) over the six tournament games, with a double, triple, two homers and six runs batted in. The senior outfielder from Mineral, Va., also scored 11 runs, stole four bases and compiled a 1.176 slugging percentage.

Over the first nine games of the season, the Captains have registered a team batting average of .386 while holding opponents to just a .173 average. CNU has out-scored its opposition this year, 96-24, and the Captains are averaging 10.7 runs per game. Christopher Newport has already crushed 22 home runs (2.4 per game), led by senior Kaitlyn Hasty who has posted five already. Hasty also tops the squad with 12 runs batted in.