NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After opening the season 9-1, the Christopher Newport baseball team will face another five games this week starting with two home games in mid-week action. The Captains will first welcome Gallaudet University (3-4) to Newport News on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. before also entertaining Randolph-Macon College (5-0) on Wednesday at the same time.
Live stats and a live video webcast will be available at CNUsports.com for all of the action. Links can be found on the baseball schedule online.
The Captains are coming off a 10-0 shutout over No. 6 Marietta in the D3 Showcase, where they went 2-1 over the weekend. CNU opened the season with eight straight wins before falling, 8-3, to No. 18 Denison and bouncing back with the dominant win over the Etta Express.
The rookie class has been playing a big role in the Captains success this season with three of the four leading hitters playing in their first collegiate season.
Jake Benedict is hitting .381 with six RBI while
Ayden Stuffel, at .333, and
Josh Reinhold, at .323, have each come up in big spots this year. Transfer catcher
Zach Dzarnowski has a team-best .500 average with nine hits in 18 at-bats as the starter in six of CNU's ten games so far.
On the mound, CNU boasts a 2.79 team ERA with 108 strikeouts in 87.0 innings pitched.
Kyle Lewis (2-0) has been one of the top options out of the bullpen, appearing in five games so far with a 1.35 ERA. Senior lefty
Dylan Weber (3-0) has anchored the rotation with a 0.52 ERA and 25 K's in 17.1 innings pitched.
Gallaudet is 3-4 with wins over Elmira, Cazenovia, and SUNY Canton through the first two weeks of the season. Darren Drolsbaugh is hitting .450 with a homer and 10 runs scored to lead the Bison offense while Salvador Diaz has ripped eight extra-base hits with a team-high 12 RBI and 22 total bases. Diaz is hitting .385.
Randolph-Macon is off to a 5-0 start with sweeps over Pitt-Bradford and Alvernia. The Yellow Jackets have been led offensively by Myles Webb, hitting .563 with a team-high six RBI and six runs scored. ODAC Pitcher of the Week Hayden Snelsire is 2-0 with a complete game and 16 strikeouts to lead the pitching staff.
Following the mid-week action, the Captains will travel to Fayetteville, N.C. for three games this weekend. CNU will face Averett, Methodist, and Immaculata from Friday, March 3 to Sunday, March 5.
