NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The 18th-ranked Christopher Newport baseball team will host Penn State Harrisburg (7-2) for a three-game series starting with a doubleheader on Saturday and concluding with a single game on Sunday. The Captains (12-5) will throw out the first pitch of the twin bill on Saturday, March 11 at 11:00 a.m. with the second game slated for approximately 2:00 p.m. -- on Sunday, first pitch is scheduled for Noon.
Fans should be aware that Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday, with clocks moving ahead one hour at 2:00 a.m.
Live stats will be available for all three games and a live video webcast for Sunday's finale will also be presented by CNU athletics. Links can be found on the baseball schedule at CNUsports.com.
The Captains are looking to bounce back after a 5-4 loss at Bridgewater on Wednesday that saw their record slip to 12-5. With the three games this weekend, CNU will have played 20 games in the first 26 days of the season including 13 home games. The Captains are 9-1 so far this season at Captains Park.
CNU is 15-6 all-time against Penn State Harrisburg and are winners of four straight against the Lions. Last season, Christopher Newport hosted the Lions for a pair at Captains Park and captured 8-7 and 20-6 wins.
This season, the Captains rank among the leaders in Division III in hits, walks, sacrifice bunts, and double plays turned. CNU also ranks fourth nationally with a pair of shutouts this season as the pitching staff has been excellent so far. Led by senior
Dylan Weber and junior
Jay Cassady, who both rank in the top-15 nationally in strikeouts, the Captains have 174 K's in 148.0 innings pitched.
Penn State Harrisburg will counter with a hot-hitting unit of their own, ranking 26th in the nation in slugging percentage and 13th in on-base percentage. Drew Sassaman has driven in 15 runs in the first nine games of the year for the Lions while Maddux Ryan is hitting .519 in the early going.
Following the three-game set at Captains Park, Christopher Newport will travel to Hampden-Sydney College for a single game on Tuesday, March 14 with first pitch scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
