NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After reaching the 30-win plateau for just the seventh time in program history, the Christopher Newport baseball team has moved up in the national rankings. The Captains are now picked No. 7 in the
Collegiate Baseball ABCA Top 25 and No. 9 in the D3baseball.com national poll.
The Captains have registered a 30-7 overall record so far this season with just two games left in the regular season. CNU has won six straight and 13 of the last 14 games while posting a dominant run in home games with a 21-1 record at Captains Park. It is the first time since 2012 that Christopher Newport has suffered just one home loss or fewer at this point in the season and is the second most wins at home since 2002 when the Captains were 20-6 on route to the Division III World Series.
CNU has reached the 30-win mark for the third time in the last five full seasons (2020 shortened due to COVID-19) and the seventh time in program history. All seven have come under the direction of head coach
John Harvell, who eclipsed 600 career wins earlier this season. As a program, CNU eclipsed 900 victories this season in just the 42nd season in program history.
This season, the team has been led by a pitching staff that ranks ni the top-ten nationally in ERA, hits allowed per nine innings, strikeouts per nine innings, and shutouts. Anchored by senior
Dylan Weber, the Captains boast a 3.21 earned run average as a team to rank fifth-best in Division III. CNU is striking out 10.3 batters per nine innings, ranking sixth nationally and have allowed just 7.62 hits per nine, ranking ninth. The staff has combined for six total shutouts, including two solo efforts from Weber and junior
Jack Braley, to rank third nationally.
In the field, the Captains have been more than competent, ranking in the top-30 nationally in fielding percentage behind that pitching staff. On the infield rookie shortstop
Josh Reinhold has started 35 games to lead the way, helping turn 21 of CNU's 31 double plays this season.
Offensively, Reinhold is also near the top of the Captains' production, hitting .361 primarily in the two-hole behind designated hitter and leading hitter
Scott Crosson, hitting .362. Newcomers
Zach Dzarnowski and
Ayden Stuffel have identical .358 averages as well as Christopher Newport is hitting .318 as a team.
This weekend, the Captains are scheduled to take on second-ranked Salisbury University in Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference action on Saturday and Sunday. First, CNU will travel to the Eastern Shore of Maryland for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch before traveling back to Newport News to host the Sea Gulls in the regular season finale on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Due to rain in the forecast, be sure to check CNUsports.com for updates to the schedule.
American Baseball Coaches Assn.
NCAA Div. 3 Baseball Poll
(As of April 25, 2023)
| Rank |
Team (2023 Record) |
Points |
PVS |
| 1. |
Johns Hopkins, MD (32-3) |
596 |
2 |
| 2. |
Salisbury, MD (26-4) |
561 |
3 |
| 3. |
Shenandoah, VA (31-5) |
556 |
4 |
| 4. |
Baldwin Wallace, OH (27-5) |
546 |
5 |
| 5. |
Lynchburg, VA (29-5) |
479 |
7 |
| 6. |
Birmingham-Southern, AL (31-9) |
470 |
1 |
| 7. |
Christopher Newport, VA (30-7) |
448 |
10 |
| 8. |
Denison, OH (25-7) |
426 |
9 |
| 9. |
Endicott, MA (26-5) |
399 |
11 |
| 10. |
Randolph-Macon, VA (28-8) |
393 |
6 |
| 11. |
Aurora, IL (26-3) |
383 |
14 |
| 12. |
Marietta, OH (25-9) |
358 |
12 |
| 13. |
Eastern Connecticut St. (25-7) |
347 |
8 |
| 14. |
Wheaton, MA (27-5) |
332 |
15 |
| 15. |
Claremont, CA (24-7) |
297 |
17 |
| 16. |
Misericordia, PA (30-6) |
293 |
18 |
| 17. |
Wisconsin-Oshkosh (22-6) |
270 |
21 |
| 18. |
East Texas Baptist (27-9) |
220 |
23 |
| 19. |
Buena Vista, IA (27-6) |
209 |
24 |
| 20. |
Salve Regina, RI (24-6-1) |
197 |
26 |
| 21. |
Wisconsin-La Crosse (22-6) |
177 |
RV |
| 22. |
LaGrange, GA (25-11) |
142 |
16 |
| 23. |
Rowan, NJ (24-10) |
125 |
20 |
| 24. |
Catholic, D.C. (23-7) |
120 |
13 |
| 25. |
Augustana, IL (26-6) |
110 |
30 |
| 26. |
Tufts, MA (22-6) |
100 |
RV |
| 27. |
Wisconsin-Stevens Point (20-9) |
96 |
RV |
| 28. |
Mitchell, CT (27-6) |
92 |
RV |
| 29. |
N.C. Wesleyan (26-8) |
76 |
29 |
| 30. |
Methodist, NC (27-8) |
57 |
22 |
|
| Also Receiving Votes: Elizabethtown, PA (49), Southwestern, TX (46), Emory, GA (40), Bethel, MN (39), Lewis & Clark, OR (37), Penn State Harrisburg (34), Wisconsin-Whitewater (30), Cortland St., NY (27), Case Western Reserve, OH (21), Wittenberg, OH (17), Pacific, OR (11), North Central, IL (10), Rhodes, TN (9), Middlebury, VT (8), La Verne, CA (7), Webster, MO (4), Chapman, CA (3), Kalamazoo, MI (3), Kean, NJ (3), Hendrix, AR (2), Mary Washington, VA (2), Montclair St., NJ (1), Trinity, TX (1). |
2023 D3baseball.com/NCBWA Top 25, Week 9
Through games of Sunday, April 16, 2023
Dropped out: No. 19 UW-Whitewater, No. 24. Cortland.
Others receiving votes: Salve Regina 36, Elizabethtown 34, N.C. Wesleyan 32, St. Joseph's (L.I.) 30, East Texas Baptist 22, Penn St.-Harrisburg 21, UW-Whitewater 15, Arcadia 13, Cortland 13, Cal Lutheran 9, Lewis & Clark 9, La Verne 8, Rhode Island College 7, Huntingdon 5, Mitchell 4, North Central (Ill.) 4, Trinity (Texas) 4, Rhodes 3, Webster 2, Bethel (Minn.) 1, Hendrix 1, Southwestern (Texas).
