WINCHESTER, Va. -- Embarking on the program's 11th NCAA Regional Championship appearance, the Christopher Newport baseball team will open the 2023 version of the postseason event on Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. against Immaculata University. The Captains (31-9) will face the champions of the Atlantic East in the first round at the Winchester, Va. Regional hosted by third-ranked Shenandoah University.
The Captains and Mighty Macs will face off in game two of the first day of regional play, after the host Hornets take on TCNJ in game one. The double-elimination format will continue on Saturday with game times set for 11:00 a.m., 2:30 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. On Sunday, the NCAA Regional Champions will be crowned with a Super Regional berth earned at 11:00 a.m. or in the "if necessary" game immediately following.
Under the direction of head coach
John Harvell in his 23rd season, the Captains have advanced to three College World Series and have reached the NCAA Regional 11 times. He surpassed 600 wins earlier this season and carries an impressive 600-199-3 overall record into the weekend.
Earlier this season, CNU and Immaculata faced off in a neutral site game at Methodist University where the Mighty Macs won, 12-6, in the first-ever matchup between the two teams. Immaculata is 29-11 overall this season after winning the league title and earning the program's second-ever NCAA postseason appearance.
The three-leading hitters for Christopher Newport in terms of batting average are three newcomers, as
Ayden Stuffel (.367),
Zach Dzarnowski (.361), and
Josh Reinhold (.359) top the charts in 2023 for CNU. The top run producers are a pair of seniors in
Alec Reilly (42 RBI) and
Justin Bowers (37 RBI), who have combined for 34 extra-base hits this season. On the mound, veteran lefty
Dylan Weber (7-2, 3.48 ERA) and righty
Jack Braley (4-1, 1.74 ERA) have led the way while newcomer
Jackson Baird (6-1, 2.67 ERA) has helped deepen the rotation.
Live stats and a live video webcast will be available for all the action in Winchester, with links found on the
Tournament Microsite, or on the baseball schedule at CNUsports.com.
