NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The D3baseball.com Top 25 was announced Monday evening with Christopher Newport climbing to No. 15 in the Week 7 version of the poll. The Captains are set to host No. 25 North Carolina Wesleyan (19-8) and No. 21 Lynchburg (18-9) on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, as they put their top-15 billing to the test.
CNU, boasting an overall record of 17-6, will host N.C. Wesleyan on Tuesday in a makeup game from the originally scheduled bout two weeks prior, which was rained out. It is the longest standing rivalry in Christopher Newport baseball history with the Captains trailing in the all-time series by a count of 45-57. The 103rd chapter in the matchup will pit the Captains against the Battling Bishops while riding a six-game winning streak in the series.
On Wednesday, CNU will then take on the defending national champion Lynchburg Hornets at 3:00 p.m. CNU trails the all-time series against the ODAC foe, 9-7, with the teams splitting the 2023 home-and-home series. Christopher Newport won the matchup at Captains Park, 6-4, before dropping a 14-6 decision on the road prior to the Hornets run to the Division III title.
Both games will be available online at CNUsports.com through a live video webcast or live stats. Links to both can be found on the baseball schedule online.
Christopher Newport surged up to No. 15 after a pair of convincing wins last week against Pfeiffer, 12-2, and Mary Washington, 9-5. Fifth-year senior
Dylan Weber earned the win against the Falcons before capturing a save against the Eagles. He now ranks ninth in the nation in strikeouts this season while ranking sixth overall among active pitchers in the NCAA -- Division I, II, and III -- with 328 career punchouts. Additionally, sophomore
Brandon Cassedy was named the C2C Pitcher of the Week for the fourth time this season after an 11-strikeout performance in an 8-inning win against the Eagles. He leads Division III in strikeouts this season and ranks seventh among active players in K/9 for his career with a 12.45 rate.
Offensively, sophomore
Josh Reinhold was named the C2C Player of the Week and is leading the team with a .367 average, 26 runs scored and ranks second on the team in RBI with 24. Junior
Doc Daniels is among Division III's active leaders with a .410 career batting average which includes a .302 mark this season while driving in 24 runs and drawing 15 walks. As a team, the Captains are hitting .302 while holding opponents to a paltry .229 in the box.
On Tuesday, CNU will face a N.C. Wesleyan squad that ranks in the top-25 nationally in total hits offensively and hits allowed per nine while in the field. The well-rounded squad ranks fourth nationally in walks while slugging .452 as a team. Tyson Bass ranks fifth in the country in total home runs, with 10, and is a dual threat with 22 stolen bases, ranking eight in the country. On the mound, Cord Butler has piled up seven wins to rank second nationally while adding 75 strikeouts, ranking third in Division III.
Lynchburg also features a patient team at the plate, ranking sixth in the country in walks with 161 this season. The offense has 26 home runs, ranking 16th in Division III and averaged 8.9 runs per game to rank among the top-40 in the nation. The Hornets feature two of the top stolen base threats in the nation in O'Lelly McWilliams, with 24 thefts, and Brandon Garcia, with 18. Out of the bullpen, Colin McGuire has appeared in 13 games and boasts a 2-0 record with 3 saves while posting a 2.45 ERA, leading the way for the Hornets.
Following the two home games, Christopher Newport will hit the road for a lengthy five-game swing away from Captains Park before returning to Newport News on April 25. The next game will be a road contest at No. 4 Salisbury this Saturday, April 13 at 1:00 p.m.
