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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Hosting the NCAA Division III Baseball Regional Championship for the third time in program history, the 10th-ranked Christopher Newport Captains (26-9) will take on Immaculata University in the opening game of the tournament on Friday at 10:00 a.m. Game one of the regional will be followed by a neutral site matchup featuring the second-seeded University of Scranton and third-seeded North Carolina Wesleyan University at 1:30 p.m. The remainder of the schedule is spread across Saturday and Sunday with game times available at CNUsports.com.
Head coach
John Harvell has led the Captains to a third straight NCAA appearance and the 12th postseason showing in his 24 years at the helm for CNU Baseball. In each of the last two regional championship appearances, the Captains have advanced to the final day of competition before elimination.
This year, the Captains have been led by a dominant pitching staff that is anchored by Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year
Dylan Weber. The veteran southpaw is 9-1 overall this season with a 1.35 ERA while leading Division III in strikeouts with 118. Weber has put together one of the finest seasons in program history to this point and will look to punctuate his CNU career with his third straight postseason appearance.
Also a major factor in the Captains' pitching staff, which leads the nation in strikeouts per nine innings, are all-conference starter
Brandon Cassedy and reliever
Kyle Lewis. Cassedy is 6-3 with a 4.19 ERA and is closing in on 100 strikeouts for the season while Lewis has appeared in a team-high 17 games this season with a 3-0 record, 5 saves, and a 0.86 ERA. CNU has a host of other options on the mound including veteran relievers
Colin D'Arcy (0-1, 3.38 ERA),
Danny Checkosky (1-1, 3.07 ERA), and
Daniel Elliott (0-0, 0.00 ERA).
Jack Braley has taken the ball to start nine times this season and is 3-0 for the Captains with over 40 innings pitched.
At the plate, the Captains have been led by sophomore shortstop
Josh Reinhold with 54 hits and a .358 average. Reinhold has scored 43 times and driven in 32 runs while reaching base in all but one game in his second season. Junior transfer
Lincoln Lubsen was a first team All-Conference pick after leading the squad in RBI, with 47, and serving as the team's top slugger with 13 doubles and 7 home runs this year. The lineup has been dangerous up and down the card with designated hitter
Zach Dzarnowski (.330, 30 R, 29 RBI),
Scott Crosson (.328, 31 R, 19 RBI),
Jacob Koenig (.327, 16 R, 15 RBI),
Doc Daniels (.323, 27 R, 37 RBI), and
Ayden Stuffel (.308, 35 R, 18 RBI) all hitting over .300 in the starting lineup.
Immaculata earned its berth into the NCAA Regional after winning the Atlantic East Conference Tournament for the third straight year. Joey Wright leads the Mighty Macs after recording a program record 67 hits while hitting .394 this season including team highs in home runs and RBI. Immaculata ranks in the top-20 nationally in on-base percentage and shutouts with a strong season both offensively and on the mound. Leading the pitching staff has been Stephen DiBattista with nine wins and a 2.62 ERA so far this season.
The winning team after game one will advance to Saturday's second round against the winner between Scranton and North Carolina Wesleyan. With inclement weather in the forecast, fans are encouraged to stay tuned to CNUsports.com and follow @CNUathletics on X for the latest updates.
Ticket prices for the event are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and students. CNU Students with a valid ID will be admitted free of charge, courtesy of the Athletics Department.
Fans unable to attend in person can catch all the action on CNUsports.com with live stats and a live video webcast scheduled for all the regional games at Captains Park.
