FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Facing the first Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference matchup of the season, the Christopher Newport baseball team will travel to take on the University of Mary Washington (18-6, 0-0) on Saturday, March 29 at 2:00 p.m. The Captains are hitting the road with a 15-10 overall record while riding a modest three-game winning streak. 

Live stats and a live video webcast will be available courtesy of the Mary Washington Department of Athletics. Both teams are receiving votes in the national rankings heading into the matchup, which will be played at the Battleground Athletic Complex in Fredericksburg, Virginia. 

The Captains lead the all-time series 36-11 with three straight wins over the Eagles. Christopher Newport has dropped just two games to Mary Washington since the 2017 season, posting an impressive 23-2 record in that stretch. The two teams most recently met in the 2024 C2C Championship where CNU earned a 16-0 win to capture the conference title. 

Heading into the weekend matchup, senior Justin Liakos is riding a team-best 17-game on-base streak while hitting .313 over the course of the season. The versatile fielder has split time between right field and second base and boasts one of the highest fielding percentages on the team with just three errors over 73 total chances (.959). Junior outfielder Jake Benedict has been a dominant force out of the leadoff spot, hitting .413 while ranking fifth nationally in total hits (43) and eighth in Division III runs scored (35). 

Also among the national leaders this season is his Sam Benedict, ranking third nationally in sacrifice bunts, with six, and among the top-50 toughest to strike out in Division III. Aaron Maxie also ranks eighth in the country in walks with a league-leading 23 and the sophomore first baseman ranks second on the team in hitting with a .390 average. 

On the mound, Ryan Morrison is coming off his team-leading fourth win of the season when Christopher Newport downed North Carolina Wesleyan University on Wednesday. Jackson Baird (1-2, 3.31 ERA) and Cooper Newell (3-1, 3.60 ERA) have each held opponents to a sub-.200 batting average against with 30+ strikeouts. Newell leads the team with 38 K in 35.0 innings pitched while Baid has 34 K in 32.2 IP. Out of the bullpen, Eli Novario and Marcus Dux have made the most appearances with 12 outings. Senior Colin D'Arcy has also seen eight games of work with a save and a 1-0 record with a 3.38 ERA. 

Mary Washington is coming off a 12-0 victory at Bridgewater College on Wednesday. The Eagles are led by Ty Lowe who has been one of the top offensive weapons all season along with one of the top arms for Mary Washington. Lowe is 4-1 with a 3.16 ERA on the mound while hitting .360 with a team-high 25 RBI in 24 starts. Connor Hassan has a 1.022 OPS in 18 games while hitting .382 and has been a top reliever with 16 strikeouts in eight appearances out of the bullpen. Noah Roots and Bobby Ayscue have each added three home runs this season. Brendan McComber (3-0, 0.75 ERA) and Justin Ritz (5-1, 1.17 ERA) have helped strengthen the rotation along with Gavin Riley (2-0, 2.97 ERA). 

Following the trip to Fredericksburg, CNU will return home for three games including matchups with Hampden-Sydney (April 2 at 3:00 p.m.), Salisbury (April 5 at 2:00 p.m.), and Lynchburg (April 9 at 3:00 p.m.) set to travel into Captains Park.