NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Returning to Captains Park to kick off a three-game homestand, the Christopher Newport baseball team will host Hampden-Sydney College (12-12) on Wednesday afternoon. The Captains (15-11) will throw out the first pitch at 3:00 p.m. with live stats and a live video webcast available at CNUsports.com.
CNU has won three of the last four and five of seven as the Captains head into the mid-week matchup with a 15-11 overall record. Christopher Newport is coming off a 6-2 loss at Mary Washington in the team's first Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference matchup of the year and will be looking to rebound against the Tigers.
The all-time series favors the Captains after the first 45 games played between the two, 30-14-1, and CNU has won four of the last five against Hampden-Sydney. Last year, the Captains swept the home-and-home series with an 11-2 win at home before capturing an 8-4 win on the road. CNU is scheduled to make the return trip to Hampden-Sydney on Sunday, April 20.
Junior center fielder
Jake Benedict is hitting a league-leading .431 and currently ranks 5th nationally in total hits with 47 and 21st in total bases with 69. Hitting out of the leadoff spot, the Connecticut native has scored 35 runs, which also leads the league and ranks 16th in Division III. Taking advantage of the table setter, junior
Sam Benedict and sophomore first baseman
Aaron Maxie have been the team's leading run producers with 20 RBI apiece while hitting in the top half of the lineup.
On the mound, CNU has gotten eight starts from newcomer
Cooper Newell with a 3.98 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 40.2 innings pitched. After a setback to Mary Washington on Saturday, Newell is now 3-2 on the season. Leading the team in wins is lefty
Ryan Morrison, with a 4-1 record in five starts this Spring. Senior
Jackson Baird (1-2, 3.18 ERA) has helped balance the weekend rotation with 34 K in 34.0 IP and
Chase Hustead (1-3, 5.12 ERA) has also started in five games. The bullpen is led by
Marcus Dux with 13 appearances and
Eli Novario with 12 as the duo have struck out 32 batters in just over 32 innings pitched this season.
Hampden-Sydney has been led by Sterling Austin on the mound who ranks in the top-ten nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (15.50) and walks allowed per nine (0.47). He has started eight games and has logged a 2-3 record with a 5.87 ERA; Noah Lewis is 2-0 in six starts with a team-best 4.00 ERA. The Tigers offense has been led by a trio of hitters batting .350 or better including Grayson Harris, Jase Howell, and Chase Sanford. They have 20 extra-base hits between them with 46 RBI and 45 runs scored.
Christopher Newport will also host No. 7 Salisbury on Saturday, April 5 at 2:00 p.m. and No. 2 Lynchburg on Wednesday, April 9 at 3:00 p.m. over the next week.
