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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport University hits the road for a Thursday afternoon softball doubleheader at Averett University. The opening game is set to start at 2:30 p.m. at Cougar Field in Danville, Va. The Captains have a record of 15-5 and are ranked 16th in the country in the latest weekly national poll from the Nationl Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). Averett has a record of 12-6 on the year, but the Cougars have dropped their last three games.
Keith Parr's team is coming off a split on Sunday with Randolph-Macon College at Captains Park. CNU is now 8-2 at home this season, and the Captains lead the country in home run hitting, averaging 1.5 long balls per game this season. CNU is also third in the national statistics in slugging percentage (.619) and seventh in runs scored per game (8.6).
Christopher Newport's top hitter, junior
Candace Slaw, was named the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference's (C2C) Player of the Week on Monday. Slaw is currently hitting .521 for the season and has stolen 17 bases in 18 attempts through the first 20 games this season. Juniors
Natalie Quinlan and
Brooke Zuber are tied for eighth in the country in home runs with six each, and Zuber tops the team with 25 runs batted in.
In the pitching circle, freshman
Cora Grace Sparger has been named the Pitcher of the Week the last two weeks in the C2C, and has a record of 8-3. Junior
Haylee Callahan is 6-1 so far.
CNU and Averett have played 89 times in history heading into Thursday's action. The Captains hold a 72-17 edge in the series, and Christopher Newport has won the last six games with AU, as well as 11 of the last 12.
Links to the live stats and live video (with subscription only) of the games are provided at the top of this story, as well as a link to the game program.
Here is the latest national poll released on Tuesday:
NFCA/GoRout Division III Top 25 Softball Coaches Poll – March 24, 2026
| Rank |
Team |
Points |
2026 Record |
Previous |
| 1 |
Virginia Wesleyan (10) |
250 |
18-0 |
1 |
| 2 |
Trine |
240 |
13-1 |
2 |
| 3 |
Linfield |
230 |
18-2 |
7 |
| 4 |
Saint Mary's (Minn.) |
220 |
14-2 |
4 |
| 5 |
Texas Lutheran |
210 |
21-3 |
3 |
| 6 |
East Texas Baptist |
200 |
21-3 |
8 |
| 7 |
Redlands |
190 |
18-4 |
10 |
| 8 |
Huntingdon |
180 |
19-4 |
9 |
| 9 |
Berry |
170 |
16-5 |
5 |
| 10 |
Rowan |
160 |
14-4 |
16 |
| 11 |
Tufts |
150 |
11-3 |
17 |
| 12 |
WashU |
140 |
13-3-1 |
6 |
| 13 |
Simpson |
130 |
15-2 |
12 |
| 14 |
St. Thomas (Houston) |
120 |
18-5 |
11 |
| 15 |
Wisconsin-Whitewater |
110 |
11-4 |
14 |
| 16 |
Christopher Newport |
100 |
15-5 |
15 |
| 17 |
Case Western Reserve |
90 |
12-5 |
19 |
| 18 |
Chapman |
80 |
20-5 |
18 |
| 19 |
Wisconsin-Oshkosh |
70 |
11-3 |
13 |
| 20 |
Central (Iowa) |
60 |
15-1 |
NR |
| 21 |
Belhaven |
48 |
20-7 |
20 |
| 22 |
Husson |
37 |
13-1 |
22 |
| 23 |
DePauw |
26 |
10-4 |
21 |
| 24 |
Emory |
16 |
13-8 |
23 |
| 25 |
Eastern |
11 |
11-3 |
25 |
Others receiving votes: Transylvania 5, Muhlenberg 4, Stockton 2, MIT 1.
Dropped out: Randolph-Macon.
