NEWPORT NEWS, VA (WTKR) — The path to the NCAA DIII softball national championship has gone through Hampton Roads for the last two seasons.
Both Christopher Newport and Virginia Wesleyan will have the chance to claim that again in 2023 as both will host respective NCAA Tournament regionals over the weekend.
The seventh-ranked Captains, who are the reigning national champions, will host a regional that begins on Thursday at Captains Park. CNU (26-10) will face York College of Pennsylvania first at 4:30 p.m., while Roanoke College plays Misericordia. Keith Parr's group is coming off falling in the Coast-to-Coast Conference Tournament finals to Salisbury over the weekend.
Virginia Wesleyan (35-10) will also stay at home to begin the NCAA Tournament, taking on John Jay College on Thursday afternoon at 4:30. Roanoke College and Manhattanville will join the Marlins in Virginia Beach. The 2021 national champions ended the regular season with nine wins in a row before exiting the ODAC Tournament in the semifinals.
CNU is trying to become the first team to repeat as NCAA DIII softball champions since VWU did it in 2017 and 2018, while the Marlins are aiming for their fourth national title in the last six seasons.
