VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (WTKR)- Virginia Wesleyan and Christopher Newport have established themselves as national softball powerhouses at the Division III level. Now they'll start their quest for a 2025 national title on their respective home fields. The Marlins and Captains will both host NCAA Regional action this week, with each welcoming three teams to the 757. The regionals will run from Thursday through Saturday and be double-elimination format. Virginia Wesleyan will open up with Western New England on Thursday at 11:00 AM to get things going, with Swarthmore and Messiah meeting at 1:30 PM. The winners will meet at 11:00 AM on Friday with the losers bracket games at 1:30 PM and 4:00 PM. Saturday's championship will see first pitch at 1:00 PM, with another contest at 4:30 PM if necessary. VWU enters 41-3-1 on the campaign and locked up the ODAC championship this past weekend. The Marlins are heading to the NCAA Tournament for the 15th time in program history and have advanced to the big dance in 13 of head coach Brandon Elliott's 18 seasons leading the squad. 2024 saw Wesleyan earn a trip to the Division III College World Series, where the Marlins would fall in their first two contests. Meanwhile, Christopher Newport is making its 18th straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, after winning the Coast-to-Coast crown. The Captains will take on Farmingdale State at 11:00 AM Thursday morning with Randolph-Macon and Alfred squaring off at 1:30 PM. The two winners collide Friday morning at 11:00 AM, followed by the losers bracket games at 1:30 PM and 4:00 PM. The region championship will be decided Saturday at 11:00 AM, with a game at 1:30 PM if necessary. CNU is 35-4 on the year and is making its 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. The Captains won their conference tournament in dramatic fashion, as Sammy Drew belted a walk-off grand slam in the championship game to power Keith Parr and company to a 9-5 victory. Christopher Newport fell in the Super Regional last season in three games at Rowan. The Captains won the national championship in 2022, while VWU claimed its last national crown back in 2021, the program's third since 2017. With regional victories, Virginia Wesleyan and Christopher Newport would advance to next weekend's Super Regionals, a best-of-three series for a trip to the College World Series. The two Hampton Roads programs would not face each other until that World Series in Bloomington, Illinois.
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