Greensboro, N.C.- The No. 4 Denison University baseball team opened their 2025 season with an emphatic 13-4 win over No. 14 Christopher Newport University on Saturday at the D3 Showcase.

Looking to right the wrong after falling to CNU 17-1 the previous year the Big Red (1-0 overall) got on the board first in the top of the second. In his first at-bat, Cade Nowik was walked, then teammate Cooper Marrs created problems for the Captains' defense after he singled to center field and advanced to second off a throwing error. With Nowik on third and Marrs on second, a ground out to shortstop by Jake Blozy brought Nowik home to give Denison a 1-0 lead. The Big Red would put up three more runs to go up 4-0 heading into the bottom of the second.

Denison created more havoc for Christopher Newport (4-1) in the top of the fifth. Erik Sundgren stepped up to bat and hit a single up the middle; once on first, Sundgren would steal not one but two bases to set the Big Red to score their fifth run of the day. Marrs' double down the left line drove in Sundgren, which jumpstarted Denison's second four-run inning.

Down 8-0 in the bottom of the sixth, the Captains finally found their swing, earning four runs from five hits and two errors. With Denison's lead cut in half, the Big Red stayed composed and put the game away in the eighth and ninth innings. Scoring five runs from six hits, which included a two-run homer by Alex Vasquez to start the Big Red's third four-run inning. Defensively, Denison would give up just one hit and commit no errors to close out the game.

Pacing the Big Red's offense was Cooper Marrs, who finished the day with three doubles and two RBIs. Denison tallied four stolen bases across the day, with Sundgren recording three and Eric Colaco tacking on one more. Nick Falter earned his first win of the season after going 5.2 innings and giving up four runs off four hits. Falter walked just one Captain and struck out seven.

Christopher Newport scored four runs by Jake Benedict, Sam Benedict, Josh Reinhold, and Aaron Maxie. The Captains' Cooper Newell took home the loss after pitching four innings, giving up four runs, walking four batters, and committing four errors.

On day two of the D3 College Showcase, Denison will take on No.19 Suny Cortland. The two teams will face off starting at 5 p.m. on Sunday, February 23. It will be the first meeting between the two teams since last year's D3 Showcase matchup, where the Big Red beat Cortland 9-2.