Carson-Newman baseball to duel with four nationally ranked teams in 2013

For an interview with head baseball coach Tom Griffin on the upcoming season, click here.

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman baseball's 2013 season is frontloaded with difficult opponents.  Two weeks into the season, the Eagles will have faced off against the no. 20, 25 and 9 teams in the final Collegiate Baseball poll.

The Eagles play a three-game set at no. 20 USC Aiken beginning February 8.  Then, Carson-Newman plays a midweek tilt against no. 25 Lander February 13 before entering conference play February 15 at home against no. 9 Tusculum.

Head coach Tom Griffin said he likes the early tests for the Eagles.

"You know you're going to get a competitive ballgame," Griffin said. "Your kids are going to be challenged each time they play.  That's part recruiting, you want kids to know that they are coming into a competitive program and playing teams that are going to be very competitive."

The challenges do not stop with the opening two weeks for C-N.  Matchups with NCAA tournament runners up Catawba and the no. 5 team in the South region Alabama-Huntsville also dot the schedule.

"What we do this fall and how we get our kids prepared, we've got to challenge them mentally to get them ready right from the beginning (for this schedule)," Griffin said. "Every game is important, you can't let up with a midweek game because they're just as important (because of regional opponents) as your conference series."

Carson-Newman finished 28-26 in 2012.  Griffin said the Eagles need to build to their apex come the SAC tournament at the end of April. 

"It is an automatic lock (to win the SAC tournament), you don't leave it in the hands of the committee," Griffin said. "You play your best baseball mentally, physically, fundamentally for three or four days and you've got a regional bid.  Getting into the tournament and playing your best is the key."

Carson-Newman added 21 players (10 pitchers, 11 position players) to the 2013 roster.

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