VIDEO: Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – After snow and ice forced Carson-Newman (8-2) away from the Mid-South Classic this weekend, head softball coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield created her own event to get the Eagles some games.
"The last four or five days we have worked on this field to get it ready," Kazee-Hollifield said. "So special thanks to our players, the football team and my husband for working on it so hard this past week.
"I cannot remember a more brutal February weather wise. We really need games to get better and get ready. We need for our defense to get back out there. I got a phone call from the coach at Lees-McRae who graciously told us about some other teams who wanted to play as long as we could get our field ready."
Carson-Newman welcomes in Lees-McRae (1-7), Davis & Elkins (0-0) and Indiana Wesleyan (0-0) for a six-game event Friday and Saturday.
The action starts Friday when C-N takes on Lees-McRae at 11 a.m. The Bobcats then square off with Davis & Elkins at 1 p.m. before the the Eagles take on the Senators at 3 p.m. in the final game of the day.
The tournament rolls over to Saturday when Lees-McRae and Indiana Wesleyan tangle at 11 a.m. Carson-Newman reenters the fray at 1 with a matchup with the Wildcats. The play concludes with a game between Carson-Newman and Lees-McRae at 3 p.m.
Of the 33 previous meetings with Lees-McRae, Carson-Newman has won 18 via a shutout win.
Because of a boatload of snow that blanked the region over the last week, Lees-McRae hasn't seen the field in 14 days, since losing both games of a doubleheader to Brevard on Valentine's Day. The Bobcats are 0-6 against South Atlantic Conference competition this season, L-R, Anderson and Brevard all swept doubleheaders from the Bobcats.
LMC has struggled to hit the ball this season, as a team it hits .161 with just seven extra base hits. The Bobcats haven't hit a home run this season.
Carson-Newman continues through its own defensive struggles. The Eagles are last in the league with a .941 fielding percentage, an issue that Kazee-Hollifield said will continue to be the prime point of emphasis for the Eagles this weekend.
"I asked the kids when the last day we were on a field working on stuff," Kazee-Hollifield said. "They said it was last week against Fort Valley State that we were actually on a field playing or practicing. I'm not happy with that fielding percentage. We've got to get a whole lot better in that department. Defense has always been the hallmark of the Carson-Newman softball program."
Carson-Newman will be facing Davis & Elkins (NCAA DII - GMAC) as well as Indiana Wesleyan (NAIA - Crossroads) for the first time in school history.
The Eagles have had regular meetings with GMAC schools; Carson-Newman swept Kentucky Wesleyan (D&E split with them last year) last year 11-5 and 10-2 in five innings.
Carson-Newman's meeting with Indiana Wesleyan will be its first versus an NAIA opponent since the 2006 season when the Eagles beat Cumberland 4-3 and 3-1 in a doubleheader sweep. –
Davis & Elkins lost 13 straight games to begin its 2014 season before closing out the year with a 19- 17 record. The Senators were 0-5 against the SAC last year.
Indiana Wesleyan finished last season a win shy of the NCCAA Midwest Region title game. The Wildcats are two years removed from a 45-13 season and an appearance in the NAIA National Title Pool.
All games will be broadcast on the Eagle Sports Network online at cneagles.com/live. Friday's games will be in high definition, Saturday's games will be standard def broadcasts.
