VIDEO: Vickee Kazee-Hollfield interview   

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman softball will take on five of the eight teams that made last season's NCAA Division II Southeast Regional.  Head coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield revealed the 2017 schedule Thursday afternoon. 

Carson-Newman will play 28 games in the friendly confines of the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex and 24 on the road.  Of Carson-Newman's first 20 games, 14 are at home through the month of February. 

"Anytime you play teams who have been to regional play, that can only help you make postseason play," Kazee-Hollifield said. "That's become much more important in our league, to make certain that we have quality teams on our schedule."

The Eagles open up the season with three straight home doubleheaders. C-N gets the year rolling Feb. 2 with Lees-McRae before welcoming Concord to Mossy Creek on Sunday, Feb. 5. The Eagles round out the season-opening homestand Feb. 8 with North Greenville.

The Eagles hit the road for the first time Feb. 11 to play two at King before returning home for a matchup with UVA-Wise on Valentine's Day. 

Carson-Newman makes its first extended road trip of the season Feb. 16.  The Eagles head to Columbia, S.C. for a doubleheader with Benedict – the first meetings between the two programs.  The road swing concludes against the first of five NCAA foes for the Eagles. C-N takes on Georgia College Feb. 18 in Milledgeville at the Peeler Complex.

C-N closes out the first month of the season with three straight home doubleheaders.  The Eagles take on Erskine, Bluefield State and Belmont Abbey. 

"We think with such a young class with a lot of freshmen getting playing, it was critical for us to do that," Kazee-Hollified said. "This lets us get our feet under us early."

March opens up with four straight challenging doubleheaders. The Eagles open the month at Conference Carolinas contender Limestone before playing three straight teams who have made at least one postseason appearance in the last two years.  The Eagles travel to Augusta, who C-N defeated in the 2015 Southeast Regional.  After that, it's back-to-back home doubleheaders against USC Aiken and Young Harris, both of whom participated in last year's NCAA tournament. 

The Eagles open SAC play March 18 at Queens before travelling to Mars Hill.  March 25, Carson-Newman welcomes Catawba to town for a pivotal SAC clash.  The Indians were last year's SAC champs and an NCAA tournament participant. 

C-N plays its final nonconference game March 29 at Erskine.  The Eagles close out the season April 22 at Lenoir-Rhyne, the final NCAA participant from last year on the schedule. Senior day is slated for April 19 against Tusculum. 

All home Carson-Newman softball games can be found online on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live.