VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves has showcased a truncated set of games for the 2021 campaign. 

"Everyone has struggled to get games and make tournaments go," Graves said. "We had to cut our 54-game schedule down to 44.  With everyone dealing with travel limitations and everyone trying to find games at the same time, this was tough to put together."

The Eagles are on the road for 10 of the first 12 games of the year.  Carson-Newman gets 2021 rolling at the Charger Chillout in Huntsville, Ala.  Carson-Newman will match wits with Georgia College, Union, Shorter and Delta State at the event. 

The Eagles and Georgia College have played regularly this decade.  The Eagles have won two straight against the Bearcats in a series that is level 16-16 heading into the 33^rd meeting between the two teams. 

Carson-Newman has never played Union or Shorter in softball, while the Eagles will be playing Delta State for the first time since the turn of the century.  Carson-Newman won the first meeting against the Statesmen in 1990 6-0, but DSU took two from the Eagles in 2000. 

"If we can make it through that early travel schedule," Graves said. "We'll be set up well with home games that back half of the year.  We have to be ready and prepared to play on the road with a successful brand of softball."

Carson-Newman plays its only home game in February on the 13^th.  The King Tornado pays a visit to The Vick. 

A whopping 10 days later, the Eagles open SAC play at Mars Hill before wrapping up February with a jaunt to Due West and Greenwood, S.C. for the Bearcat Fleet Invitational.

The Eagles will challenge Concord, host Erskine, Converse and Emmanuel at the event. 

"I think our schedule is good enough to prepare us for postseason play," Graves said. "We play some good non-conference games, but there are some games we had to shed because of the NCAA limitations for this year."

SAC play begins in earnest in March.  The Eagles open up the home league portion of the schedule on March 3 when Coker comes to visit.  Non-conference games dotting the month include Bluefield State (March 7), Claflin (March 13) and Lee (March 30).  All three doubleheaders will take place at The Vick.

For the month of March, the Eagles play 16 of 22 games at home. The lone roadtrips are to Queens (March 6), UVA Wise (March 16) and Wingate (March 27). 

April sends the Eagles  to Anderson (April 1) and Lenoir-Rhyne (April 17) to wrap up the year. The two road double dips are sandwiched around home twin bills against Tusculum (April 7) and North Greenville (April 13). 

The Eagle Sports Network will have coverage of all home Carson-Newman contests at cneagles.com/live. 

2021 Carson-Newman Softball Schedule

* Conference

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