JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman heads south to crack open the 2024 softball slate.
C-N is set for six games in the Sunshine State over three days for the opening weekend of the season. The Eagles open the year Friday at 2 p.m. at Eckerd. C-N makes the hour drive inland to Lakeland to take on Florida Southern Saturday at 2 p.m. The weekend wraps up Sunday at 1 p.m. with a trip back to Tampa to take on the 10th-ranked Spartans.
"It should be a good opening test of us," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "I'm eager to see how we fair against three quality Sunshine State Conference schools."
Carson-Newman is 33-3 all-time in season openers after starting 2023 with a 7-1 win over Concord. Carson-Newman has won its opener in consecutive years after King had snapped a nine-year win streak on opening day, 8-2, to kick off 2021.
Carson-Newman has won its season opener in run-rule fashion in two of the last four years. Carson-Newman's only three season-opening losses have come to King (2021), Bellarmine (2012) and Radford (1996).
Carson-Newman is headed to the Sunshine State for the first time in 13 years. The Eagles' last visit was a spring break roadtrip through Americus, Ga. to play two against Georgia Southwestern before heading further south to face this season's opening opponent - Eckerd. C-N took two from the Tritons on March 21, 2011, 6-0 and 6-3. C-N's last two trips to the Sunshine State took it to take on Eckerd in St. Petersburg,
While the Eagles haven't played in the state in more than a decade, Carson-Newman has squared off with Sunshine State Conference schools since that 2011 visit to Eckerd. C-N dropped a 1-0 decision to Embry-Riddle last season in the NFCA Kickoff Classic in Columbus, Ga. The Eagles split meetings with Florida Tech in 2022. C-N is 1-2 against the league since those 2011 meetings with Eckerd.
When Carson-Newman and Florida South collide, two programs will square off who are on their second head coaches ever. Vickee Kazee-Hollifield helmed Carson-Newman for 33 years before retiring in 2018 with 1,167 wins (24th all-time and sixth in NCAA Division II). Her assistant Michael Graves took over the program and has accumulated a record of 138-71. Meanwhile, Chris Bellotto helmed Florida Southern for 35 seasons before retiring in 2020 with 1,252 wins (14th all-time and third in NCAA Division II). Mo Triner took over in 2021 and is 50-71.
Carson-Newman sits on 1,398 wins all-time heading into the weekend. The Eagles will get multiple cracks at getting to 1,400 wins in program history.
Macey Hughes enters her senior season poised to make some inroads into the Carson-Newman softball record books. Macey Hughes sits in eighth place in Carson-Newman history for career home runs with 24, she is tied with Mandy Stevens. Next up on the all-time list is Lisa Rogers, who had 26 from 2003-06. Sara Kelley (2010-14) holds the program's all-time record with 35. Hughes is also top 10 all-time in RBI with 136. She sits in ninth. Mary Shealey (2009-12) is in eighth with 138. Hughes is two away from equaling her output.
When C-N takes on Tampa to wrap up the weekend, the Eagles will be looking for their first win over a top 10 opponent since beating 10th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne 8-7 on April 2, 2011.
All six games over the weekend will be broadcast on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live.
