JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (28-16, 14-6 SAC) closes up shop on the regular season with two high-level doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday at The Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex Saturday and Sunday against No. 19 Lenoir-Rhyne (39-11, 16-6 SAC) and Anderson (30-14, 19-3 SAC), respectively.
The Eagles will celebrate Senior Day, paying homage to seven seniors prior to the Saturday twinbill with the Bears.
C-N will recognize SieAnna Cameron, NicKolette Ferguson, Emma Frost, Macey Hughes, Brooke Matyasovsky, Mary Vandergriff and Kennady Warder.
Cameron is a two-time all-region and all-SAC outfielder. With a .402 career batting average, Cameron has the 10th highest average for a career in Carson-Newman history. Cameron has 40 career multi-hit efforts, including a trio of four hit days from her junior campaign against Tusculum, Shorter and Newberry.
No pitcher in Carson-Newman history has finished more games than Ferguson. She has closed out 37 games in the circle in her C-N career and owns a 20-7 record with a 4.39 ERA. Ferguson is tied for second in school history in career saves and combined shutouts. She has struck out 73 in 61 appearances in her career.
Frost wraps up one of the most decorated careers in South Atlantic Conference history. She has struck out 710 in her collegiate career, including 116 in her senior season with C-N. Her 710 punchouts rank eighth in SAC history. The 2021 SAC Pitcher of the Year, Frost ranks 10th among active player in career strikeouts. She is 83-28 all-time in the circle.
Hughes has been one of the most consistent hitters in the Southeast Region over the course of her four seasons in the Orange and Blue. A three-time all-SAC selection and all-region utility player in her junior season, Hughes is one of 13 players in school history with 200 career hits. Hughes ranks third in program history with 54 career doubles and third all-time with 166 runs batted in. Earlier this week, she matched the single-game record for hits, going five-for-five against Milligan.
Matyasovsky wraps up her two years with C-N as one of three players all-time for C-N to hit 24 home runs in a two-year span. An All-American at Eastern Connecticut State before transferring to C-N, Matyasovsky's 235 career RBI rank fourth among active players in all divisions while her 66 career home runs are tied for fifth among all active collegiate softball players.
Vandergriff earned All-SAC honors in the outfield after her sophomore season. A career .287 batter, Vandergriff has 103 hits in her career, including 17 doubles and four home runs. She hit a walk-off home run in her junior season to beat Mars Hill. She has 23 career multi-hit days, including a three-hit day against Lenoir-Rhyne two years ago to the day.
Warder touts a .292 lifetime batting average for C-N. She has clobbered 21 career doubles, five triples and 10 home runs in her three seasons with the Eagles. Warder tallied a four-hit day at Erskine as a sophomore and is one three players in program history to hit two triples in one game – a feat she pulled off against Mars Hill in 2022. Carson-Newman's primary catcher the last three seasons, her 543 career putouts are sixth all-time for the Eagles.
Carson-Newman has been on a home run tear. The Eagles have socked 55 home runs this season, the most in a single-season in school history with the 2013 team. There have been 12, 50-home run campaigns in SAC history. Lenoir-Rhyne holds the league record for blasts in a season with 102 in 62 games in 2010.
On the individual charts, Macauley Bailey is the fourth player in program history with 30 career home runs, and the first to do it in two years. Her next home run will move her level with Mary Shealy (31 from 2009-12) for third all-time. Sara Little (33 from 2007-10) and Sara Kelly (35 from 2011-14) sit in second and first. Macey Hughes is two spots behind with 27 career homers, tied with Hall of Famer Whitney Hickam Cruze. Britney Hefner is in sixth on the listing in fourth with 28 home runs.
Brooke Matyasovsky has 24 career home runs for the Orange and Blue, while Hayden Dye has 21. They are the 14th and 15th players in program history to hit more than 20 career bombs. Matyasovsky has hit 65 home runs in her collegiate career - the seventh most among active players in all divisions and the most of any player actively playing in NCAA Division II. Mandy Stevens sits in 10th in school history with 24 career blasts.
Hughes is also top five all-time in RBI with 166. One more RBI and she'll match Sara Kelley and her 167 for third-most all-time. It would take another eight RBI to get to Sara Little and second-all-time (174).
Prior to this season, there had been 11, 12-homer campaigns in Carson-Newman softball's 39-year history. Those previous 11, 12-homer years all occurred in different seasons. Bailey (15), Matyasovsky (14) and Hayden Dye (12) all have pulled off the feat this year. Bailey's next home run, or the next two by Matyasovsy will give that player sole possession of second place on the single-season home run chart. Brittany Hefner holds the single-season record with 19 (2013).
Bailey and Dye lead the SAC with 58 and 54 RBI this season - the 15th and 16th, 50-RBI season in school history. Brooke Ramsey (51) and Bre Lockett (55) in 2015 are the only other pair of Eagles to drive in 50 runs in the same season. Bailey and Whitney Hickam are the only Eagles to drive in 50 runs twice in a C-N career. Hickam, a C-N Hall of Famer and the program's all-time leader for a career, is the only player with a pair of 60-RBI seasons.
First pitch between the Eagles and Bears is set for Saturday at 1. The Eagles and Trojans play Sunday at 1. Both doubleheaders are available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live. Video streams are available with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/FloSB.
