JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman Eagles baseball team (2-2) will travel to the Palmetto State for a three-game weekend series against the no. 5 USC Aiken Pacers (3-0) at Roberto Hernandez Stadium from Friday to Sunday.

The series will begin with Friday's game at 4 p.m., followed by Saturday's game at 1 p.m. and the Sunday finale will also begin at 1 p.m. in Aiken, S.C.

The Eagles have won their last two games, including a 10-3 victory over the Pfieffer Falcons on Tuesday in Misenheimer, N.C. Against the Falcons, Carson-Newman shortstop Bo Ausmus (Jefferson City, Tenn.) shined at the plate, going 3-for-5 with four RBI and he belted a three-run homer in the top of the seventh, his second homer of the young season.

Ausmus is one of several Eagles off to a hot start at the plate, with six Eagles hitting .500 or better to begin the season. Evan Kirkpatrick (Jefferson City, Tenn.) is 6-for-10 at the plate, good for a .600 average and he has collected four RBI this season.

Ausmus leads the team with 7 runs batted in and has hit two of Carson-Newman's three homers this season.

This weekend series will conclude Carson-Newman's season-opening seven games away from Mossy Creek to begin the season, with the first home game on Tuesday Feb. 12 against Lander at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex at 2 p.m.

After earning a preseason no. 10 ranking in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division II Poll, the Pacers swept Lincoln Memorial this past weekend and now enter this weekend's play ranked fifth in the nation.

The Pacers were picked to finish second in the preseason Peach Belt Conference coaches poll, with senior catcher Josh Miller picked to the preseason All-PBC team. Seven hitters are hitting .300 or better, while Ben Donath leads the team with a .750 average and four RBI.

Carson-Newman will feature the same pitching that the Eagles used last weekend at Augusta State. Senior RHP Chris Amrstrong (0-1, 6.23 ERA) will pitch on Friday, while senior RHP Alex Britt (0-0, 2.25 ERA) will pitch on Sunday, and sophomore RHP Quinton Yocum (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will pitch in Sunday's finale.

Yocum earned a complete game win for Carson-Newman last weekend in the finale of the Augusta State series, pitching seven scoreless innings while striking out five batters.