BELMONT, N.C. – With wins in each of its last six road games, Carson-Newman finishes its season-opening road swing Tuesday at 4 p.m. with a visit to Abbey Yard and Belmont Abbey on tap before the Eagles play their home opener on Saturday.
Carson-Newman's six-game road winning streak dating back to the end of the 2019 season is the longest at any point for the program since a seven-game mark during the 2011 campaign. The Eagles swept Brevard and Mars Hill before taking game one at Wingate between March and April.
In the first series of the year at Limestone 11 different players drove in at least one while the team combined to go 9-for-9 in stolen base attempts. C-N hit .340 with runners in scoring position with six batters producing two knocks. Conversely, the pitching staff limited the Saints to a .244 clip in those situations.
On the mound, the hurlers yielded a .556 on-base percentage to lead-off hitters but they buckled down once the hitter reached base giving up 15 hits in 60 at-bats with men on base over the weekend.
Tuesday's tussle marks the 41st all-time meeting with coach Tom Griffin's group holding a 25-15 thanks to a three-game winning streak. A victory would tie the longest winning streak for the Eagles in the series history tying the four-game mark that opened the series, two in 1999 and two in 2004.
Last season, Carson-Newman's pitching staff was dominant giving up seven total hits, five for extra bases, over two games. The pitchers punched out 20 over 18 innings but did walk 10 batters. Tyler Shaver (Dandridge, Tenn.) and Logan Cogburn (Friendsville, Tenn.) combined to allow one earned run on four hits in 11 1/3 innings as starters.
Belmont Abbey (0-2) starts its 2020 with 10 consecutive games against South Atlantic Conference teams have dropped 5-2 and 3-1 decisions to Newberry with the series finale scheduled for 5 p.m. Monday evening. The Crusdaers will travel to Tusculum and Catawba before opening Conference Carolinas play on Valentine's Day.
In a league that features regional juggernauts North Greenville and Mount Olive, coach Chris Anderson's team was picked to finish third in the preseason poll after finishing the 2019 season in a tie for fourth.
The team's leading returning returner is preseason first-team all-league selection Mason Dodd who blasted 15 homers and drove in 64 runs a year ago. He is 0-for-7 with four strikeouts to start the year.
Newberry's pitching staff has dominated so far this year against the Crusaders lineup limiting Belmont Abbey to six hits and three runs through the first two games. JuJuan Cason and Sean Johnson each have a pair of knocks while the rest of the roster has combined to go 2-for-42.
On the mound, Belmont Abbey has found a strength using eight pitchers with none allowing more than two earned runs piling up 14 punch outs in 16 frames. Griffin Baker and Jason White earned the starting nods and fanned 13 giving up three earned runs in 10 innings.
Stay tuned to @CNathetics on Twitter for the latest news and notes for Carson-Newman's visit to Abbey Yard with links to stats and video available on cneagles.com.
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