JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Playing a pair of midweek contests, Carson-Newman hosts Milligan on Tuesday at 2 p.m. before travelling to Tusculum on Wednesday at 3 p.m. looking to snap a three-game losing streak.
This week is the first of two times this year that the Eagles will play a pair of games in the midweek. Since 2015, the Orange and Blue have played two midweek games seven times going 8-6 during that time. C-N won against DePauw and Alabama Huntsville last season after losing both tussles in 2020. Coach Tom Griffin's group won both games twice in 2015.
Carson-Newman (1-3) and Milligan (4-0) have faced off 30 times with the Eagles holding a 21-9-1 edge including a 5-0 mark under Griffin. The Eagles have won each of the last seven meetings since an 11-7 defeat on April 5, 2005. Last year, Matt Coles set the table with 6 2/3 scoreless innings as Carson-Newman opened the 2022 season with a 5-0 shutout victory over Milligan on Feb. 1 with three hurlers combining for the first Opening Day shutout since at least 1990.
The longest game in program history and SAC history is between the two programs as C-N needed 16 innings to take down Milligan 5-4 on March 3, 2004. The Buffaloes had a 4-1 lead going into the bottom of the eight before C-N scored three times to knot the tally. Gavin Scroggins tossed six shutout innings of relief Jonathan Mary doubled home Charlie Munroe to win the contest.
Skyler Barnett, the head coach of Milligan in his fourth season, was Griffin's assistant for three seasons at Carson-Newman from 2015-17 helping the team to an 85-66 record highlighted by the 2017 campaign that saw the Eagles get hot in the SAC Tournament winning four of five including a 13-8 elimination game win over 15th-ranked Catawba to reach Championship Monday before falling to Lincoln Memorial 9-4.
Last year was one of the best seasons by Milligan in recent years winning 36 games, the second-highest total in school history, finishing fourth in the Appalachian Athletic Conference standings. The Buffaloes won two games in the conference by lost twice to second-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan including a 5-4 setback that eliminated the team after leading 4-0 in the third falling 5-4 in 10 innings.
With three consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 2005, the team touted four all-league selections in 2022, led by first-team second baseman Brandon Marello who hit .341 with 25 stolen bases. He was also the team's No. 3 starting pitcher going 7-2 with a 3.38 ERA in 74 2/3 innings.
Selected third in the preseason poll, the Buffaloes are receiving votes in the preseason NAIA Top 25 poll. Braden Spano provides another all-conference bat in the lineup hitting .383 with nine long balls and 53 RBIs. On the mound, Andrei Beal fanned 115 batters to reset the school record.
To being the 2023 season, Milligan won each of its first four games of the year outscoring clubs 39-3 blasting eight home runs. Spano contributed three of the eight driving in 11 runs. Eight different players have at least three hits after the first week. Caleb Berry added eight RBIs and a couple stolen bases.
On the slab, Milligan pitchers fanned 45 batters in 28 innings giving up one home run with nine walks to open the year. Beal fanned 11 over five hitless frames and Marello struck out nine over five frames. Of the nine pitchers used, eight tossed a pair of innings and only two gave up a run.
The two programs have faced off 107 times with the Eagles holding a slight 55-52 all-time edge. Each club has won 23 times at Mossy Creek while C-N is 23-22 at Pioneer Park. The Orange and Blue have swept the last two of the last three series in Greeneville winning eight of the last nine after winning two of three last year.
Sealing the series a year ago, Carson-Newman's bullpen fired 5 2/3 scoreless innings of baseball and Harrison Travis launched two home runs and drove in five as the Eagles won at Pioneer Park winning 9-6. For the first time in the history of the series, Carson-Newman won a third straight series.
Tusculum (0-2) was picked to finish ninth in the preseason SAC poll after going 17-30 with just five league wins a year ago failing to qualify for the SAC Tournament posting an 11th-place finish in league action. The team lost 10 of the final 12 contests of the campaign.
Fifth-year skipper Brandon Steele returns his top five hitters to this year's team led by All-South Atlantic Conference selection Zane Keener who hit .338 with eight dingers and 36 RBIs. Wes Reynolds, a preseason third-team All-SAC pick, batted .301 with five long balls and 23 RBIs for the team last year.
The Pioneers opened the year in Florida losing 2-1 to Palm Beach Atlantic and 8-1 to Barry over the weekend. With only 11 hits, Max Schmarder launched a solo homer going 2-for-7 to start the year. Overall the lineup fanned 23 times in 60 at bats.
On the hill, the team surrendered just one home run but struck out 13 in 16 innings of work using only five pitchers during the weekend as the finale against Lynn was cancelled.
Tuesday's game will air on FloSports with an subscription required to watch the video while both Tuesday and Wednesday featuring audio-only streams available on cneagles.com/live.
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