JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Winners of three in a row, Carson-Newman hosts a three-game South Atlantic Conference series against UVA Wise this weekend at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex starting at 2 p.m. on Friday wrapping up with a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon.
"There are still some things about the awareness and execution that we have to get better at," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "We have to clean some of this stuff up with the base running, the bunting and the hit and runs. We have to learn how to protect our guys. We are still trying to figure out some guys in the lineup. We have to get ready for this weekend. We are on spring break so we have time to work on some stuff."
After fanning double-digit batters twice in the first 15 games of the year, the Eagles have racked up double figures in four of the last five fanning 65 batters in 50 frames. The hurlers have allowed four or fewer runs eight times this year including in six of the last eight contests. Over that stretch the team's ERA has dropped from 5.69 to 4.90 tallying a 3.72 team ERA (31 ER in 75 IP) over that period.
Griffin's bullpen has been a big reason for the success yielding a .240 batting average against for the season being dominant in four games in March. Over 22 2/3 innings, the relievers have given up four total runs and two earned runs striking out 34 batters.
Carson-Newman (9-11, 2-11) has won 13 of the first 14 meetings with UVA Wise (9-12, 1-2) and 11 in a row since the lone loss in the series in the Old Dominion State on March 22, 2016. The Eagles have scored double digits in three straight meetings and six times overall. During the 11-game winning streak, the Orange and Blue hold a plus-79 (129-50) run differential. The Cavaliers have scored five or fewer runs 10 times with the exception being a 16-12 game last year.
On a rainy day at Mossy Creek, the Eagles led by as many as nine runs and scored the final four launching three homers in the game. Each team posted a seven-run inning with the Eagles leading 12-3 going to the sixth before the Cavs scored nine in a row. Henry Jackson and Gunnar Ricketts combined to go 5-for-11 with eight RBIs in the top two slots in the lineup.
After finishing 11th in league play last year going 6-18 in SAC action, the Cavaliers dropped two out of three to Tusculum in the lone league series this year. The club enters the weekend with the longest winning streak in the conference with five wins in a row sweeping Concord in a four-game series and beating Bluefield State on Wednesday.
Since joining the league in 2020, the Cavaliers have won three SAC series out of the first 19 that it has played. Two came in 2022, both at home, with the lone road series win coming at Tusculum in 2020 winning two of three on March 1-2. However, the unit has been swept 10 times.
Posting six runs per game for the year, Wise has hit 17 homers this year scoring 10-plus runs four times in the last nine contests with long balls in seven of the last 10 outings. The group has stolen 12 of 14 attempts on the base paths.
Cole Harness leads the conference in RBIs with 26 blasting five homers for the year. While five other players have driven in at least 10, the next closest has 12. The junior has seven multi-RBI games including a bonkers day against Carolina on Feb. 21 where he went 4-for-5 with three homers, 10 RBIs and four runs scored.
Wise is last in the league in team ERA (7.89), strikeout-to-walk ratio (0.96) and WHIP (2.01). A lot of the issues on the mound came in a three-game series to UNC Pembroke on Feb. 10-11 where the Braves scored 68 runs including a 33-3 domination. Outside of that series, foes have scored in double figures three times and been held to six or fewer runs 13 times including five in a row.
Out of the four starting pitchers, each has an ERA north of six for the year. Justin Snider has been the team's game one starter having worked fewer than four innings in three of his five outings. He opened the year with five shutout innings against King on Feb. 4 but has allowed at least three runs in four straight contests.
While the team has allowed 26 home runs, 11 came in one game against UNC Pembroke with nine total yielded in the last 14 games. When the ball is hit to the fielders, Wise has committed 42 errors with at least one in all but four games this year with 11 of at least two.
All three games will air on the Eagle Sports Network with video available on FloSports with a paid subscription and an audio-only stream on cneagles.com/live.
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