VIDEO: 2023 UVA Wise Highlights Game One
VIDEO: 2023 UVA Wise Highlights Games Two and Three
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For the first time this season, Carson-Newman (9-7, 4-2 SAC) leaves the state of Tennessee when it matches up with the UVA Wise Cavaliers (5-15, 2-4 SAC) for a South Atlantic Conference series starting tomorrow with a doubleheader at 1:00 p.m.
The schedule has shifted for the weekend. Because of expected weather in Wise, Virginia on Saturday, the two teams will now play a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m. The final game of the series will now take place on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
"Road or home, it's the same game still competing against yourself and the baseball," Carson-Newman head coach Tom Griffin said. "We want these guys to have self-confidence and confidence in each other. Really now it's about being comfortable in the game and being comfortable with a lead or behind and how we can handle adversity. These are all things we try and work on each and every day."
The Eagles hit the road for their first conference road series of the year, having lost its first two games away from home this season. In three true conference road trips last season, C-N was able to win just one of them but was able to avoid a sweep. Its seven wins on the road were its fewest since 2017.
Carson-Newman has won its second straight league series to begin the conference season for the second straight year. Prior to this, it had not done so since 2020. C-N took care of business at home by taking two of three in home conference series with Newberry and Tusculum. The Eagles have won four of their last five conference series' dating back to last season.
In every series this season, C-N has come back and won at least one of the games. The Eagles have been able to produce a go-ahead RBI hit in the second to last inning in each of those victories.
Nicholas Castellana has reached base safely in 11 straight games, one shy of the longest such streak by a C-N hitter this season.
The C-N pitching staff has the second-highest strikeout per nine innings rate in the SAC at 9.1. The group has recorded double-digit strikeouts in six different contests this season and has done so twice in league play.
Carson-Newman has won 16 of the 17 overall meetings with the UVA Wise Cavaliers including 14 in a row.
Despite the success against the Cavs, five of those games have seen C-N win by two runs or less.
For the first time in the NCAA DII history, UVA Wise defeated a top-25 program in Lincoln Memorial, taking two of three this past weekend from the #21 Railsplitters. The two wins for the Cavaliers ended a 12-game losing skid after the group started the season 3-2. The losing streak saw half of those games decided by two runs or less. UVA Wise is 5-15 this season and 2-4 in the SAC after finishing last season 15-33 and 4-20 in the league.
Cole Harness was a preseason All-SAC Second Team pick and has lived up to that caliber play early in the season. The first baseman has bombed nine home runs with 25 RBI. Those nine long balls are first in the league and fourth-most nationally. Justin Reed has been another consistent RBI hitter, second behind Harness with 23 runs batted in through 20 games. Outside of Reed and Harness, the offense has struggled hitting below .250 as a team which is 11th worst in the conference.
It's a group that does not run often, stealing just 12 bases in 20 games. After stealing four in the two wins against LMU, it failed to swipe any in its previous five games. UVA Wise has struggled to limit its opponents from scoring. The team ERA sits at 9.17, 12th worst in the SAC. Nine opponents have managed to score at least eight runs against the Cavs staff. Jake Taylor has the lowest ERA among relievers at 2.45 but has just three innings pitched.
Fans can follow along with the action with updates on Twitter (X) and Facebook at CN_eagles. A live stream of the game is available with a subscription to FloSports.
