VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – After 342 days, Carson-Newman finally returns to the softball diamond by opening the doors to the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex against King.
The Eagles and Tornado each play their first games of the season Wednesday at noon.
"We can't wait to get on the field," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "We probably dumped the tarp 15 times in the last two or three days. That's a credit to our girls for the work they've done to get ready to play."
These two teams were playing one another on the day the earth stood still in NCAA sports on March 12, 2020. They now open the 2021 season with one another 342 days after they last met.
In an odd bit of happenstance the contest features two players who suited up for the other side in their last game. All-Conference Carolinas infielder Hattie Campbell starred at King before electing to take her CoVID grad transfer year at Carson-Newman. Meanwhile, reserve freshman outfielder Peyton Day made the move to Bristol after spending her first season at Mossy Creek.
Carson-Newman is 31-2 all-time in season openers. C-N's only opening day losses came in 1997 to Division I Radford 2-0 and in 2011 at Bellarmine 2-0. C-N's largest margin of victory on opening day came in 1992 with an 18-0 decision over Trevecca Nazarene. The Eagles have won nine straight opening day games.
Carson-Newman has won 17 straight home openers. In fact, as far back as we have data (2003), Carson-Newman hasn't ever lost its first home game of the year. The Eagles' only loss in the second game of a home-opening doubleheader in the last decade came at the hands of Bellarmine, 6-2 in 2012.
King's 9-3 win on Feb. 15, 2018 represented the last win by a Conference Carolinas program over the Eagles prior to last year's 3-0 King win in Bristol. C-N had won 20 straight against the league, and are 66- 14 against schools from the conference over the last seven seasons.
That King win also marks the last non-conference win by a foe over Carson-Newman at The Vick. The Eagles have won 16 straight home non-conference games.
On the 16-game home non-conference win streak, the Eagles have collected five run-rule wins in that span.
King will likely turn things over to Wright State/University of Charleston transfer Carly Turner in the circle. Turner was an NFCA All-Region selection for UC before transferring to Wright State.
"They've upgraded with a couple transfers," Graves said. "Between a Grambling State transfer and a Wright State transfer, they have upgraded their roster."
Rikkelle Miller is the Grambling State transfer. The SWAC freshman of the year in 2019 hit .423 with eight home runs.
First pitch at The Vick is set for noon. Coverage will be available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live.
