VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – No. 25 Carson-Newman (17-3) brings its seven-game winning streak back to the banks of Mossy Creek for two mid-week doubleheaders against North Greenville (4-14) and SAC foe Mars Hill (3-9).
The Eagles have been on a torrid pace, with run-rule wins in six of their last eight Ws. Carson-Newman has scored at least eight runs in nine straight games with double-digit runs in three straight.
Carson-Newman takes on NGU at noon Wednesday before opening league play with Mars Hill Thursday at noon.
"We look at the stats and marvel at it," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said of the Eagles' offense. "Our team is just so fast. It's fun in game to watch the other team try to defend that. They've been a joy to coach and they are fun to watch."
The Eagles offense has been prodigious in 2022. Carson-Newman has the most runs scored (173) and hits (226) of any team in NCAA Division II. Carson-Newman ranks in the top 20 nationally of 10 offensive categories including doubles (2nd - 48), stolen bases (5th - 53), triples (7th - nine), batting average (11th - .380), on-base percentage (13th - .439) and home runs (15th - 17).
The Eagles are more than halfway home to the fifth triple-digit steals total as a team in school history. The 2004 and 2008 teams share that record with 125 stolen bases on the year.
Carson-Newman has three of the top four hitters in the country. Leah Sohm (1st - 38), Emily Harris (2nd - 34) and SieAnna Cameron (4th - 32) are all in the top four nationally in hits this season.
Macey Hughes, the reigning SAC Player of the Week, and Hayden Dye are two of the best run-producers in the country. Hughes leads the nation with 34 runs batted in on the season. Hayden Dye sits in seventh with 24 driven in. If Hughes were to continue on this pace over the final 30 games of the year, she would surpass All-American Brittany Hefner's single-season SAC and school record of 75.
SieAnna Cameron is the owner of the fifth-longest hitting streak in school history. The sophomore sits tied with Shannon Smith and Kristen Toppel having hit successfully in 16 straight games.
Two more and she matches Abby Fiessinger for the fourth longest. Fiessinger hit successfully in 18 straight games to start her career in 2017. Kelli Hensley sits in third with a 19-game hitting streak in 2014. Angel Bales (25 between 1996-97) and Sammi Hatcher (33 in 1992) sit atop the chart.
Carson-Newman's defense has been playing mistake free. The Eagles haven't made an error since Feb. 13 against Miles. The Eagles have gone eight games without an error - the longest streak in the last 15 years (and as far back as we have game-by-game data). Carson-Newman has had three streaks of 5-6 games of error free ball since 2007.
First pitch for both doubleheaders is set for noon. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network is available at cneagles.com/live.
