JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – No. 25 Carson-Newman (28-10, 8-6 South Atlantic Conference) will try to get back on the winning track after a mid-week non-conference split with Lee when Queens (22-18, 9-7 SAC) Sunday at noon at the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex.
Carson-Newman has won four straight games over the Royals, including sweeping a doubleheader last season over Queens by a combined score of 30-0. C-N and Queens split a doubleheader the last time the teams played in Jefferson City (2018).
Emily Harris, NCAA Division II's active hits leader, will move into 24th all-time in Division II history for base hits with her 314th knock.
Carson-Newman ranks in the top 10 nationally in 10 offensive categories. The Eagles lead the nation in hits with 416. C-N ranks third in doubles (86), doubles per game (2.26) and runs scored (306). The Eagles clock in in fourth in triples (22). C-N ranks fifth in on-base percentage (.443) and batting average (.376). The Eagles are seventh in runs per game (8.05) and triples per game (.58). C-N is ninth in slugging (.565).
Macey Hughes is third in the country with 55 RBI this season. Hughes has four games this year with at least four RBI and three with five or more. If Hughes maintains her average of 1.44 RBI per game, she could catch Brittany Hefner (2013) for the most RBI in a single season in SAC and school history (75).
Hughes has hit 12 home runs this season, she has the 17th double-digit home run season in school history and is tied for fifth in school history for a single season with Sara Little, Bre Lockett, Sara Kelley, Mary Shealy and Erin Rutherford. Her 13th home run will move her into a tied with Lindsay Dean (2016) for fourth, while her 13th will draw her level with Elayna Siebert (2015) for third. Brittany Hefner (2013) holds the single-season record with 19.
Emily Harris and Leah Sohm are two of the most prodigious hitters in the country. Harris leads the nation with 64 knocks, while Sohm is fourth with 60. They are one and two in the league for most hits this season and have two of the four highest batting averages in the conference. Every Carson-Newman softball player who has tallied 69 or more hits in a season has been named an All-American.
Harris' .508 batting average is sixth in the nation. If the season were to end today, it would register as the second-highest batting average in program history. All-American and Hall of Famer Sammi Hatcher hit .524 (87-for-166) in 1992. • T
First pitch between Carson-Newman and Queens is set for noon Sunday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network is available at cneagles.com/live.
