JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (32-14, 12-10 South Atlantic Conference) will look to tie an orange and blue bow around the home careers of five seniors when No. 23 Lenoir-Rhyne (35-12, 17-5 SAC) arrives at the banks of Mossy Creek for a doubleheader at 1 p.m.
The Eagles control their own destiny for the South Atlantic Conference tournament and can clinch a spot with one win. The Eagles would also make it in if Tusculum or Newberry sweeps the other. C-N would be on the outside looking in if it got swept and the Pioneers and Wolves split their doubleheader.
The Eagles will look to send out Morgen Baker-Celis (Kentfield, Calif.), Emily Harris (Cumming, Ga.), Sara King (Cumming, Ga.), Grace Laws (Palmersville, Tenn.) and Leah Sohm (Knoxville, Tenn.) on a strong note.
Baker-Celis has been a key pitcher for the Eagles over the last four years, amassing three wins against teams ranked in the NFCA Top 30. She is 12-2 in the circle with 88 career strikeouts in 109.1 innings of work. Her 10 strikeouts in a relief outing at Wingate last year are the most by an Eagle reliever in the last 18 years.
Harris has cemented herself into C-N's record books in her lone season on Mossy Creek. The second baseman has 76 hits this season to rank fifth all-time. Her .494 batting average would be second in school history and third in SAC history if she maintains it. Harris tied a C-N and SAC record with a three-double day against Emmanuel. With 325 career hits, she ranks 16th all-time in NCAA Division II history.
King has amassed 335.2 innings in the circle across three institutions with 234 career strikeouts. The Cumming, Ga.-native has punched out 106 in her lone season at C-N. King has tallied a pair of double-digit strikeout performances this season against both Mars Hill and UVA Wise. She is 29-11 in the circle at Young Harris and Carson-Newman.
Laws has appeared in 44 games in her Carson-Newman career primarily as a pinch-runner. When she scores a run, Carson-Newman is 9-1 all-time, including a perfect 3-0 this year. She has played error free in those 44 games in the field.
Sohm will make her 187th career start at short against the Bears. One of the fastest players in C-N softball history, the Gibbs product is third all-time in school history with 85 steals. A lifetime .370 hitter, Sohm holds the school records for hits in a game with five and runs scored in a game, also with five.
Emily Harris, NCAA Division II's active hits leader, sits on 325 knocks coming into the doubleheader. With one more hit, she will move into the top 16 all-time in NCAA Division II history. She presently sits with the 16th most hits in Division II all-time. Her next knock will move her into a tie for 15th place and Kim Kouri, Augustana (SD) (1988-91)
Carson-Newman ranks in the top 10 nationally in nine offensive categories. C-N is second in the nation in doubles (100), doubles per game (2.17), runs scored (349) and hits (488). The Eagles are fifth in triples (23), while ranking seventh in batting average (.364) and eighth in scoring (7.59) and stolen bases (111).
Macey Hughes is fifth in the country with 60 RBI this season. Hughes has four games this year with at least four RBI and three with five or more. With two games remaining in the regular season, Hughes is 15 RBI away from Brittany Hefner's (2013) school and SAC record 75 RBI for a single season. Hughes is tied with Sara Kelley for the fifth most RBI in a single season in school history, two more and she'll draw level with Hall of Famer Whitney Hickam Cruze.
Hughes has hit 13 home runs this season, she has the 17th double-digit home run season in school history and is tied for fourth in school history for a single season with Lindsay Dean (2016) for fourth. Her 14th will draw her level with Elayna Siebert (2015) for third, while her 15th would put her even with Staci Fish (2001) for second. 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 76 knocks, while Sohm is 10th with 66. 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 is one hit away from Bri Shoemake (2011) and her 77 hits for the fifth most in a single season in Carson-Newman softball history. Only four players in program history have produced 80 or more hits in a year (Carol Zachary Mitchell, Kelli Hensley, Jessie Howard and Sammi Hatcher Chafin).
Carson-Newman has triple-digit stolen bases for the fifth time in school history (111-119). At present standing it's the best stolen base percentage in school history and the first season in school history highlighted by three players (Leah Sohm, Emily Harris and Natalie Corbin) who have all stolen at least 20 bases.
C-N's senior day festivities will start at 12:40 p.m. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. Coverage will be available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagels.com/live.
