C-N softball’s NCAA tourney journey opens with familiar foe
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Sixth-seeded Carson-Newman (31-16) opens up its time in NCAA regional play with against 25th-ranked and third-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne (36-12) Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at host Wingate and the WU Softball Complex.
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VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
VIDEO: Carmen Holt Interview
Southeast Regional Tournament Central
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Sixth-seeded Carson-Newman (31-16) opens up its time in NCAA regional play with against 25th-ranked and third-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne (36-12) Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at host Wingate and the WU Softball Complex.
Lenoir-Rhyne represents Carson-Newman's second-most frequent opponent. Heading into the 91st meeting all-time, the Eagles lead the all-time series 54-36. Carson-Newman last squared off with the Bears in the regionals in 2018 when LR eliminated C-N. Carson-New- man is 2-2 all-time in NCAA regional play against the Bears. Both wins came in 2009 en route to C-N's lone super regional appearance.
The winner of the Carson-Newman/Lenoir-Rhyne game plays at 11 a.m. Friday against the winner of the No. 2 Wingate/No. 7 Francis Marion game. The losers of those two games square off in an elimination game at 1:30 p.m. Friday.
"We're obviously excited," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "This was one of our goals at the beginning of the year. We're thrilled to be here and excited to see where it goes for us."
Carson-Newman has won a game in three of its last five trips to regionals. The Eagles picked up wins over Augusta 6-3 in 2015, Georgia College 2-1 in 2018 and run-ruled Anderson 13-0 in 2019. Carson-Newman was two-and-out of the regional in 2017 and 2022.
Go inside @cnsball's watch party as the Eagles find out they are NCAA tournament bound for the 17th time in school history. #TalonsUp pic.twitter.com/tikGHNr8MR
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) May 8, 2023
The Eagles are looking for their second ever appearance Super Regional appearance and the first since 2009. Carson-Newman opened that 2009 tournament with a 6-5 win over USC Aiken before defeating the host Lenoir-Rhyne Bears twice, 6-4 and 2-1 before heading to top-ranked North Georgia, where the Eagles fell 6-3 and 1-0 to the Nighthawks.
The other half of C-N's regional site features Wingate and Francis Marion. Carson-Newman and Wingate have faced off 94 times alltime, including in last year's regional. The Eagles lead the all-time series 57-36. Wingate beat C-N last year in postseason play 3-1. That is the lone regional meeting between the two schools.
Francis Marion has a narrow 6-5 lead on C-N in the schools' series history. The two teams haven't played since 2011. The Eagles won all three meetings against the Patriots that year FMU owns three region- al wins over C-N, knocking the Eagles out of the 2010 regionals and handing the Eagles a 4-3 loss in 2008.
Macey Hughes sits in eighth place in Carson-Newman history for career home runs with 24, she is tied with Mandy Stevens. . Next up on the all-time list is Lisa Rogers, who had 26 from 2003-06.
Hughes has moved into the top 10 all-time for RBI. She is tied with Rebecca Eldredge (1998-2001) who sits in ninth with 135. Mary Shealey (2009-12) is in eighth with 138. Hughes is three away from equaling her output.
Freshman Macauley Bailey leads the country in runs batted in per game with 1.43. The single-season SAC and school record for RBI in a season is 75, held by Carson-Newman's Brittany Hefner (2013). Bailey's 67 RBI this season sit in fourth in school history. Two more and she matches Hall of Famer and All-American Whitney Hickam (2008) for third all-time.
Bailey has socked 15 home runs this season, the most ever by a Carson-Newman freshman. She is four away from Brittany Hefner's single-season record of 19 set in 2013.
First pitch between the Eagles and Bears is slated for 3:30 p.m. Thursday. Fans can follow along with live updates of the game on Twitter at @CN_Eagles.
