JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (20-14, 10-4 South Atlantic Conference) will contend with one of the hottest teams in the Southeast Region when Anderson (22-12, 11-1 SAC) comes to Mossy Creek for a 1 p.m. doubleheader Thursday.
After a 5-10 start, the Trojans have lost just once since the calendar turned to March. The Trojans have won 15 of their last 16 games. AU put together a 13-game win streak to start the month of March before falling to Tusculum 8-4 on March 27. Meanwhile, Carson-Newman has dropped four of its last five games after winning 10 straight. The Eagles sit in third place in the SAC standings, a game in front of Lenoir-Rhyne. The Trojans are tied atop the table with No. 12 Wingate, who swept Carson-Newman Saturday.
"We haven't been putting a good product on the field here of late and that's on me," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "I've either got to make changes or get the kids better. We have to be better disciplined in the box with Laken Maxwell and Morgen coming back here. They are both good. We have to figure out the batter's box, strike zone."
Thursday marks the return of Morgen Baker-Celis to Mossy Creek. With one of the best change ups in the South Atlantic Conference, Baker-Celis boasted a four-year ERA of 2.76 with 108 strikeouts against just 29 walks in her time at C-N. She has 83 strikeouts in her CoVID grad year with the Trojans and a 3.76 ERA that drops to 2.26 in league play. She has a pair of double-digit punchout performances this year for AU.
Anderson has the two-time reigning SAC Pitcher of the Week Laken Maxwell Cooking. Maxwell leads the SAC is third nationally with 158 strikeouts this season. Her six shutouts are fifth nationally.
Macey Hughes sits in sixth place in Carson-Newman history for career home runs with 27. She sits tied with Hall of Famer Whitney, while All-American Brittany Hefner is in fifth with 28, while All-American Abby Fiessinger is two bombs away with 29. Sara Kelley (2010-14) holds the program's all-time record with 35. Hughes is also top five all-time in RBI with 159. She is two away from All-American catcher Bri Shoemake and fourth place with 161.
With 11 home runs this season, Brooke Matyasovsky and Macauley Bailey lead the South Atlantic Conference in jacks. They both rank 13th nationally. The nation's leader - Valdosta State's Abby Sulte - has 22 home runs. Matyasovsky has 21 career home runs for the Orange and Blue - the 14th player in school history with 20. She has hit 62 home runs in her collegiate career - the seventh most among active players in all divisions and the most of any player actively playing in NCAA Division II.
Bailey has clobbered 26 home runs in her career. She sits a spot away from tying Macey Hughes for sixth all-time. Bailey and Brittany Hefner are the only players in school history with more than 25 home runs in two years. This marks the first time in program history Carson-Newman has three active players with 20 career home runs (Hughes, Bailey and Matyasovsky).
First pitch between the Eagles and Trojans is slated for 1 p.m. Thursday. Coverage will be available on the Eagle Sports Network
