VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman softball begins its 2025 campaign at home, welcoming in non-conference opponents Kentucky State and Concord on Saturday and Sunday.

"We've been hitting it really well in practice when we had a chance to get out on the field," head coach Michael Graves said. "It has been zero degrees, so when we had the chance to get on the field, the defense had also been there pretty good. We're excited and ready to get going."

The weather will not be an issue for the Eagles and the Kentucky State Thorobreds when they take the field at 1 p.m. on Saturday, as the forecast shows a 50-degree partly cloudy day for softball.

"In the past couple of years, we've gone south to open the season," Graves said. "It's supposed to be nice on Saturday and in the 60s on Sunday, so we're looking forward to that."

C-N's start to the season widely differs from last season, spending most of February on the road. The Eagles will spend the greater part of February at home this season, starting with the matchups against Concord and Kentucky State.

"I think nerves-wise, it's always a lot easier to play at home," Graves said. "We're getting to play a lot of games at home instead of traveling on the road the whole time. It seemed like we were on a bus so much last year in February. Hopefully, it is a good change for us."

Coming into the season, Graves mostly knows what to expect from his returning sluggers, such as Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.), Hayden Dye (Knoxville, Tenn.), and Brooklyn Lucero (Loma, Colo.), but the newcomers, both freshmen and transfers, excite him as well.

"I've got a couple of freshmen coming in," Graves said. "Regan [Rowan] and Katey [Mathena] have both been dealing with injuries… Bringing in Santana [Anderson] will help us both offensively and defensively. She is a very underrated outfielder and infielder… She can play both corners, which gives us many options."

C-N also welcomes back impact players SieAnna Cameron (Alcoa, Tenn.) and Riley Sikes (Powell, Tenn.), both of which were part of the top groups in the country and their respective positions in 2023 before suffering injuries.

Cameron was second in the SAC in batting average (.460) in the 2023 regular season, accumulating 19 multi-hit efforts in her junior season. Sikes ranked in the top 10 in the nation in the fewest walks in 2023, dealing just seven free passes.

"SieAnna [Cameron] is a gamer," Graves said. "I think she looks pretty good, and she has been hitting some good balls…  She is one of those kids who likes to compete, and she likes the challenge of playing against someone other than her teammates… Sometimes, Riley can be too consistent… We've been talking a lot about changing the little things up and not being so consistent when we fall behind in counts."

C-N squares off with Kentucky State on Saturday for just the third all-time matchup between the two schools. The Eagles dominated the Thorobreds a season ago, surrendering only two runs in a doubleheader sweep.

The first game included a perfect game from C-N's Emma Frost in an 8-0 win, who now serves as a graduate assistant on the staff. The Eagles mashed three home runs, two coming from returners Macauley Bailey and Hayden Dye.

The second game, an 11-2 win, featured four of the six innings pitched by returners Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) and Lexi Lacy (Anaheim Hills, Calif.), combining to allow four hits and two earned runs while striking out four. Dye homered again, giving her a two-homer day in the doubleheader sweep over the Thorobreds.

"Their coach does a good job, and he's getting them better all the time," Graves said. "Emma [Frost] controlled them last year. She didn't give them a chance to do anything, so we didn't really get to see what they were capable of. It'll be a unique experience, especially for our first game."

Concord presents a different challenge on Sunday as the two teams square off for the 16^th and 17^th time in a doubleheader. The Eagles own a four-game win streak over the Mountain Lions, but retaining that streak did not come easy in the two-game set in 2024.

The Eagles cruised in game one, powered by another complete game from Frost. C-N got on the board early with a Bailey two-run blast in the first and didn't look back. Brooklyn Lucero (Loma, Colo.), Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.), and Abbi Martin (Gadsden Ala.) all ripped RBI knocks to power C-N to victory.

Game two featured offensive fireworks from both sides in a tightly contested 9-7 C-N win. The Eagles found themselves trailing by a run heading to the bottom of the 5^th after Morgan Gleason scored one on a fielder's choice RBI groundout. However, C-N responded in a big way with a five-run bottom of the 5^th. Dye cashed in one on an RBI single before Wynter Morris (Crozet, Va.) brought in two on an RBI knock to put C-N on top, 8-4. Dye would give the Eagles an insurance run in the 6^th, and despite a late Concord push, C-N prevailed.

"Emma [Frost] handled them well in the first game and didn't give them much of a chance to get anything going," Graves said. "We weren't as fortunate in game two, and they were a scrappy bunch… They're returning nine hits from last year against us and two pitchers who pitched against us last year. They will be familiar with our team. We've just got to keep them off base and pitch well, better than what we did against them last year in game two."

The Eagles and Thorobreds will kick off the 2025 season on Saturday at 1 p.m., shortly followed by a matchup between Kentucky State and Concord. Sunday will feature a doubleheader between C-N and Concord, starting at 10:30 a.m.

All games will be broadcast live on cneagles.com/live and, depending on the status of the ongoing internet outage may be streamed live on FloSports ($).

For updates throughout the Carson-Newman softball season, visit cneagles.com and follow us on social media @cn_eagles.