JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (9-5) takes its second and third true road trips on Sunday and Monday, heading to Georgia to square off with southeast region foes Columbus State and Shorter.
The Eagles' lone other true road trip came earlier in February at Lander, where C-N fell in a pitcher's duel with the Bearcats.
C-N at Columbus State, Sunday at 1 p.m. (DH)
Carson-Newman starts its road trip on Sunday at Columbus State (9-1), and the Cougars come into the matchups with one of the better records in the southeast region but, according to Inkblot, holds a middle-of-the-road standing in RPI due to a weak strength of schedule.
CSU's lone defeat came in the season's second game, falling to Newberry. The Cougars took two of three from the Wolves and won eight in a row with sweeps over Union, Albany State, and Shorter.
Offensively, Columbus State sits in the middle of the pack in the Peach Belt Conference. The Cougars' .317 team batting average puts them 5th, right behind Lander and ahead of Augusta. CSU's offense averages 6.3 runs per contest, which is also in the middle of the pack in the Peach Belt.
The Cougars' overwhelming strength comes in the circle, boasting a 2.12 team ERA, the best in the Peach Belt. CSU has also allowed the least amount of hits in the league (49) while striking out the fourth most batters (60). Opposing teams are hitting .208 against the Cougars, which is by far the best mark in the conference.
The Cougars are led offensively by Anna Waites and Nova Wright, each hitting .333. Wright leads the Cougars with 12 RBIs, while Waites leads the team in slugging percentage (.567). Gracyn Gurley, despite appearing in eight games, leads the team in batting average (.367). Holly Lynn is the only other double-digit run producer, cashing in ten across the seven games she has played.
Julianna Franklin and Lily Miller are the top two arms contributing to CSU's league-leading ERA. Through six starts, Franklin holds an unblemished 6-0 record with four complete games, posting a 0.95 ERA across 36.2 innings of work. She's struck out 37 hitters while only walking ten. Lily Miller has also had a nice start to 2025, holding a 3-1 record and a 1.67 ERA across 21 innings. Franklin and Miller have thrown all but five innings this season for Columbus State.
The Eagles and the Cougars will match up for the 12th and 13th times in a series that dates back to 2010. CSU holds a 6-5 edge through 11 matchups. C-N and CSU last played in 2023, and the Eagles used a late single from SieAnna Cameron (Alcoa, Tenn.) to gain the one-run advantage and win 2-1.
The Eagles and the Cougars start at 1 p.m. for the first of two on Sunday in Columbus, Georgia.
C-N at Shorter, Monday at 3 p.m. (DH)
C-N concludes its road trip on Monday at Shorter (2-10), squaring off with a Hawks squad with their fair share of struggles through their first 12 games.
Shorter dropped its first eight games in 2025 before a doubleheader sweep over Allen University on February 15th, outscoring AU 22-2 in the two matchups. Since then, the Hawks dropped a pair of games at Columbus State and have two games on Saturday afternoon against Wesleyan College before hosting C-N.
The Hawks rank 14th in the Conference Carolinas in batting average, hitting .243 in their first 11 games. Shorter is also bottom tier in the league regarding team ERA, posting a 6.58 mark. However, the Hawks rank near the top of the conference in walks, allowing 14 free passes.
Offensively, Shorter's top hitter is Abby Brown, hitting .345 with six RBIs in ten starts. Alex Hollingsworth is the Hawks' top run producer, scoring seven early in the 2025 season. No Hawk has entered double digits in RBIs.
Three arms have combined in the circle for most of the Hawks' innings. Alana Loyd leads the team in innings pitched, tossing 23 innings and posting a 6.70 ERA. Rylee Gattis leads the Hawks with a 4.20 ERA across 15 innings, recording a win. Valery Baxter has thrown 14.1 innings, posting an 8.30 ERA. She has two complete games, the highest tally on the staff.
It will be the third and fourth all-time meetings between C-N and Shorter, a series that the Eagles have dominated. C-N has won both prior matchups, outscoring the Hawks 30-6. The last matchup came in 2023 when C-N defeated Shorter 13-0 in five innings. Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) and SieAnna Cameron had multi-RBI days, accounting for seven of C-N's 13 runs. Bailey launched a pair of long balls, both two-run shots.
It was a five-inning no-hitter for Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.), striking out nine in a 92-pitch complete game.
C-N and Shorter get underway on Monday at 3 p.m., with a second game to follow.
A live stream of the Columbus State doubleheader will be available on the Peach Belt Network, while the Shorter twin-bill will be live on the Conference Carolinas Digital Network. Live stats will be available at cneagles.com/livestats.
For updates throughout the 2025 Carson-Newman softball season, visit cneagles.com and follow us on social media @cn_eagles.
