January 26, 2025

Carson-Newman Baseball Position Previews: Infielders

We continue our preview of the 2025 Carson-Newman baseball team with a dive into this year’s infielders with help from sophomore infielder Logan Floyd.

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – We continue our preview of the 2025 Carson-Newman baseball team with a dive into this year's infielders with help from sophomore infielder Logan Floyd.

Floyd is the only returning all-conference selection from 2024. In his freshman season, he batted a team-best .356 at the plate and had 16 multi-hit efforts including five games with three or more hits. Floyd became just the 10th third baseman to be an all-conference selection in program history. He concluded the year with five home runs and was second on the team in RBI with 47.

The preseason all-conference pick was also an all-defensive team selection in 2024. He became just the 3rd third baseman to be an All-SAC defender joining Brandon Roberts and Brett Langhorne. He had the highest fielding percentage among third baseman in the conference at .975 and made just two errors in 80 total chances.

"I just want to thank God for blessing me to do that last year," Floyd said. "It wasn't always sunny. First half of the year I struggled a little bit and then the second half I had a really good year. It was all about confidence. Building that confidence and realizing that you are as good as these guys. That is something really important for freshman and new guys coming in."

C-N loses Harrison Travis, who started 41 games at first base and hit a team-high 13 home runs but does return every else in its infield. The most experienced infielder that returns is junior Aiden Gibson (Cleveland, Tenn.). Becoming C-N's everyday shortstop, Gibson finished his second year in the Orange and Blue with a .259 batting average appearing in 49 of the team's 50 games.

"Aiden helped me a lot last year," Floyd said. "He talked to me a lot when I was trying to build that confidence at third."

Along with Floyd, there are three other sophomore infielders that will vie for time this season. Tanner Kilgore (Kingsport, Tenn.) played in 27 games as a freshman and hit .273 at the plate. He drove in 11 runs in 55 at bats. Cole Nathan (Knoxville, Tenn.) had a .265 batting average and reached base 41 percent of the time. In his 16 starts at second base, C-N was 9-7. Evan Mutter (Bristol, Tenn.) rounds out this group of sophomores. He had two hits in eight at bats and scored a pair of runs.

Juniors Colby Abbott (Louisville, Tenn.) and Trace Alexander (Douglasville, Ga) are upperclassmen that round out the returning infielders.

"It's great having a lot of returners back," Floyd said. "It's like a brotherhood out there. I think the infield group has a chance to be the backbone of this team. I really hope that it is."

Headlining the group of newcomers is Lake Sumter-State transfer Ryan Jenkins (Winter Haven, FL.). Earlier this fall, Jenkins was named Fall World Series MVP after recording multiple hits in three of the five games including a hit in each contest. This past season at Lake Sumter State, the infielder was the Lakehawks' everyday shortstop, hitting .383 at the plate and recording 75 hits and drove in 40 runs. He was a 2024 All-Sun Lake Conference First team infielder.

"He is very confident," Floyd said. "You can tell when a guy is batting if they are really confident in their abilities. He has a good presence in the box and it shows. Fielding wise he is really smooth and fields the ball clean."

Two other late additions to the infield include Chazz Crook (Orem, UT) and Julian Hines (Glendora, Ca.). Crook comes to C-N, most recently from Waubonsee Community College where he spent the past two seasons. While Hines joins the Eagles infield from East Tennessee State.

"It's hard to jump into the program and learn," Floyd said. "I think these guys have done well at it. I think a lot of these new guys have a chance to help us on the depth side.

Our Carson-Newman baseball position previews wrap up on Tuesday with a look at the outfielders with help from senior Spencer Williams.