Carson-Newman set to face No. 22 Northern Kentucky in weekend series
Feb. 13, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. -- The Carson-Newman baseball team enters this weekend's three-game series against nationally ranked Northern Kentucky looking to get back on the winning track.
C-N and Northern Kentucky will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m. The series will conclude on Sunday with a single game beginning at 1 p.m.
The Eagles (4-3) have lost three straight since opening the season 4-0. C-N let a pair of games slip away at Montevallo last Saturday and fell to Pfeiffer 10-3 on Wednesday. Against Montevallo, the Eagles held 4-0 and 4-1 leads in the games before the Falcons rallied late to earn the wins (6-4, 6-5).
Carson-Newman will need solid outings out of its weekend starters to take the pressure off a bullpen that has started slow. Senior Justin Higdon (Ooltewah, Tenn.) and junior Wes McIntyre (Chattanooga, Tenn.) will both make weekend starts. They've combined to allow just four earned runs in 24 combined innings, four combined starts, to date.
Junior Derek Long (Jefferson City, Tenn.) continues to be the key bat in the middle of the C-N lineup. The preseason first team All-South Atlantic Conference selection leads the team with 11 hits and 11 RBIs.
Northern Kentucky comes into Saturday's matchup ranked No. 22 in the latest Collegiate Baseball Division II poll. The Norse, which have yet to play a game this season, will rely heavily on a pair of All-Americans.
Senior outfielder Kevin Dusold and senior catcher Larry Pempek both earned preseason All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Dusold batted .343 with eight home runs and 55 RBIs in 2008, while Pempek batted .325 with 34 runs scored and 26 RBI.
The Eagles last played Northern Kentucky in a four-game series in 2002, winning three games.
