Eagles Set to Host SAC Rival Tusculum in Weekend Series
March 20, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. -- The Carson-Newman baseball team will face South Atlantic Conference rival Tusculum in a three-game series over the weekend at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
The Eagles and Pioneers will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon. The series will conclude on Sunday with a single game at 1 p.m.
C-N (16-11, 2-6 SAC) enters the contest coming off a 9-8 victory over Anderson University on Thursday in which junior Mills Rogers (Simpsonville, S.C.) delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game.
The Eagles have won three out of their last four contests but have struggled during the early part of their SAC schedule, losing series to Newberry, Lincoln Memorial and Catawba.
C-N will be squaring off against one of the hottest teams in the nation. The 13th-ranked Pioneers (18-9) have won 10 out of their last 12 games and are a perfect 9-0 in conference play.
Eagles coach Tom Griffin knows his team must play sound baseball over the weekend to have a chance at picking up some much-needed SAC wins.
"For us every conference game is big because we are next to last in the conference," Griffin said. "We are just trying to get in. They are sitting there undefeated and are playing great baseball. They are on fire right now."
"On paper we don't have a chance in this thing. I hope we will compete, but they have all of the bullets. We are going into the battle with a pencil sharpener."
The key for the Eagles will be manufacturing offense against the Pioneers' pitching staff. Tusculum has the second best team ERA in the conference with a 3.39 ERA.
Leading the way for the Pioneers on the mound is preseason All-SAC second team selection C.J. Hillyer. The senior from Abingdon, Mass. is 3-1 on the season with a conference best 1.99 ERA and 29 strikeouts.
"They've got a great pitching staff," said Griffin, whose team went 2-3 against the Pioneers last season. "Not only their starters but their bullpen is very solid also. They are a solid team."
