Carson-Newman Softball Position Previews – The Battery
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – This is the final part of a three-part series chronicling the Eagle softball program’s position breakdown for the 2016 season as they seek to defend their South Atlantic Conference regular season crown. This feature breaks down the pitchers and catchers with the help of all-conference pitcher Lindsay Dean (Coeburn, Va.).
VIDEO: Lindsay Dean Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – This is the final part of a three-part series chronicling the Eagle softball program's position breakdown for the 2016 season as they seek to defend their South Atlantic Conference regular season crown. This feature breaks down the pitchers and catchers with the help of all-conference pitcher Lindsay Dean (Coeburn, Va.).
C-N loses first team All-SAC pitcher Sarah Howard and reliever Cassie Lyons, but starters Danielle Kranz (Fairfield, Calif.) and Dean are back.
Dean went 11-2 in the circle while also starting games at first as a utility player for C-N. She started 29 games between the two positions in her freshman season for the Eagles with C-N going 23-6 when she started.
Dean carried a 2.43 ERA, tied with fellow freshman Danielle Kranz for the best on the team. She worked a complete game on 10 occasions with three shutouts. Dean pitched 89.1 innings, allowing slightly less than a hit an inning with 85 allowed on the season.
She struck out 53 and allowed opponents to hit .250 off her. Dean set her career high for strikeouts by striking out nine against Fort Valley State (2/19).
Kranz led the Carson-Newman pitching staff and was fourth in the South Atlantic Conference with 133 strikeouts. She finished her freshman season with a 14-7 record and 2.43 ERA. Kranz worked a team-best 18 complete games, five of which were shutouts. She worked a five-inning no-hitter against Davis & Elkins (2/27).
She also picked up a pair of saves on the year. Kranz surrendered 95 hits in 118.1 innings of work. Opponents hit .213 off her. Kranz was 12-2 in the circle when she surrendered five hits or less. She struck out a career high 10 on two occasions, becoming the first Eagle pitcher to do so in four seasons. She fanned 10 against Erskine (2/13) and Concord (3/2).
The Eagles added depth to the staff in the offseason with juco transfer Alison Webster (Charlestown, Ind.) and former Carter Hornet Nicole Blackburn (Knoxville, Tenn.).
"Alli has awesome speed and movement while Nicole has great off speed stuff and location," Dean said. "Then you've got me and Danielle and we've worked really hard on our speed, movement and location for this upcoming season."
Webster comes to Carson-Newman as a transfer from Wabash Valley College. While with the Warriors, she went 39-7 while earning region player of the year honors as a sophomore. She was third in the NJCAA in strikeouts 254 and third in the country in strikeouts per game with 9.90. She had a 1.64 ERA and was a NJCAA All-American. Wabash College earned a conference championship in her freshman season while taking home as regional championship and a seventh place finish nationally in her sophomore campaign.
Prior to her stint at Wabash College, Webster starred for Charlestown High School as a four-year all-conference and all-area selection. She was the All-Area player of the year as a junior and senior and an All-State selection as a senior. She is the Pirates all-time record holder in career hits (161), doubles (37), homeruns (17), wins (66), shutouts (22) and no-hitters (10). She also is the only Charlestown softball player to have thrown a perfect game. She also touts a school record 813 career strikeouts.
Blackburn was a pitcher from Carter High School in Knoxville, Tenn. Her junior year, she helped Carter to a 34-12 record with 258 strikeouts in 249 innings pitched. She touted a 1.44 ERA with 14 shutouts, two no-hitters and four one-hitters. She's a two-time all-district selection and earned all-state honors in 2014. The Hornets were the 2014 regular season and tournament district champions.
The Eagles have Hayley Burnette (Rossville, Ga.) back behind the plate.
"I love having Hayley behind the plate," Dean said. "I trust her completely. She calls a great game and then has a great arm and fantastic blocking skills."
The South Atlantic Conference's best defensive catcher who threw out a league best 40 percent of the base runners who attempted to steal on her. Burnette played in all 52 games the Eagles played, starting 51.
She hit .227 with three doubles and eight runs batted in. Burnette collected her first ever three-hit game against Mars Hill (3/24). She also set her career high for total bases that game with four. She matched her career high for runs batted in on two occasions with two against Tusculum (4/16) and Lees-McRae (2/28). She set her career high for runners caught stealing by gunning down two against both Limestone (2/14) and Lees-McRae (2/28).
The Eagles open their season Feb. 4 at 1:30 p.m. at The Vick against Lees-McRae.
