C-N celebrates 13 seniors with series sweep of Coker
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – It was a happy senior day for Carson-Newman (27-17, 16-14 SAC) as it swept its final home South Atlantic Conference series of the season with Saturday wins of 9-5 and 8-0 over Coker (12-32, 9-21 SAC) at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 5 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | X | 9 | 10 | 0 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | X | 8 | 10 | 1 |
VIDEO: Trace Alexander Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – It was a happy senior day for Carson-Newman (27-17, 16-14 SAC) as it swept its final home South Atlantic Conference series of the season with Saturday wins of 9-5 and 8-0 over Coker (12-32, 9-21 SAC) at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
Carson-Newman honored 13 of its seniors prior to the game and was able to play 11 throughout the game with many making impacts in the doubleheader sweep.
"They (the seniors) are a great group of young men," Carson-Newman head coach Tom Griffin said. "They are great representatives of their families, of our baseball program, with the way they carry themselves on and off the field. We have strong young men of faith, character, and integrity. I could not be more prouder. It's a community of people involved in their development to prepare them for eternal life and then for life. We get to use baseball as that vehicle, it's the greatest vehicle you could have."
The series sweep is Carson-Newman's second of the year and first at home. It's the first series win over Coker since 2021, and the first home series win and sweep of the Cobras since 2019.
"We were fortunate to sweep this series because that is a good Coker club," Griffin said. "Game one with the hitting and then Brock Culpepper and James Salicco were good out of the bullpen. Culpepper has been really solid on Fridays for us. That was good and then Kolton (Casson) was really effective. Jacob Rogers and him have been really good together, Jacob had a nice day calling the game and offensively as well. A lot of positive things from today's sweep."
Game One: Carson-Newman 9, Coker 5
The first game of the day was a pitcher's duel. Ryan Higgins (Spotsylvania, Va.) saw the Cobras load the bases with two outs against him in the second, but escaped the inning by getting Gavin Edens to hit into a fielder's choice.
After stranding the bases loaded in the second, the Cobras threatened again in the third. But, the Eagles defense helped Higgins pitch a scoreless third. With runners at first and second, Cole Nathan (Knoxville, Tenn.) caught a line drive and started a double play, throwing to Johno Pierce (Knoxville, Tenn.) for an out at second to end the inning.
"JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED" @Andrew_Rogers35 @ColeNathan7 to Pierce on a double play ‼️
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) April 18, 2026
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Carson-Newman's first real chance to score was in the third. The Eagles moved two runners into scoring position, but could not scratch across a run.
C-N would finally break through in the fourth inning. Braxton Smith (Cleveland, Tenn.) poked his first of two doubles into left center to score Tanner Kilgore (Kingsport, Tenn.) and it was 1-0. Two batters later, senior Ryan Bolton (Knoxville, Tenn.) singled the first pitch through the right side for a two-out knock to make it a 2-0 game.
Coker responded back with a two-run fifth. Two-out knocks from Luke Miller and Gavin Johnson leveled the score back in the fifth.
The Eagles took the lead back in the bottom of the fifth and never relinquished it. Kilgore reached base after a dropped fly ball by Coker's center fielder, who then committed a throwing error to allow Soto Diaz to score and it was 3-2. Smith's second double in as many innings extended the lead to 5-2, doubling to left to cap a three-run fifth.
The Cobras answered with two runs in the top of the sixth. Edens singled in a run and a RBI groundout made it a 5-4 game in the middle of the sixth.
Carson-Newman took full control of the game in the home half of the sixth inning. A single and two walks loaded the bases for the Eagles. Bradley Soto Diaz (Davenport, Fla.) worked a six pitch at bat, resulting in a walk to drive in a run. Kilgore was next and flew out to deep right to plate a second run and the lead was 7-4. Nathan followed, capping the frame with a two-run single through the right side to finish off a four-run inning that put C-N ahead 9-4.
C-N's pitching staff pitched well all day with Coker runners on base. Senior Brock Culpepper (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) saw the bases get loaded in the seventh, but the second double play of the game and a fielder's choice helped him pitch a scoreless inning and strand the bases loaded.
The Cobras left two more men on base in the eighth. Senior James Salicco (Waxhaw, N.C.) worked around a leadoff walk and two-out single, by getting Coker's cleanup hitter to fly out to keep the lead at five entering the ninth inning.
As they did all day, the Cobras applied pressure in the ninth. They started the ninth with a double and drew a walk. Denver Slifka (Knoxville, Tenn.) came in and limited the damage, with just one run scoring in the ninth on a sac fly to seal a series win to begin the day.
Five innings of two-run ball earned Higgins his second win of the season, striking out three in the start. Culpepper, Salicco and Slifka all had scoreless outings out of the C-N bullpen.
Offensively, Smith's two hits and three RBI led the way. Nathan was right there with him with two hits and two RBI as well.
Overall, C-N was outhit 14-10 in the game. The difference was C-N's ability to pitch when Coker's batters reached base. The Cobras went 4-17 at the plate with runners in scoring position.
Coker starter Casey Cleghorn suffered his seventh loss of the season, tossing five innings of four-run ball with five strikeouts. The bullpen allowed the other four runs.
Game Two: Carson-Newman 8, Coker 0
The final game of the series had an early pitching and defensive feel to it. Carson-Newman turned a double play in the first and helped Casson get through the first two innings scoreless. Offensively though, C-N was held without a hit in the first two frames.
The Eagles offense came alive in the fourth, thanks to production at the bottom of the order. Eight hitter Jacob Rogers (Dandridge, Tenn.) singled and nine hitter Ryan Bolton both reached to begin the inning and Floyd singled to load the bases. Four runs would score thanks to the next three batters. Gibson drew a bases loaded, four-pitch walk to begin the score. Soto Diaz was drilled by a 2-1 pitch to make the score 2-0. And then just the third hit of the inning drove in two, as Sebastian Rodriguez (Greensboro, N.C.) singled to center to cap a four-run third inning.
Kolton Casson (Benton, Tenn.) found a groove despite some freebies issued throughout his 11th start of the season. A pair of runners reached in the fourth, but he recorded a three-pitch strikeout to blank the Cobras again.
Coker's first and only hit off Casson came from Peter Adams, the leadoff batter in the fifth. Another C-N double play, fourth of the doubleheader wiped away the fifth inning hit.
Carson-Newman's offense would provide the necessary runs to feel good about a series sweep in the fifth. Nathan singled in two runs with a bases loaded knock. Senior Kylan Hornbuckle (Boaz, Ala.) finished off the scoring for the day, with a two-run single to right to ballon the advantage to 8-0 after five innings.
Casson closed out his seventh career scoreless outing by pitching a scoreless sixth inning. He earned his eighth win of the year and 21st of the season by allowing just one hit and striking out three.
6⃣ SCORELESS OF ONE HIT BALL BY @koltoncasson11 ⚡️⚡️
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) April 18, 2026
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Senior Trace Alexander (Douglasville, Ga.) put together a great senior day performance. He recorded pinch-hit singles in each game of the doubleheader, singling in the sixth inning of the finale to cap a two for two effort on senior day.
A SENIOR DAY SWEEP AND SERIES SWEEP ������
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) April 18, 2026
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"We grind everyday," Alexander said. "No matter if you are a starter, second string, third or fourth string. We get after it everyday and I think that is what prepared me for this game today."
Another senior Jacob Rogers (Dandridge, Tenn.) was one of three Eagles with a multi-hit day in the series finale. He went two for three and called a terrific game behind the plate to help his team to a fourth shutout in 2026.
"The success at the plate comes down to preparation," Rogers said. "I worked a lot with Coach Griff this year defensively as well. Just having confidence knowing that I can do it when I go in there. Seeing the ball, hitting the ball and having approach to let the game do its thing."
Hornbuckle, Nathan and Rodriguez all had multi-RBI days in the game that clinched C-N's second series sweep of the year.
Carson-Newman's final home game of the 2026 season is on Tuesday afternoon against Shorter. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. A video stream is available with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/flobase. The game can be heard on cneagles.com/live. Fans can also watch the radio crew at work with a feed of press row on YouTube.
