Carson-Newman gears up for the upcoming 2026 season
The Eagles open the season on January 31 with the Carson-Newman Classic against Concord and Kentucky State
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The countdown is on as the softball season for Carson-Newman kicks off at the end of January and features four NCAA Tournament teams from 2025, all of them hailing from the South Atlantic Conference.
The Eagles concluded last season with a 28-20 record and finished fifth in the SAC with a 13-11 conference mark. In the opening round of the SAC Tournament, it knocked off the fourth-seed and rival Tusculum to punch its ticket to championship weekend, before falling to No. 25 Wingate and Lincoln Memorial to see its season end.
The early window of the season sees head coach Michael Graves' team hit the road for three different non-conference jamborees.
"We tried to put together a quality schedule that also had a lot of games early before conference play. We are starting not only a lot of new people but a lot of young players. We recruited these kids to come in and play right away, so that's what we are going to do with them," Graves said. "These tournaments in February are going to give them some more time to get ready for what our conference is going to throw at them from the start."
Carson-Newman begins its 2026 campaign at home, hosting the Carson-Newman Classic against Concord and Kentucky State on January 31st and February 1st. The season-opening game is slated for 10:30 a.m. on the 31st versus Concord. The Eagles went 3-0 last season against the Thorobreds and Mountain Lions in the opener.
A week later, C-N hits the road for the Big Region Preseason Preview in Johnson City, Tennessee, on February 7th and 8th. It features matchups with Converse from the Conference Carolinas and three from the Mountain East, including Glenville State, Davis & Elkins, and Concord, once again.
The Eagles stay in-state against King on February 10th before heading to Hardeeville, South Carolina, for the Low Country Classic on February 13th and 14th. The trip to the Palmetto State sets up dates with Erskine and USC Beaufort on both days.
In a six-day window, Carson-Newman will play eight games, first at Shorter on February 18th, and it returns to Mossy Creek to take on Milligan and Barton in back-to-back days on February 21st and 22nd. The flurry of games finishes with a road trip to Converse, after seeing them earlier in the month.
C-N concludes February and transitions to March at the Triangle Classic in Raleigh, North Carolina, from February 27th to March 1st. On the first day, the Eagles will face Pitt-Johnstown and Frostburg State. Day two features matchups with Mount Olive and Lincoln (PA), before ending with games against Bluefield State and Indiana (PA). The non-conference slate wraps up on March 4th against in-state opponent Lee.
"I think from top to bottom, our conference is one of the toughest in the country for softball. There are no easy games," Graves said. "If you don't come ready to play against the so-called bottom teams in the conference, you are going to come away with a disappointing outcome. Every game matters because if you want to win a championship, you can't slip up in the SAC."
South Atlantic Conference play begins at home for Carson-Newman against UVA Wise on March 10th. The rest of March favors the Eagles well with home games against Wingate, Anderson and Mars Hill, as well as short road trips to Lincoln Memorial and Tusculum. However, when the calendar flips to April, the same fortune does not initially follow, as C-N has three consecutive road trips to Newberry, Catawba and Coker from April 1st to 11th.
"We do have the early rivalry road trips to start conference play that give us an opportunity to not only help ourselves, but it can also put us in an uphill climb early," Graves said. "If you come out fired up and get game one, you got to mentally and physically find that again for game two. Splits in the SAC will have you fighting for a spot in the tournament late in the year. We don't want to find ourselves in that position."
The Eagles close out the season with back-to-back home meetings with Emory & Henry on April 15th and then against the reigning SAC Champion Lenoir-Rhyne on the 25th.
Carson-Newman will once again eye a postseason trip with the Opening Round of the SAC Tournament on May 1st and 2nd, and the Championship Series is the next week, beginning on May 7th.
"We want to get our team back to NCAA Regionals, and we are still pretty upset we weren't included last year," Graves said. "It's a great opportunity to play in such a tough conference that gives you these types of games. Our job is to go win them. If we do that, it will be a great year."
For updates throughout the Carson-Newman softball season, visit cneagles.com and follow us on social media @cn_eagles.
