Eagles tabbed to finish fourth in SAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll
For the third consecutive year, C-N was picked fourth in the preseason poll
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman softball slotted in at fourth in the annual South Atlantic Conference preseason coaches' poll. The Eagles notched 99 points in the poll that was released by the league office on Tuesday morning.
This marks the third consecutive year that C-N was picked to finish fourth to begin the season.
"It's good that the other coaches think highly of our program, they know we lost a lot, but we also return some of the better players in the conference," head coach Michael Graves said. "They know we have the ability to reload our roster from year to year. In saying that, we still have to go out there and play the games."
The Eagles finished the 2025 season with a 28-20 record, just missing out on an NCAA Tournament bid. The three teams picked in front of C-N, and the one behind, all made it to the big dance last season.
Reigning SAC Champion, Lenoir-Rhyne, claimed the top spot with nine first-place votes and 130 points, edging Wingate, which sits seven points behind in second, taking the three other first-place votes.
C-N sits in the middle of a Volunteer State sandwich from spots three to five, separated by six points. Lincoln Memorial checks in at third with 101 and Tusculum takes fifth with 95 points.
After a drop in points, Anderson comes in at sixth with 79 points, with Emory & Henry five points behind in seventh. Catawba, 67, Mars Hill, 53, and Newberry, 47 points, round out the top ten. As UVA Wise and Coker close out the bottom of the poll
Graves and company are looking to return to the big dance for the first time since 2023.
"We lost a couple of games last year that we shouldn't have, and then we also gave a couple of games away that I felt we were the better team," Graves said. "If we can correct those issues from last year, I believe we will be in good shape to compete for the conference championship."
Carson-Newman opens the season on January 31st with the Carson-Newman Classic against Concord and Kentucky State. The opening game will be at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday against Concord from The Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex. Every home game can be heard on cneagles.com/live with live video available on the Eagle Sports Network.
| Rank | School (First-Place Votes) | Points |
| 1 | Lenior-Rhyne (9) | 130 |
| 2 | Wingate (3) | 123 |
| 3 | Lincoln Memorial | 101 |
| 4 | Carson-Newman | 99 |
| 5 | Tusculum | 95 |
| 6 | Anderson | 79 |
| 7 | Emory & Henry | 74 |
| 8 | Catawba | 67 |
| 9 | Mars Hill | 53 |
| 10 | Newberry | 47 |
| 11 | UVA Wise | 30 |
| 12 | Coker | 26 |
