December 23, 2024

Eight tournament teams on C-N's 2025 slate

Carson-Newman head baseball coach Tom Griffin has officially released his team’s schedule for the upcoming 2025 season.

2025 Carson-Newman Baseball Schedule

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman head baseball coach Tom Griffin has officially released his team's schedule for the upcoming 2025 season.

Coach Griffin readies for his 20th season as the head coach at Carson-Newman and for his 28th season overall as a head coach. Overall, this will be year 35 coaching baseball.

"At this point in my career, you really appreciate each year more," Griffin said. "I've always enjoyed every year. The biggest fear a baseball or softball coach has is that they go home for break for five weeks, what do they do while they are home? When they come back, we will have three weeks to get ready for the season. The things we have done all fall has to continue, or we will take a step back. We hope we have laid the foundation for them of how to do things."

Similar to 2024, Carson-Newman has a home-heavy start to the year. 12 of first 18 games are at home, a stretch which also includes 9 of the first 11 games starting with King on Jan 31, the second time ever starting a season in Jan, the first coming in 2004.

"It's always an advantage to play at home," Griffin said. "There is a lot more comfort to it of course and that helps a lot. Having those home games are nice. The opponents and coaches we have, I respect them a lot and I think they do things the right way."

During that home-heavy start, C-N will welcome Charleston (W.V.) to the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex Feb 7-9, for the second-ever series between the two programs. UC is coming off a 44-win season, its winningest season in program history and earned a spot in the NCAA regional tournament.

Exactly one month later, the Eagles will serve as host to Florida Southern for the first time in Mossy Creek and also the second-ever series between the two sides. The Mocs program is one of the best in DII, having won nine national championships with the most recent one coming in 2005.

"Florida Southern is one of the top division two programs in the country," Griffin said. "It's going to be a good test for us. I'm glad it is up here in Jefferson City and that we don't have to go down to Florida. Charleston has been a great program as well. Years before Robby Britt, then him and now they are continuing that success. They have been really great in developing players."

The usual non-conference foes headline C-N's midweek contests. Four of the first five midweek games are on the road including eight of the 12 midweek games overall. C-N will play home and away midweeks with Lee, Shorter and Tusculum throughout the four-month long schedule. Carson-Newman's first home midweek game is Feb. 26 versus Young Harris. The Eagles will make trips to Trevecca Nazarene and Alabama Huntsville as well. Not counting league games, C-N will play six games versus NCAA regional teams from 2024.

"It's crucial to test yourselves and get the reps," Griffin said. "In general, we have not been a very good midweek team. Shorter, Young Harris and Lee we have had trouble beating in midweeks. We have to do a better job preparing for all of our games. This fall, we really focused on every day this is who we have today. This practice today is a midweek game against Shorter. We have really focused on the mental side of it."

Carson-Newman's conference schedule begins on Feb 14-15 at home versus Emory & Henry. Other home series' include Lincoln Memorial, UVA Wise, Lenoir-Rhyne and Mars Hill, the latter of which caps the 2025 regular season.

Five conference road series are on tap, starting with Newberry on Feb. 21-22. C-N will play back-to-back road weekend series against Limestone and Anderson in mid-March. The final two road series' of the year come against the top two teams in the league standings in 2024, Catawba and Coker.

"They're all good," Griffin said. "Every conference series is a challenge. I think the job Coker did last year was exceptional. That's our longest trip and its not any easy place to play. Catawba, we haven't gone to in a couple of years and they have a new stadium which will be neat for our players to see for the first time. Everyone in our league slate will be tough. The transfer portal has changed so much, so we have to consider everyone to be really good."

The Eagle Sports Network has coverage of every pitch at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex all season long, featuring a video stream on FloSports with a subscription. An audio-only stream is available at cneagles.com/live with select road outings available.