As you look at the roster for the 2008 Carson-Newman Baseball Team, what you see is a number of experienced bats that give the Eagles a solid lineup with which to start the new season. What is missing is two of the best arms in Carson-Newman history, lost to the draft, as well as a weekend starter that finished 6-2 in 2007. Head Coach Tom Griffin's 2008 Eagles may be the exact opposite of the '07 version that won the South Atlantic Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, an solid offensive team with some questions to answer on the mound.

"We'll have a chance to be pretty explosive on offense," third-year head coach Griffin says. "We've got good team speed, our power numbers will improve, and we can build a lineup from either side of the plate."

Seniors Langdon Potts (Dandridge, Tenn.), Nick Achberger (Anderson, S.C.), and Jason Gray (Rutledge, Tenn.) will serve as the backbone of the C-N lineup. The three combined for 170 hits and 111 runs a season ago, making up nearly 40 percent of the Eagle offense.

The real challenge for the Eagles' third year coach will be replacing his staff from a season ago. C-N will have to cope without Matt Teague and Steve Cishek, both of whom were taken in the first eight rounds the draft last June.

"We'll have to score early in games and early in the year," Griffin says. "Our experience is in our lineup, and we'll have to protect this young, but talented staff until it begins to take shape.

Senior Brett Hontz (Newtown Square, Penn.) returns as the Eagles most experienced starter. He's pegged to be C-N's starter in its season opener at Augusta State.

Carson-Newman finished the 2007 campaign 36-20 overall, but the year will most be remembered for the Eagles' epic run through the SAC Tournament. After a 5-1 loss to rival-Tusculum in the winner's bracket final, C-N rallied with a win over Wingate and a pair of wins over the Pioneers to capture the title and reach the NCAAs.

The final day will forever be remembered by the Eagles for winning three games and surviving 30 innings of play, including a 12-inning, marathon-win against Tusculum in the title game, 6-3.

2008 SCHEDULE

The young Eagles arms will have to endure a brutal non-conference schedule early in '08.

The Eagles are garnering some national attention to begin the season. Carson-Newman received 14 votes in the Collegiate Baseball Division II Preseason Poll.

C-N's schedule will be a challenge throughout. Carson-Newman is on the road for its first 14 scheduled games.

The Eagles open at Augusta State (Ga.) with a three-game set beginning February 1. They follow it with a three-game series at USC-Aiken the following weekend. The Pacers are ranked 31st by Collegiate Baseball to open the year. A trip to North Georgia in early march will be another one of the Eagles' tough road outings. The Saints are ranked 21st in to begin the year.

SAC play begins on February 15, with a series at Lincoln Memorial in Harrogate, Tennessee. C-N's SAC schedule features home weekends with Catawba, Mars Hill, Brevard, and Lenoir-Rhyne. The Eagles will travel to Wingate, Tusculum, and Newberry to complete their conference slate.

The Eagles also have home-and-homes scheduled with Anderson (S.C.), Pfeiffer, and Belmont-Abbey. The SAC Tournament will be played in Hickory, North Carolina beginning Thursday, April, 17.

INFIELDERS

The strength for the '07-'08 Eagles will be up the middle in an experienced C-N infield. Potts and sophomore Mills Rogers give C-N a pair of solid gloves and strong arms to anchor things defensively. The two also have good chemistry, after starting alongside each other in 51-of-54 games last season.

Potts will start at second base. The hometown-product hit .321 a year ago. He also led the Eagles in runs scored with 44. An All-SAC candidate, Potts tied for the team lead with 20 doubles. He also stole 12 bases. He is also one of four captains for 2008.

Rogers will see most of the starts at shortstop. The Simpsonville, South Carolina-native hit .284 as a freshman, finishing with 44 hits.

Sophomore Derek Long (Jefferson City, Tenn.) will see most of the time at first base. He hit .293 a year ago in starting 39 games. His power numbers are expected to climb in his second season, after banging a pair of home runs last year.

Cody Nix (Cartersville, Ga.), a strong-armed freshman, will likely be the starter across the diamond from Long.

Senior Cory McGinnis (Morristown, Tenn.) will be a key backup. McGinnis had 26 hits last season and can play any position on the infield.

CATCHERS

Jonathan McMahon (Charlotte, N.C.), a four-year starter, will handle the catching duties. As a junior, he appeared in 44 games, starting 32. McMahon hit just .188 in '07, but his leadership and defense earned him a spot as team captain for the season.

Junior E.T. McCreary (Rockwood, Tenn.) and sophomore Cory Harless (Corryton, Tenn.)are the top candidates to back up McMahon.

OUTFIELDERS

Griffin might have the most depth and experience to work with in the outfield. C-N returns a pair of solid starters from a season ago, but it's a position move that will give the Eagles some depth and flexibility in the lineup.

SAC Tournament MVP Nick Achberger will move to the Eagles outfield for his senior year.

Achberger, a .303 hitter last season, will be a regular in left field for the Eagles. His offense will be a key for C-N, after leading the Eagles with 25 extra-base hits. He is C-N's only preseason All-SAC selection, earning a spot on the second team at third base.

Jason Gray will start in right field. He hit .279 a year ago, and started 51-of-53 games. Junior Tyler Wynn (LaGrange, Ga.)will likely be the starter in center, after starting 24 games last season. Cory Lamson (Gray, Tenn.) will get starts in the outfield, and is expected to add some power to the middle of the Eagles lineup.

Wesley Dozier (Cornelius, N.C.) will start the season at DH. The compact freshman (5'9 - 210 lbs.) was the MVP of fall workouts.

PITCHERS

No program can simply replace what C-N lost from its pitching staff.

With a pair of high draft picks, another All-SAC weekend starter, and a senior-leader that won four games all gone from last season's squad, the Eagles have many questions to answer regarding their young staff.

The one certainty is Hontz. 4-1 a season ago, he's the Eagles top starter to begin the year, but from there, it is an open competition with a lot of innings to be filled. C-N must replace 73 percent of its innings pitched from `07.

Griffin thinks he has many as 12 arms that could figure into the rotation before anything is settled.

Justin Higdon (Ooltewah, Tenn.) will be one of the arms Griffin turns to quickly on C-N's opening weekend at Augusta State. The junior has a live arm and has shown consistency. He finished '07 with 22.1 innings pitched and a 4.84 ERA.

Senior Jeremy Yoder (Valdese, N.C.) is a competitor with a live arm and good off-speed stuff that will also a figure into the mix. Junior Corbin Arial (Elgin, S.C.) appeared in 23 games last season, and figures to be C-N's short-reliever.

Freshman Zack Howell (Johnson City, Tenn.), who may also see time at first base, is a young guy with a strong arm that might be the Eagles' best young prospect on the mound.

Others that will get a strong look on opening weekend include sophomore Michael Elliott (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Wes McIntyre (Chattanooga, Tenn.), and Dustin Davis (Knoxville, Tenn.).

The Eagles are picked to finish third in the South Atlantic Conference Preseason Poll. Tusculum is picked to win the SAC, followed by Catawba second, three points ahead of the Eagles.