ROCK HILL, S.C — The Tusculum University softball team begins its postseason journey next weekend (Apr. 25-26) against archrival Carson-Newman in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament. The Pioneers are seeded fifth for the second-straight season.
New this year, each of the top four seeds will host the bottom four seeds in a best-of-three series. From there, the four winners will advance to the Championship Bracket which will be hosted by the highest remaining seed. The Opening Weekend series will be held Apr. 25-27 with the Championship Bracket games being played May 1-3.
Wingate won the regular season title for the third-straight year to earn the top seed. Lenoir-Rhyne and Lincoln Memorial also earned hosting duties. As one of two three-team ties, Carson-Newman won the tiebreaker to claim the final host site. Tusculum and Anderson were seeded fifth and sixth. Emory & Henry, Mars Hill, and Catawba finished in a three-way tie with two spots remaining. The Wasps and Lions edged out the Catawba Indians in a tiebreaker.
RECAPPING THE SEASON
Tusculum (35-15, 13-11 SAC) has the most wins in a season for the program since the 1995 campaign (40).
On the season, Brooke Smith is second in program history with 57 runs scored, just five away from tying the record in 1995. Danielle Jason and Ellie Alvarez are close behind with 54 and 51, respectively. Smith (77) and Jason (74) sit fifth and seventh with their hit totals as well. Gabi Nicholson has 50 runs batted in this season, tying her for sixth with seven more needed to match the record, with Sammy Jimenez two behind her. Jason now holds both the single-season (46) and career (70) stolen base records in just her second stint as a Pioneer. Smith’s .472 batting average currently ranks fourth-highest on the list. Smith (.533) and Jason (.505) are both in the top-5 in on-base percentage. Abby Hunter has tied the sacrifice fly record with five, as Jimenez trails with four.
In pitching categories, Megan Ackerman is tied for sixth with 34 appearances in the circle, while Natalie Spaitis holds both the single-season (5) and career (9) saves records.
As a team, the 2025 edition is ranked in the top-5 in 12 different statistical categories: sacrifice flies (1st; 19), stolen bases (1st; 135), on-base percentage (1st; .411), batting average (2nd; .351), RBI (2nd; 292), hits (4th; 479), slugging percentage (4th; .502), runs (5th; 333), triples (5th; 18), walks (5th; 130), total bases (5th; 686), and home runs (5th; 32).
As of the April 17 update, Tusculum is ranked in the top-25 nationally in steals (2nd), triple plays (1), hits (6th), batting average (10th), runs (10th), stolen bases per game (11th), runs batted in (13th), scoring (15th), RBI per game (21st), triple (21st), and on-base percentage (25th).
Individually, Jason leads Division II in stolen bases. Smith and Jason are in the top-25 in hits, batting average, and runs. Ackerman is in the top-25 in starts, appearances, strikeout-to-walk ratio, wins, and walks allowed per seven innings.
LOOKING AHEAD
Carson-Newman (26-18, 13-11 SAC) enters the postseason on a four-game losing skid as the Eagles were swept by Lenoir-Rhyne and Emory & Henry. However, C-N gets on base and scores runs. As a team, Carson-Newman is second nationally in batting average (.373), third in slugging percentage (.629), fourth in RBI per game (7.29), fourth in home runs per game (1.55), fifth in home runs (65), fifth in on-base percentage (.445), fifth in scoring (7.76), seventh in runs batted in (306), and eighth in total runs (326).
Individually, Macauley Bailey is a threat in the batter’s box. She ranks fifth in slugging percentage (.915), sixth in home runs (16), seventh in homers per game (.38), ninth in RBI per game (1.31), 12th in total bases (118), and 13th in RBI (55). Hayden Dye is also a problem, listed ninth in doubles (17), 18th in doubles per game (.40), 20th in batting average (.455), and 21st in runs per game (1.12).
The Eagles’ pitching staff has a combined 5.13 earned run average. Syerra Rogers has been the workhorse with 105.1 innings thrown to 116 strikeouts. She has walked 65 batters and has a team-low 4.05 ERA.
Links to live stats and video for Tusculum University athletic events can be found through tusculumpioneers.com.
2025 SAC Softball Championship
Friday, April 25-Saturday, April 26 (Opening Round)
Game 3 to follow Game 2 on day two, if necessary
Series #1: #8 Mars Hill at #1 Wingate
Series #2: #7 Emory & Henry at #2 Lenoir-Rhyne
Series #3: #6 Anderson at #3 Lincoln Memorial
Series #4: #5 Tusculum at #4 Carson-Newman
Thursday, May 1-Saturday, May 3 (Championship Bracket)
Games at highest remaining seed
