LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After stellar senior campaigns, C-N’s Hayden Dye earned an NFCA All-Region First Team nod while SieAnna Cameron was named to the All-Region Second Team.
“We are grateful these two got the recognition they deserve,” head coach Michael Graves said. “We are disappointed that Macauley Bailey, our first team All-SAC third baseman, did not make it… She led the all-regional winners in home runs, slugging percentage, and was in the top two in batting average… I am happy she’s on my team, and I don’t have to pitch to her next year. However, we are grateful for the recognition of two athletes who have left great marks on the program.”
Dye ended her Carson-Newman playing career on a high note, holding the team’s second-highest batting average (.428), hitting six home runs and 44 RBI. The Knoxville native ends her career in the top 20 all-time in multiple categories. She ranks 16th all-time in slugging percentage (.588), tied for 8th in hits (219) and home runs (27), while ranking 11th in career starts (198). Dye’s stellar senior campaign established her as one of the best players in the conference and the Southeast region.
“Hayden is very deserving of this award,” head coach Michael Graves said. “She had a great year for us, both with her contributions off the field and what she did on the field with her bat and glove. Our team will greatly miss her.”
Despite having her senior campaign cut short, Cameron delivered at a high level in 24 starts. The Alcoa native hit .488, recording 42 hits in 86 at-bats while adding 27 RBI, including her first career home run, an inside-the-park round-tripper against Converse. She ranked second on the team in slugging percentage (.756) in that stretch, providing a consistent presence at the top of the order.
“SieAnna is one of the best all-around ball players I have seen in my 25 years at C-N,” Graves said. “With the injuries she has dealt with and still hitting close to .500 the last few years is amazing. On defense, she is a human highlight reel.”
The two all-region selections mark the 43rd and 44th all-region selections in the Carson-Newman softball program history.
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