Baseball has long played a subtle role in Mackenzie Carpenter’s story. And it takes center stage this weekend as the Georgia native headlines the inaugural Braves Country Fest music festival at Truist Park.
Years before her country music fame, Carpenter was a “park princess” in her native Hull. She went to her brothers’ baseball games with a blanket, painting other players’ moms’ nails and doing other girls’ makeup.
Then came her brother Micah’s playing career at Georgia Tech from 2016-19. Carpenter sang the national anthem before a Tech game, catching one particular player’s eye: outfielder Cole Neuber, now her husband.
“We were all lined up before the national anthem started, I leaned to the guy behind me and was like, ‘Who is this girl?’” Neuber told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Then Micah leaned up and said, ‘That’s my sister, and you have no chance.’”
Credit: Gabe Burns
Credit: Gabe Burns
Carpenter’s perspective: “I was in Nashville living my best life. I had a boyfriend, everything was great. I went to sing a national anthem at a baseball game, and I met Cole for the first time. I just freaked out and fell in love with him. I drove to Athens, broke up with my boyfriend. I was like, ‘I’ve met my husband, I’m so sorry.’ … It was just such a sweet time. Thankfully, my brother paved the way.”
Their love story was the inspiration for one of Carpenter’s latest singles, “All In Already.” This weekend, with Carpenter’s career on the precipice of a breakthrough, baseball reenters the equation.
Carpenter is the lone Georgia native among the headline performers at this weekend’s Braves Country Fest, returning to her home state on a grand platform. Truist Park has hosted numerous concerts over the years, but this is its first country extravaganza. Other headliners include Cody Johnson, Ella Langley and Ernest.
“Any time I get to stand on a stage it’s a special time, but to get to stand on a stage in this park ... it’s just going to be a whole new level of nostalgia,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter, 27, is building momentum in country music. She’s released two albums, a self-titled debut in 2023 and “Hey Country Queen” in 2025. The latter included lead single “I Wish You Would,” a collaboration with Midland.
Credit: Gabriel Burns
Credit: Gabriel Burns
Her songwriting positioned this ascension. She’s worked closely with friend and fellow Georgian Megan Moroney on her last three albums. She’s has cowritten several of Moroney’s biggest songs, including “I’m Not Pretty” and “Indifferent,” and she contributed to four songs on Moroney’s latest album, “Cloud 9.” The two also sang together on 2023’s “Nothin’ Crazy.”
It’s all fueled expectations that Carpenter could be country music’s next breakout artist.
“With Mackenzie, I’m just waiting patiently for that thing to blow up,” said Ward Guenther, founder of live music series Whiskey Jam who’s seen much of the industry’s best talents in their earlier stages. “She has traits we’ve seen a lot in the male side of things.”
He likened her rise to that of artists like Cole Swindell and Morgan Wallen, who both wrote for other acts before their own careers took off.
“When an artist is doing that much great songwriting for someone else, you know they’re bound to someday explode themselves,” he said. “So I have my eye on her over this next year.
“We’ve been looking at it for a while — who’s going to be that next big female? You had Lainey (Wilson), Megan, Ella and it’s not going to stop. I think Mackenzie is the perfect candidate.”
Carpenter merges a traditional country feel with modern sound and concepts. Her Southern charm radiates through her lyrics and melodies, creating a fusion of classic and contemporary.
Carpenter aspires to bring an authentic and relatable presence to the stage. She’s still the girl who developed her singing chops in church, after all, and it’s never lost on her that she’s living answered prayers — with more en route.
“It’s a crazy industry; I think it takes an unwavering faith in each other,” said Neuber, who’s often seen to the side of the stage proudly recording his wife’s performances. “I believe that she’s going to do it.”
Carpenter played a post-game 30-minute acoustic set at The Battery on April 28. She even welcomed one fan on stage to sing “I Wish You Would” for her finale, a humorous sequence that resonated with the audience.
Credit: Gabriel Burns
Credit: Gabriel Burns
The latest singles reflect her appeal. She released “Drunk Cigs” in February, a catchy ballad that finds elegance in indulgences that follow a breakup. It captures the reality that pain can justify making exceptions for sanity’s sake — and that smoking when inebriated doesn’t carry the same consequence as when sober.
She followed with a more joyful release in “All In Already,” which takes listeners on an upbeat stroll through the realization of immediate love (Neuber, naturally, makes an appearance in the music video). Carpenter’s most recent single “High Pony” continues the fun, vibrant theme, with a nod to the alter ego one can take on simply by throwing their hair into a ponytail.
Braves Country Fest is a highlight of Carpenter’s busy year. She’s released new music, seen “Cloud 9” receive numerous award nominations, performed on the Riverfront Stage at CMA Fest, and is touring with Riley Green and Jason Aldean.
“I think it’s something that I’ve always had my mind set on,” Carpenter said. “I’m very thankful and very overwhelmed with gratitude, but I felt like it was very attainable. I never had a Plan B. I always felt like if I worked hard enough and put my mind to it, if just a couple stars aligned, I’d be able to reach my dreams.”
IF YOU GO
Braves Country Fest. 1-11:30 p.m. Saturday. Trusit Park, 755 Battery Ave. SE, Atlanta. 800-745-3000, batteryatl.com/event/braves-country-fest-at-truist-park.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
