Elon Softball to Host Second Home Tournament

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team will host its second home tournament in as many weekends as the Phoenix welcome the field of Coppin State, Dayton and Presbyterian for the Elon Phoenix Tournament beginning on Saturday, March 1, at Hunt Softball Park.

Elon will face Coppin State in its first game of the tournament at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, followed by a matchup with Dayton later that afternoon. The Phoenix concludes the tournament on Sunday, March 2, with a rematch versus the Lady Eagles at 2 p.m. before its finale against Presbyterian later that evening.

Live Coverage

Fans can follow the Phoenix via live stats by going to the Elon softball schedule page at elonphoenix.com. Twitter updates will also be provided the handle @ElonScores or @ElonUSoftball. The Phoenix’s game versus Presbyerian on Sunday will be streamed on Phoenix All-Access free of charge to all viewers.

History vs. the Field
Elon has posted a perfect record against Dayton and Presbyterian in the all-time series versus both schools with a 3-0 mark. The Phoenix last faced the Flyers in 2011 with the maroon and gold winning 4-0. The Phoenix won both its contests against the Blue Hose at the Gamecock Invitational in 2012 while Elon and Coppin State meet on the diamond for the first time this weekend.

Heart Health Awareness Day
The Phoenix will be hosting Heart Health Awareness Day on Saturday as the maroon and gold will be working alongside the American Heart Association to help raise awareness for general heart health and to emphasize the benefits of preventative screening and testing. Saturday’s games will be played in memory of Jake West, the cousin of Elon junior Caitlin O’Shea, who passed away during football practice last September from an undetected heart condition. Jake’s family will be recognized during the Phoenix’s first game against Coppin State.

Last Time Out
Elon fell at home on Wednesday, Feb. 26, to Charlotte by a score of 4-3. The Phoenix could not overcome a pair of runs scored by the 49ers in the first and third innings, despite Carleigh Nester’s three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth. It was Nester’s 24th career home run, moving her into sole possession of fourth place in school history.

Scouting the Phoenix (8-5-1)
Despite the setback against Charlotte, the Phoenix closed out the month with some strong performances with three walk-off and run-rule wins. It was also the third straight year that Elon has ended the month of February with a winning record under head coach Kathy Bocock.

Emily Cameron continues to pace the Phoenix offensively with her .390 average along with team-bests in home runs (six) and RBI (16). Cameron is one of four players with at least 20 at bats hitting .300 or better for the maroon and gold. Nester is currently tied for third with Elon Athletics’ Hall of Famer Kelly Lloyd (1996-99) with 42 career doubles in program history and just six shy of tying Dani Concepcion’s all-time mark of 48 doubles.

In the circle, O’Shea has the fifth-lowest ERA in the Southern Conference among those who qualify with a 2.25 ERA. Fellow junior Chelsea White heads the team in wins (four) and innings pitched (36.2).

Scouting Coppin State (0-1)
The Lady Eagles are 0-1 on the young season and are a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Led by fourth-year head coach Larry Hineline, the Lady Eagles’ fell to Rider in its lone game of the season, 6-1, last Saturday, Feb. 22, in Greensboro, N.C.

Scouting Dayton (3-7)
A member of the Atlantic-10 Conference, the Flyers are led by head coach Cara LaPlaca, who is in her seventh season at the helm of the softball program.

Dayton won three out of five last weekend at the Tennessee State Tiger Classic with wins over Temple, Youngstown State and host Tennessee State. Junior Tiffany Ricks is leading the team in nearly every offensive category for the Flyers with a .378 average, 10 hits, nine RBI and three home runs.

Gabrielle Snyder has been the workhorse for Dayton in the circle with 32.1 innings pitched and an ERA of 2.17 along with a record of 3-1.

Scouting Presbyterian (3-6)
The Blue Hose are a member of the Big South Conference and led by third-year head coach Kama Tucker.

Presbyterian has won two straight and three of its last four after competing at the Buffalo Wild Wings Classic last weekend. Hope Rogers is the Blue Hose leader in average (.464), hits (13), RBI (10) and home runs (2).

There will be some family ties on hand when Elon plays Presbyterian with Blue Hose’s assistant Justin Miller being the nephew of Elon head coach Kathy Bocock. Miller was also a former teammate for current Elon assistant Tyler Engle when the two played baseball at Ohio State.

On Deck
Three days after the tournament, Elon and Presbyterian face each other again in a midweek game on Wednesday, March 5, at Hunt Softball Park. That game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. first pitch.