Elon Baseball to Battle High Point and Raise Funds for Vs. Cancer

ELON, N.C. – Wednesday night will mark the third and final meeting of the season on the baseball diamond between Elon and High Point as the two programs meet at Latham Park at 6 p.m.. The Phoenix is looking to end a brief two-game skid after having won a season-high six straight games.

Wednesday’s game will be carried live on WSOE 89.3 FM and through elonphoenix.com.

Fans can purchase tickets to this game for just $1 if they buy online and utilize the promotional code “dollar.” At the gate, tickets can be purchaed for $5.

Following the game, members of both teams will be having their heads shaved to raise money for the Vs. Cancer Foundation. Over the past two years, Elon baseball has helped to raise over $25,000 to fight childhood cancer. To make a donation towards Elon’s goal this year, visit the team’s Vs. Cancer page at elon.vs-cancer.org.

Probable Starting Pitchers
Wednesday
Elon – LH Tyler Manez (1-3, 3.94 ERA)
High Point – LH Will Resnik (0-0, 10.39 ERA)

Inside the Series
Despite dropping two games to High Point earlier this year, Elon still holds a commanding 122-83 edge in this series that dates to 1926. The 205 all-time meetings against the Panthers are the most vs. any opponent for Elon.

Overall: Elon leads 122-83
At Elon: Elon leads 24-11
At High Point: Elon leads 16-11
At Neutral Site: Elon leads 2-1
Last 10 Meetings: Tied 5-5

Countdown to 600: 597
Already Elon’s all-time winningest coach, skipper Mike Kennedy is closing in on career victory number 600. Kennedy currently has 597 wins to his credit, all in the maroon and gold.

The Streaker
Junior Casey Jones is currently in the midst of an 18-game hitting streak, the longest for the program since Alex Swim’s 25-game streak in 2012. During the streak, which began on March 9 at Coastal Carolina, Jones has gone 32-for-69 (.464) with eight doubles, two triples and two homers. He has also driven in 19 runs in that span. Jones has recorded two or more hits in 12 of the 18 games.

That’s 200
With its 7-5 victory in the series opener at Samford, Elon picked up its 200th Southern Conference victory since joining the league for the 2004 season.

Pitcher of the Month
Following a month in which he threw two complete games, junior righty Lucas Bakker was selected as the SoCon Pitcher of the Month for March.

Bakker was a two-time SoCon pitcher of the week in March, as he went 4-1 with a 1.18 ERA, striking out 25 and issuing just five walks. After opening the month with a loss, Bakker bounced back with 29.2 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. He started that stretch with back-to-back complete games, going the distance in a 5-2 win over Minnesota in which he allowed just five hits and struck out six, allowing two unearned runs. He followed that with a two-hit shutout of Georgia Southern, which entered the contest leading the nation with a .345 team batting average. Bakker picked up his third straight win the following week against Western Carolina, allowing just an unearned run on five hits in 7.2 innings, and closed his month with a win over The Citadel in which he went eight innings and allowed two earned runs. Bakker struck out at least five in each of his last four starts and allowed just five extra-base hits, all of which were doubles, in 38 innings. He held opposing hitters to just a .203 average in the month.

We Are Family
The 2014 Elon roster sports two pairs of brothers. Junior outfielders Quinn Bower and Blaine Bower are twins from New Cumberland, Pa. The other set of brothers are junior outfielder/first baseman Sam Paone and freshman outfielder D.J. Paone who hail from Jupiter, Fla.

Elon or the Pros?
Elon’s 2014 roster sports two players who chose to don the maroon and gold and forgo a professional career.

Sophomore left-handed pitcher Tyler Manez was picked by the Houston Astros in the 32nd round, number 969 overall, in the 2012 MLB Draft while freshman infielder Nick Zammarelli was a 28th round selection, number 833 overall, of the Boston Red Sox in the 2013 draft.

Junior college transfer Jose Lazaro was also drafted out of high school, but opted to head to college. The right-handed pitcher was a 28th round selection, number 869 overall, by the New York Yankees in the 2011 MLB draft.

30+
With its 34 wins in 2013, Elon has recorded 14 consecutive seasons with at least 30 wins. Elon has won 33, 30, 34, 34, 31, 32, 45, 32, 44, 41, 38, 36, 33 and 34 games in that span. In this time, the Phoenix has made six NCAA Division I Regional appearances (2002, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013).