Elon Athletics Weekly Update

ELON, N.C. – Every Monday, Phoenix fans can get a look at the week ahead with our “Elon Athletics Weekly Update” feature when we will preview all the week’s upcoming events for our sports teams. “Follow us” on Twitter at @elonphoenix and @elonscores, “Like” Elon Phoenix on Facebook and continue to check elonphoenix.com to stay current on all things Elon Athletics.

Baseball (4-2)
Elon at High Point, Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 4 p.m., High Point, N.C.
Elon vs. UNCG, Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 4 p.m., Latham Park
Elon vs. Wagner, Friday – Sunday, Feb. 27 – March 1, at 4 /2/1:30 pm, Latham Park

• After having a mid-week game cancelled and moving weekend play to Aiken, S.C., the Phoenix posted a 1-2 week that included a 6-5 victory over long-time rival High Point.
• In the win over HPU, sophomore Nick Zammarelli belted two home runs and drove in a career-high six runs. The two-homer game was the first by an Elon player since Ryan Kinsella hit two against Wofford on April 20, 2013. Zammarelli hit .500 with three runs scored, two doubles, two homers and nine RBI in Elon’s three weekend games.
• Elon has been getting off to solid starts offensively. The Phoenix has scored in the first inning of each of its first six games this year.
• This week, the maroon and gold is slated to play five games. The stretch begins with a visit to High Point, a team that Elon has played more than any other (Elon record is 124-83 in the series). Elon will also play host to former Southern Conference foe UNCG before welcoming in Wagner for a weekend series at Latham Park.

Men’s Basketball (12-17, 4-12 CAA)
Elon vs. Northeastern, Thursday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m., Alumni Gym
Elon vs. UNCW, Saturday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m., Alumni Gym

• Elon closes out the regular season at home this week against Northeastern (Feb. 26) and UNCW (Feb. 28). Saturday’s contest against the Seahawks marks the final home game for seniors Kevin Blake, Austin Hamilton and Ryan Winters.
• Elon is coming off a thrilling 83-75 overtime win at Delaware on Feb. 21. Kevin Blake scored 18 points and nailed five triples to lead four Phoenix players in double figures.
• Tanner Samson hit four threes at Delaware and now sits at 92 in his career – the most in a single season in Elon men’s basketball history. Samson surpassed Jack Isenbarger’s single-season record of 82 when he hit six treys at College of Charleston on Feb. 18. Samson leads the CAA in total threes made and ranks in the top-10 nationally.

Men’s Golf
Elon at Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate, Monday – Tuesday, Feb. 23 – 24, Hilton Head, S.C.

• Elon’s men’s golf squad opens up its spring season at the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate hosted by Francis Marion.
• The tournament will feature 19 teams, including fellow CAA program William & Mary.
• The Phoenix played four fall events, earning three top-10 finishes.

Men’s Tennis (3-6)
Elon vs. Wofford, Saturday, Feb. 28, at 1 p.m., Jimmy Powell Tennis Center
Elon vs. Gardner-Webb, Sunday, March 1, at 1 p.m., Jimmy Powell Tennis Center

• The 74th-ranked Phoenix hosts Wofford and Gardner-Webb after winter weather forced its matches against Winthrop and UNCW, scheduled for Feb. 20 and 22, respectively, to be cancelled.
• The Phoenix is riding a three-match win streak that includes wins over Campbell, North Carolina A&T and Presbyterian. All three wins came at home, improving the team’s record to 19-4 over the past two seasons at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.
• Elon’s top doubles duo of Stefan Fortmann and Brian Kowalski was named Colonial Athletic Association Doubles Team of the Week after defeating Campbell’s Steven Billington and Jonathan O’Neal to win their third straight match

Softball (7-4)
Elon at North Carolina, Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 5 p.m., Chapel Hill, N.C.
Elon Softball Tournament
Elon vs. Central Connecticut State, Friday, Feb. 27, at 2:15 p.m., Hunt Softball Park
Elon vs. Brown, Friday, Feb. 27, at 4:30 p.m., Hunt Softball Park
Elon vs. Brown, Saturday, Feb. 28, at 1:15 p.m., Hunt Softball Park
Elon vs. Niagara, Sunday, March 1, at 2:30 p.m., Hunt Softball Park

• The Phoenix is scheduled for a five-game slate this week beginning with a road contest at North Carolina on Wednesday, Feb. 25. Elon concludes the week with its home tournament, the Elon Softball Tournament, as the field of Central Connecticut State, Brown and Niagara travel to Hunt Softball Park.
• Elon went 4-0 last weekend, Feb. 21-22, at the Citrus Classic in Orlando, Fla. The Phoenix defeated George Washington and Jacksonville State on the first day before concluding the tournament with wins over Morgan State and ACC foe Virginia.
• Sophomore Emily Roper provided the Phoenix’s first home runs of the season on Sunday, Feb. 22, helping the maroon and gold to wins over Morgan State and Virginia. The victory over the Cavaliers was just the second-ever in school history against Virginia.
• Senior Caitlin O’Shea moved into a tie for third all-time in school history with her fourth career save against Morgan State. The Kennesaw, Ga., native is one save shy of tying her older sister Erin O’Shea (2009-12) for second all-time at Elon with five.

Women’s Basketball (16-10, 9-6 CAA)
Elon at Drexel, Friday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m., Philadelphia
Elon at Hofstra, Sunday, March 1, at 1 p.m., Hempstead, N.Y.

• Elon won a thrilling game in Boston on Feb. 19 on a Sam Coffer jumper with two seconds remaining to give the Phoenix the 74-73 victory.
• The Phoenix never lacked excitement last week, overcoming William & Mary in the final minute on Sunday to take a 64-60 victory over the Tribe.
• With three regular season games remaining, the Phoenix currently sits fourth in the standings. The conference tournament is set to begin on Thursday, March 12, in Upper Marlboro, Md.

Women’s Golf
Elon at Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Spring Classic, Sunday – Tuesday, March 1 – 3, Kiawah Island, S.C.

• The Phoenix women’s golf team will be back on the links this weekend at the Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Spring Classic hosted by College of Charleston.
• Elon is coming off of a team championship at the FGCU Invite – its third team title of the 2014-15 campaign.
• In the spring’s first event, the Phoenix was led by junior Sunna Vidisdottir who placed third out of 84 players in the field. Three other Elon players also had top-10 showings.

Women’s Lacrosse (3-2)
Elon at No. 2 North Carolina, Sunday, March 1, at 1 p.m., Chapel Hill, N.C.

• After a loss at Jacksonville on Friday, the Phoenix rebounded with a strong 16-5 victory at Stetson on Sunday after outscoring the Hatters, 7-1, in the second half.
• Rookie Stephanie Asher continued her strong play with an impressive performance against the Hatters. She netted six goals and handed on three assists for nine points in the game, while also recording four ground balls, four draw controls and two caused turnovers, which were all game-highs.
• Elon travels down the road to nearby Chapel Hill to face No. 2 UNC in its next game on Sunday. UNC is the second Atlantic Coast Conference and ranked team it will face this season.

Women’s Tennis (4-4)
Elon at Gardner-Webb, Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 2:30 p.m., Boiling Springs, N.C.
Elon at William & Mary, Friday, Feb. 27, at 4 p.m., Williamsburg, Va.
Elon at Towson, Saturday, Feb. 28, TBD, Towson, Md.

• The women’s tennis team is coming off a commanding 6-1 victory over South Carolina-Upstate last week.
• After last week’s match was rescheduled due to weather, the Phoenix takes on the Runnin’ Bulldogs of Gardner-Webb on Tuesday before facing CAA opponent William & Mary on Friday. The team rounds out the week with a match at Towson on Saturday.
• The Phoenix is currently holding a three match win streak, with two wins on Feb. 14 against North Carolina A&T and Washington & Lee along with its recent win against USC-Upstate.