Elon Baseball Hits the Road for Series at #12 Clemson

ELON, N.C. – After opening the season with four consecutive games at the friendly confines of Latham Park, the Elon University baseball team will venture to Clemson, S.C., to take on the 12th-ranked Clemson Tigers in a three-game series that begins on Friday at 4 p.m. Game two will be played at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and the series concludes with Sunday’s 1 p.m. contest.

GAME NOTES

Doug Kingsmore Stadium Fan Information
For information on stadium regulations, parking and other game-day related events at Clemson’s Doug Kingsmore Stadium, visit Clemson’s Fan Information page.

Pitching Matchups
Friday – Elon: So. RH Ryan Conroy (1-0, 3.18 ERA) vs. Clemson: Jr. LH Charlie Barnes (0-0, 3.86 ERA)
Saturday – Elon: Jr. RH Robbie Welhaf (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Clemson: Sr. LH Pat Krall (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Sunday – Elon: Fr. RH Kyle Brnovich (0-0, 15.00 ERA) vs. Clemson: So. RH Alex Eubanks (0-1, 10.38 ERA)

Series History
Clemson leads the all-time series by a 14-7 margin. The two first met in a 6-3 Elon victory on April 29, 1920, but did not play again until April 18, 2000. Of the 21 meetings, 20 have been at Clemson. The other was the most recent contest as the two played at Flour Field in Greenville, S.C., on March 21, 2012. The Tigers won that game 4-2. Clemson has been ranked for all but two of the previous 21 meetings (1920, 2005).

Preseason Prognostications
In its third season in the CAA, the league’s coaches selected the Phoenix to finish fifth in the preseason poll. Senior CJ Young was honored as a preseason all-CAA selection.

1. UNCW (8)
2. William & Mary (1)
3. College of Charleston
4. Delaware
5. Elon
6. James Madison
7. Northeastern
8. Towson
9. Hofstra

Oh Captain, My Captain
Head coach Mike Kennedy announced prior to the 2017 season that five players will serve as team captains this year. Seniors Jordan Barrett, Danny Crowe and Will Nance will be joined by sophomore Ryne Ogren and red-shirt freshman Cam Devanney as the Phoenix captains in 2017.

Welhaf Tosses No-No, Earns National Honor
Junior righty Robbie Welhaf threw the first no-hitter of the 2017 NCAA baseball season, and the first for Elon at the Division I level, when he blanked Longwood 7-0 on Feb. 18. Welhaf walked one and hit one batter, but faced just one over the minimum and fanned a career-high eight hitters in what was just his third career start.

The performance earned Welhaf a spot on Collegiate Baseball’s Players of the Week list, National Pitcher of the Week honors from the NCBWA and Perfect Game and CAA Pitcher of the Week.

Barrett Mows ‘Em Down
In 7.0 innings in a win over Radford, senior lefty Jordan Barrett struck out a career-best 13 hitters. At one point, Barrett fanned five consecutive hitters. The 13 Ks were the most by an Elon pitcher since Spencer Medick struck out 13 in 9.1 innings against UNCG on April 29, 2012.

Quick Feet
After stealing just 37 bases over the course of the 2016 season, the Phoenix showed off some speed during its opening weekend against Longwood. The maroon and gold was successful on 10 of its 13 steal attempts against the Lancers.

On the year, Elon now has stolen 11 bases in 14 tries.

Young Opening Day Starter
For just the third time during Elon’s NCAA Division I tenure, a sophomore made the opening day start. Ryan Conroy earned the nod against Longwood this year. The other two sophomores to make opening day starts were Jimmy Reyes (2009) and Scott Light (2000).

Conroy struck out seven to match the most by an Elon pitcher on opening day at the Division I level. He earned the win after going 5.2 innings and allowing two runs.

I Choose Elon
Freshman right-handed pitcher George Kirby had a chance to begin a professional career out of high school after being a 32nd round selection of the New York Mets in the 2016 MLB Draft, but elected to come to Elon. Kirby is the fourth player since the 2010 draft to choose to join the Phoenix instead of turning pro. The others were pitcher David Whitehead (36th round in 2010), pitcher Tyler Manez (32nd round in 2012) and infielder Nick Zammarelli (28th round in 2013).

Tough Slate
Elon’s 2017 schedule features 14 games against teams that participated in NCAA Tournament action a year ago. Of the Phoenix’s 14 non-conference opponents, seven were selected to finish in the top three of their league (or division). Among them were league (or division) preseason favorites in East Carolina (1st AAC), UNCG (1st SoCon), High Point (1st Big South) and North Carolina (1st ACC Coastal Division).