Elon Baseball Returns Home to Host High Point

ELON, N.C. – Beginning with a Tuesday evening contest on May 8 against the High Point Panthers, the Elon University baseball team will play seven of its final eight regular season games at home at Latham Park. Tuesday’s first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the stadium gates will open at 5 p.m.

GAME NOTES

Fans can listen the contest on WSJS 104.5 FM / 1200 AM as Taylor Durham will provide all the play-by-play action. The pregame show begins 15 minutes prior to first pitch. The radio broadcasts can also be heard at elonphoenix.com and on the TuneIn app.

ELON INTRODUCES HAMMOCK SEATING
As the 2018 season enters the home stretch and the weather begins to warm up, the Elon Department of Athletics has announced a partnership with Eagles Nest Outfitters (ENO) to launch the nation’s first hammock seating experience at Latham Park. Baseball fans will now have the opportunity to relax at an Elon baseball game inside an ENO hammock down the third base side nestled in the trees.

PITCHING MATCHUP
Tuesday:
Elon – TBA
High Point – TBA

THE SERIES
Elon has met High Point more often than any other opponent. Tuesday’s meeting marks the 213th all-time contest between the two programs. Elon leads the series by a 126-86 margin after picking up a 13-9 victory at High Point earlier this month. The two first met in 1926 with the maroon and gold earning 10-5 and 9-3 victories.

ABOUT HIGH POINT
High Point enters Tuesday’s game with a 24-20 overall record and a 13-8 ledger in Big South play after dropping two games to Campbell over the weekend.

As a team, HPU is hitting .284 with 284 runs scored (6.5 per game), 63 doubles, 11 triples, 47 home runs and 47 stolen bases. Hunter Lee paces the Panthers with a .365 batting average, 11 doubles and 35 RBI. Austen Zente’s 43 runs, 11 homers and 19 stolen bases lead the team.

On the mound, the Panthers have a 4.56 team ERA and have surrendered 245 runs (5.6 per game) on 356 hits. Over 390.2 innings, HPU pitchers have recorded 366 strikeouts and held opponents to a .245 batting average.

HEAD COACH MIKE KENNEDY
Now in his 22nd season as the head coach at his alma mater, Mike Kennedy (’91) is the winningest coach in program history. He has compiled a career record of 706-544-3 and has led his program to five regular season titles, three conference tournament championships and seven NCAA postseason appearances. Kennedy earned his 700th career win on April 18 as Elon defeated North Carolina A&T by a 5-4 score.

COACHES WINNING AT ALMA MATER
Elon skipper Mike Kennedy recently earned his 700th career win, all of which have come at his alma mater. The 1991 grad is in select company for coaches who have racked up victories at their alma maters.

Active Head Coaches W/500 Wins at Alma Mater (thru May 6)
Mike Martin, Florida State 1,976
John Anderson, Minnesota 1,276
Bill Brown, George Mason 1,018
Gary Gilmore, Coastal Carolina 916
Mark Scalf, UNCW 899
Mike Fox, North Carolina 878
Mike Kennedy, Elon 706
Dave Van Horn, Arkansas 628
Dick Cooke, Davidson 587
Jim Sherman, Delaware 534
Todd Asalon, Northern Kentucky 531
Jim Penders, UConn 515
Craig Gibson, Mercer 501

BRNOVICH, OGREN ON NATIONAL WATCH LISTS
Sophomore pitcher Kyle Brnovich has been selected to the 2018 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list. The award is presented annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country. Presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation, the 41st Golden Spikes Award will be presented on June 28 in Los Angeles.

The midseason watch list features 40 of the nation’s top amateur players from the college ranks. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will continue to maintain a rolling list of athletes, allowing players to play themselves into consideration for the award before announcing the semifinalists on May 21.

Brnovich is also on the watch list for the College Baseball Foundation’s Pitcher of the Year Award. The award highlights 78 of the top arms in the country that includes both perennial powers and up-and-coming teams. The award, sponsored by Diamond, will be presented later this summer by the College Baseball Foundation.

Junior infielder Ryne Ogren was named to the watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award, which is sponsored by Mizuno and honors the nation’s top shortstop and will be presented this summer by the College Baseball Foundation. There are 53 players on the list.

RACKING UP THE K’S
Through 45 games this season, the Elon pitching staff has put up some impressive strikeout totals. Three pitchers have eclipsed the 10-K mark in individual outings as sophomore George Kirby (11 Ks on opening day,11 at Georgia Southern, 10 vs. Appalachian State and 13 vs. Hofstra), Robbie Welhaf (12 in a relief outing against Radford) and Kyle Brnovich (11 vs. Marshall, 12 vs. Appalachian State, 13 vs. Rider, 14 vs. Charleston, 10 at Northeastern, 12 vs. Hofstra and 14 vs. Hartford) have all accomplished the feat.

As a staff on the year, the Phoenix has recorded 490 strikeouts on the year, an average of 10.2 per game. Last year, Elon set a new program record with 491. The maroon and gold is on pace to notch at least 571 strikeouts this season.

ELON’S IRONMAN
Elon junior shortstop Ryne Ogren has been a mainstay in the Phoenix lineup since his arrival on campus. The Devon, Pa., native has now started 137 consecutive games dating back to his freshman campaign. Ogren has started all 48 games this year, started all 56 games a year ago and started the final 33 contests in 2016. The last time Ogren did not appear in Elon’s starting lineup was March 22, 2016 against High Point.

THAT’S TIGHT
Elon’s first seven games of the season were decided by a combined eight runs. The Phoenix played four one-run games in its first five outings. The last time that Elon had four one-run decisions in its first five games of the season was 1934. That year, the team opened with four consecutive one-run contests.

On the year, Elon has played in 17 one-run games, going 8-9, and an additional nine two-run contests.

PROGRAM’S SINGLE-SEASON STRIKEOUT RECORD FALLS
With three strikeouts at UNCW, sophomore Kyle Brnovich set a new Elon single-season record for K’s with 114. He surpassed the mark of 113 set by Ronnie Johnson in the 1977 campaign.

Before Brnovich set the new mark, the top two spots were both established over 40 years ago. The number two position had been held by Bunn Hearn with 108 in 1910.

ON DECK
Elon will welcome in the Towson Tigers for a three-game league series this weekend. The set will begin with a 6 p.m. game on Friday, May 11.