ELON, N.C. – The countdown to the 2019 spring season for the Elon University softball team has begun as the Phoenix and eighth-year head coach Kathy Bocock announced the Phoenix’s 53-game slate on Friday, Dec. 7.
Elon will play 27 games on its home diamond at Hunt Softball Park which includes three home tournaments. The Phoenix will also face six teams on its schedule that reached the postseason in 2018 including a matchup at defending NCAA national champion Florida State.
“We are excited about our spring schedule,” said Bocock. “Our entire schedule is filled with quality competition, both at home and on the road. To get better, we must play great competition and our schedule shows that. Playing against high caliber teams will prepare us for (Colonial Athletic Association) play and that’s important for our young team.”
Below is a closer look at the Phoenix’s 2019 schedule.
Non-Conference and Tournaments
Elon opens the 2019 campaign with the first of its three home tournaments, hosting the field of Longwood, Eastern Kentucky and Appalachian State from Feb. 8-10, at Hunt Softball Park. After a midweek road game at intrastate foe Charlotte on Feb. 13, the Phoenix hosts its second tournament on Feb. 15-17, with Northern Kentucky, Hampton, North Carolina Central and Atlantic Coast Conference foe Virginia coming to Elon.
The Phoenix hosts NC State on Feb. 20, before heading to Tallahassee, Fla., for the Unconquered Invitational Tournament on Feb. 22-24, hosted by 2018 NCAA national champion Florida State. Along with the Seminoles, Elon faces Samford and Lipscomb at the tournament.
Elon heads to Chapel Hill, N.C., for a road contest at North Carolina on Feb. 27, before hosting its final home tournament from March 1-3. The Phoenix will play Oakland, Lafayette and LaSalle.
Another ACC opponent will make its way to Hunt Softball Park as Duke faces the Phoenix on March 6. Next, the maroon and gold treks to Athens, Ga., to compete at the UGA Classic on March 8-10, hosted by Georgia. Elon will play the host Bulldogs along with Bowling Green and Western Illinois.
The Phoenix concludes its nonconference schedule with home matchups versus Radford (March 13), UNCG (March 17), North Carolina A&T (March 20) and Campbell (March 27). Elon will also make road trips to UNCG for a twin bill on March 16 before concluding nonconference play at N.C. A&T on April 24.
CAA Play
The Phoenix opens play in the competitive CAA at defending regular-season champion James Madison on March 23-24. The Dukes were one of two teams from the league to reach the NCAA Tournament last season.
Elon hosts UNCW for its CAA home-opening series on March 30-31, before heading to College of Charleston the following weekend, April 6-7. The Phoenix welcomes Delaware to Hunt Softball Park on April 13-14, before traveling to Drexel on April 20-21.
The Phoenix closes out its CAA home schedule versus Towson on April 27-28. The regular season wraps up at Hofstra on May 3-4. The Pride won the CAA Tournament last season and clinched a berth to the NCAA Tournament.
The 2019 CAA Tournament will be held on May 8-11, in Harrisonburg, Va. The top-five teams in the regular season standings advances to the postseason tournament.