ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team will look to rebound from a tough outing last weekend as the Phoenix hosts Triad rival North Carolina A&T on Wednesday, March 20, at Hunt Softball Park. Opening pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
Follow the Phoenix
Live stats will be available to follow along with Twitter updates from the program’s handle, @ElonSoftball.
Inside the Series: North Carolina A&T (Elon leads 43-10)
Longtime I-40 rivals since 1991, Elon owns a 43-10 all-time record against North Carolina A&T. The Phoenix has won the past five contests in the series and 12 out of the last 13. Last season, Elon swept the Aggies in its home-and-home series for the second straight year. The two teams will meet again later this season in Greensboro, N.C., on April 24.
Last Time Out
Elon fell to another longtime Piedmont Triad rival UNCG on Sunday, March 17, closing out its three-game series against the Spartans. The Phoenix was swept by the Spartans in the series after UNCG claimed a 4-1 victory in the series finale at Hunt Softball Park.
Around the Horn
• This season marks the 30th season of Elon softball during its fastpitch era and the 20th at the Division I level.
• The first NCAA Softball RPI report was released on Monday, March 18, with the Phoenix coming in at No. 79. Elon is the second-highest team from the Colonial Athletic Association sitting behind No. 23 James Madison.
• The Phoenix enters the midweek contest having outscored its opponents 126-115 through the first 26 games of the season. Most of those runs have come in the third inning with the Phoenix plating 27 runs in the frame.
• As a team, Elon is hitting .259 on the year with 41 doubles, 17 home runs and 111 RBI. The Phoenix is in the top-five of the Colonial Athletic Association in on-base percentage (.363), runs scored (126), RBI, doubles, triples (three), homeruns and has a CAA-best 98 walks.
• Two players in the Phoenix’s main lineup are hitting better than .300 on the year. Morgan Reich has a team-best .308 average with Ashtyn Foddrell next at .304 while also leading the team with her seven multi-hit games.
• Ally Repko leads the CAA in walks with 19 while teammate Keagan Goldwait is next with 17. Repko has also hit a team-best four homeruns this season.
• Erica Serafini and Rebecca Murray are tied for the team-lead in RBI with 15 each. Overall, the Phoenix has four players with 10 or more RBI this season.
• All seven of the Phoenix’s active freshmen has seen time early in the season. Six of those players have had their number called in the lineup with three starting at least 23 out of the 26 games this season.
• In the circle, Elon has posted a 3.58 ERA in 172.0 innings of action. The Phoenix has also struck out 68 batters compared to 78 walks. The Phoenix’s ERA is third in the CAA only to James Madison (1.91) and UNCW (3.35).
• Abby Barker is 9-3 on the season with a 2.38 ERA in 79.1 innings so far in 2019. Her nine wins are also best in the CAA.
• Phoenix head coach Kathy Bocock sits on 197 career victories while at the helm of the Elon softball program.
• The Phoenix’s roster is balanced with seasoned leadership and a renewed depth of talent, featuring seven seniors along with eight newcomers.
• In the 2019 CAA Preseason Poll, the Phoenix was tabbed to finish sixth by the league’s head coaches.
Scouting North Carolina A&T (3-15)
The Aggies come into the matchup on Wednesday with a 3-15 ledger after being swept in a doubleheader at Norfolk State last Friday, March 15. Members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), North Carolina A&T was tabbed to finish third in the 2019 MEAC Preseason Poll in the Southern Division.
North Carolina A&T is hitting .224 on the season and have five players batting north of .300. Zadaisha Waddell leads the Aggies with her .343 average and has driven in a team-best eight RBI. She is also part of the rotation in the circle for the Aggies, posting a 4.97 ERA in 31.0 innings with a 1-3 record. As a pitching staff, North Carolina A&T has a 6.50 cumulative ERA in 102.1 innings of action with 54 strikeouts.
On Deck
Elon begins CAA play this weekend with a visit to No. 21 James Madison on March 23-24.