ELON, N.C. – Elon University baseball starts CAA play this weekend with a three-game series at College of Charleston. The teams will play a 6 p.m. opener tomorrow, March 22, followed by a 2 p.m. contest on March 23 and a 1 p.m. series finale on March 24.
COVERAGE
Fans can listen to the games on the Elon Sports Network from Learfield/IMG College as Taylor Durham will provide play-by-play action. The pregame show begins 15 minutes prior to first pitch. The radio broadcasts can be heard at elonphoenix.com/live and on the TuneIn app. Live stats will also be available.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Elon Charleston Jr. RH Kyle Brnovich (1-2, 4.18) Jr. RH Griffin McLarty (3-2, 2.01) Jr. RH George Kirby (3-0, 3.26) Jr. RH Josh Price (4-1, 3.04) TBD TBD
THE SERIES
Charleston holds a 32-23 lead in the all-time series. Elon took 2-of-3 when the teams met in the regular season at Latham Park last year. The Phoenix earned a 9-3 result in the opener March 30 and secured the series win with a 7-5 final on March 31. The visitors then took the finale 5-3 on April 1.
The two squads met again in the first round of the conference tournament on May 24. After CofC took a 2-0 lead in the second, the maroon and gold got a run back in the bottom half of the frame as Ty Adcock reached on a one-out single and moved to second on a fly out. He then came around on a Matt Oldham hit to left. Elon then pulled even with a run in the seventh as Josh Broughton scored from second on a Ryne Ogren hit through the right side of the defense.
In the bottom of the 12th, Shawn Blake led off with a double and advanced to third on a bunt as Charleston failed to retire the lead runner. After Cam Devanney drew a walk to load the bases, Oldham took a 2-2 offering right back up the middle to plate the winning run. It marked Elon’s first walk-off victory of the season.
ABOUT CHARLESTON
The Cougars (13-8) have won 4-of-5 series this season, to include sweeps of UNC Asheville on Feb. 15-17 and Furman on March 15-17. The Maroon and White also secured a 2-1 series win over then-#27 UConn on Feb. 22-24. CofC fell 13-1 at Clemson on Tuesday and dropped Wednesday’s game against the Tigers 4-1 in a neutral-site meeting in Columbia, S.C.
Logan McCrae is batting .356 and has 14 extra-base hits to leads Charleston at the plate. Danny Wondrack follows with a .333 average and Dupree Hart is hitting .308. Chaz Davey (.253) has team highs with 17 runs scored and another 21 driven in. Griffin McLarty (3-2) owns a 2.01 ERA through five starts and is expected to start on Friday. He’s struck out 33 batters in 31.1 innings. Josh Price (4-1) has a 3.04 ERA and should pitch on Saturday for his first start of the season. He has 19 punch outs across nine appearances and 26.2 innings of relief. CofC has not determined its starter for Sunday.
CURRENT ELON STREAKS
Anthony Galason has reached safely in 19 consecutive games, while Joe Satterfield has reached in 16 and Devanney seven. Satterfield also brings a seven-game hit streak into the series.
ELON IN THE RANKINGS
Through games played on March 20, the Phoenix ranks 13th in the nation in sacrifice flies (14) and 15th in being hit by pitch (38). The team also leads the league in hits (187), hits allowed per nine innings (7.20), on base percentage (.379), and runs (132).
George Kirby leads the NCAA in strikeout-to-walk ratio (41.00), is third in walks allowed per nine innings (0.30), and eighth in complete games (1). Devanney is second in the nation in sac flies (5). Tyler Stanley ranks 11th in hit by pitch (10), 13th in hit by pitch per game (0.50), and 14th in stolen bases (14).
UP NEXT
Elon will head to Raleigh, N.C. for its second game in the home-and-home series with N.C. State. The Wolfpack took the first meeting 5-0 on Feb. 19 at Latham Park.