Elon Phoenix Welcomes NC State to Hunt Softball Park on Wednesday

ELON, N.C. – Playing in its first midweek contest in three weeks, the Elon University softball team hosts NC State this Wednesday, April 17, at Hunt Softball Park. That game is scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. first pitch.

Both teams were originally scheduled to play on Feb. 20, but inclement weather forced the postponement of that contest to this Wednesday.

Follow the Phoenix
Live stats will be available to follow along with Twitter updates from the program’s handle, @ElonSoftball. Wednesday’s game will also be broadcasted live on Phoenix All-Access.

Inside the Series: NC State (NC State leads 12-8)
Elon enters the contest on Wednesday with a 8-12 all-time series record against NC State. The two teams began series play back in 2004 with the Phoenix winning the first five games against its intrastate foe. The Wolfpack have won the previous two meetings with Elon’s last win coming in 2016 in a 4-2 victory in extras.

Last Time Out
Elon won its third straight Colonial Athletic Association series this past weekend with a series victory against Delaware at home. The Blue Hens took the opening game of the three-game set, but the Phoenix rebounded to win the next two games, earning its first series win over Delaware since 2017.

The Phoenix batted .280 against the Blue Hens with Callie Horn and and Ally Repko tying for the team-lead with a .500 average. Horn also tied the team-lead in RBI in the series with three along with Megan White. Elon’s pitching staff posted a 2.67 ERA in 21.0 innings.

White Earns Second CAA Rookie Accolade
On Monday, April 15, White was selected as the CAA Rookie of the Week for the second straight week. The Creedmoor, N.C., native was instrumental in helping the Phoenix in the series win over Delaware, hitting .300 in the series overall. She went 2-of-4 at the plate with two RBI and a double in the series clinching 8-3 win over the Blue Hens on Sunday, April 14.

White was also honored by the CAA last Monday, April 8, as the Rookie of the Week. Teammates Allie Eith (Feb. 12) and Keagan Goldwait (Feb. 26) were also rewarded by the league office earlier this season.

Around the Horn
• The Phoenix is 23-16-1 on the season and 7-5 overall in the CAA standings. Elon is currently third in the league standings behind James Madison (11-1) and Drexel (8-4). The Phoenix handed the Dukes its lone league loss earlier this season and will face the Dragons this weekend.
• This season marks the 30th season of Elon softball during its fastpitch era and the 20th at the Division I level.
• As a team, Elon is hitting .255 overall on the year with 177 runs scored, 71 doubles, 24 home runs and 157 RBI. The Phoenix is in the top-five of the Colonial Athletic Association in slugging percentage (.402), doubles (71), home runs (24) and walks (137).
• As a team, the Phoenix ranks eighth overall in the nation in doubles per game at 1.78. Elon is one of two teams from the CAA in the top-10 of the country in doubles per game along with Drexel (1.85).
• With its 24 home runs so far this season, the Phoenix has already surpassed its 2018 season total in round trippers and has its highest total since 2016. Elon has also welcomed the recent power surge of Horn with the long ball. After being homerless in her first three season, the Durham, N.C., native is tied for the team-lead with four in 2019.
• Ally Repko leads the CAA in walks with 29 and is also 30th in the country in walks per game at 0.73. The sophomore is tied for the team-lead in homers with four and RBI with 21 along with Horn.
• Horn is hitting .277 overall on the year, but the Durham, N.C., native has picked up her play at the plate during league play. The senior is hitting a team-best .394 in the 12 CAA games with five doubles and five RBI.
• 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 five starting at least 18 out of the 40 games this season.
• In the circle, Elon has posted a 3.62 ERA in 266.2 innings of action. The Phoenix has also struck out 110 batters compared to 126 walks.
• Redshirt junior Abby Barker paces the team with her 14-6 record with a 2.48 ERA in 121.1 innings of action. Her 14 wins are tied for the CAA-lead and are tied for the fifth-most in a single-season for Elon at the Division I level.
• Phoenix head coach Kathy Bocock surpassed her 200th career win on March 29, against UNCW. The feat helped Bocock become the third coach in school history with 200 or more wins.
• In the 2019 CAA Preseason Poll, the Phoenix was tabbed to finish sixth by the league’s head coaches.

Scouting NC State (23-20, 4-11 Atlantic Coast Conference)
Coming into Wednesday’s contest, the Wolfpack are 23-20 overall this season. NC State fell in its ACC series at Notre Dame with the Fighting Irish winning two out of three.

NC State is hitting .237 overall on the season with Brigette Nordberg being the only player for the Wolfpack with an average north of .300 with a team-high .336. The junior also has 14 home runs and 40 RBI on the year to lead NC State in both categories.

Two players have primarily carried the load for the Wolfpack in the circle with Devin Wallace and Sydney Nester seeing the most time. Nester is 12-5 with a team-low 2.90 ERA in 116.0 innings while Wallace leads the team with 133.1 innings and has a 3.15 ERA with a 10-12 ledger.

On Deck
Elon heads to Drexel for a CAA showdown against the Dragons this weekend, April 20-21, in Philadelphia.