ELON, N.C. – Coming off its best overall season since joining the Colonial Athletic Association, the Elon University softball team and head coach Kathy Bocock announced the Phoenix’s 2020 schedule on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
The exciting 51-game slate features 29 contests within the Phoenix’s home confines at Hunt Softball Park. The schedule also features six games against teams that competed in postseason play in 2019 including four that reached the NCAA Tournament.
“Very excited about our 2020 schedule this year,” said Bocock, who is entering her ninth season at the helm of the Elon softball program. “It’s going to be a very competitive slate for us and our young team. We are set to play at a pair of high-quality tournaments at South Carolina and Liberty while also hosting three tournaments of our own. Also excited to play other traditionally strong programs in the local area including some (Atlantic Coast Conference) schools.
“The intention of every schedule we make is to prepare ourselves for the (Colonial Athletic Association), which is one of the toughest softball leagues in the country,” Bocock added. “This schedule will give us the opportunity to achieve those goals as well as create an exciting environment for our fans.”
The 2020 campaign kicks off with the Elon Softball Classic on Feb. 7-9. The maroon and gold welcomes Longwood, Rhode Island and Seton Hall to Hunt Softball Park on the opening weekend. The homestand continues with a matchup against North Carolina A&T on Feb. 12 followed by Elon’s second tournament, the Phoenix Invitational, on Feb. 14-16. The maroon and gold hosts Radford, Morgan State and Siena that weekend.
Following the Phoenix Invitational, Elon embarks on a 10-game road swing starting with a contest at NC State on Wednesday, Feb. 19. The maroon and gold then treks to South Carolina for the Gamecock Invitational on Feb. 21-23 where it will take on the field of Iowa State, Boston College and host South Carolina at the tournament.
During the final week of the month of February, Elon heads to North Carolina on Feb. 26 before traveling to the Liberty Softball Classic on Feb. 29-March 1. The Phoenix is set to face Yale, Butler, Penn and Liberty at the tournament.
Elon returns home to host UNCG in a doubleheader on March 7 before concluding the series against the Spartans in Greensboro, N.C., the following day. The Phoenix travels to Duke on March 11 for its third road contest against a member of the ACC. Elon closes out the week hosting its third and final tournament on March 13-15 as the maroon and gold welcomes Maine and Bucknell to Hunt Softball Park.
After a trip to North Carolina A&T on March 18, the maroon and gold begins CAA play on March 21-22, hosting Hofstra at Hunt Softball Park. Following that series, the Phoenix hosts East Carolina for a non-conference matchup on March 25 before heading to Towson on March 28-29 to close out the month.
The Phoenix starts a seven-game homestand with a contest against Charlotte on April 1 before hosting College of Charleston (April 4-5) and Drexel (April 11-12) the next two weekends. Elon then hits the road for CAA series at Delaware (April 18-19) and versus UNCW (April 25-26) before concluding the regular season hosting last year’s league champion James Madison on May 1-2.
The 2020 CAA Softball Tournament, hosted by James Madison, will take place on May 6-8 for the top five teams in the league standings that qualify. Last season, Elon advanced to the league’s championship game for the first time while posting its third 30-win campaign in the past five seasons with a pair of road victories against top-25 opponents.