Elon Baseball Set for First CAA Tournament

ELON, N.C. – After finishing fourth in the regular season in its first year as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association, the Elon baseball team will open its first CAA Tournament against fifth-seeded Delaware on Wednesday, May 20 at 12 p.m. The tournament will be played at Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Elon Vs. Cancer
For the fourth straight year, the Elon baseball team will join forces with much of the collegiate baseball family to help raise money to fight childhood cancer. This season, the Phoenix held its head-shaving event following its Sunday game with Delaware. So far, Elon has raised over $31,000 for the Vs. Cancer Foundation this year.

In four years, Elon’s head-shaving events have raised over $74,000 that went toward fighting childhood cancer.

To donate, visit team.vs-cancer.org/elonbaseball.

Live Coverage
Fans can follow the Phoenix via live stats by going to the Elon baseball schedule page at elonphoenix.com. Twitter updates will be posted on the @ElonScores account or fans can register to have score updates texted to their phone. Fans can also listen to the game live on WSML 104.5 FM and 1200 AM. CAA.TV will have a free video feed of each tournament game. Saturday’s championship bout will be broadcast live on the American Sports Network (local stations to be announced).

The Bracket
Elon opens play against fifth-seeded Delaware at noon on Wednesday. The winner of that game advances to take on top-seeded College of Charleston in a 3:30 p.m. contest on Thursday, May 21. Should the Phoenix drop its opener, Elon would play again at approximately 7 p.m. on Wednesday evening against either #3 Northeastern or #6 William & Mary. The full bracket can be found in the box of game information on the right side of the page.

Starting Pitchers
Wednesday, May 20
Elon: RH Nick Beaulac (5-2, 4.53 ERA, 47.2 IP, 58 K)
Delaware: TBA

The Series
Elon is 4-3 all-time against Delaware after the Blue Hens took two-of-three from the maroon and gold late in the season. The first meeting was a 10-2 Elon victory in 1910.

Coaching Continuity
Elon skipper Mike Kennedy is in his 19th year at the helm of his alma mater, but what may be more impressive is the tenure of his staff. Associate head coach Greg Starbuck is in his 17th season at Elon and assistant coach Robbie Huffstetler is in his 12th year in the maroon and gold. That group is one of just six in Division I baseball to have been together for at least 12 seasons. The others are Minnesota (33/30/17), Lamar (38/17/15), Miami (22/16/13), Virginia (12/12/12) and Gonzaga (12/12/12).

CAA Tournament Spot Clinched
With its Sunday win at Hofstra, Elon secured a spot in the upcoming, six-team CAA Tournament. The league showcase will be be played at Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., from May 20-23. The Phoenix will either be seeded third or fourth in the event.

Stalzer’s Streak Snapped
Elon lefty Jake Stalzer recently had a streak where he did not allow a walk for 17.1 innings. Stalzer’s streak came to a close in the third inning of the May 10 game against Delaware.

Power Surge
A year after hitting just 31 home runs as a team, Elon has belted 44 long balls this season. The Phoenix power is led by senior Chris King who has 14 dingers and is among the nation’s leaders in homers. King hit a total of seven home runs in 2014.

Bower Collects Academic All-District Honor
Senior outfielder Quinn Bower was named to the Capital One Academic All-Distrct 3 Baseball Team for the second straight year. Bower sports a 3.79 GPA in finance. He is now eligible for Academic All-America accolades.