Elon Athletics Weekly Update

ELON, N.C. – Every Monday, Phoenix fans can get a look at the week ahead with our “Elon Athletics Weekly Update” feature when we will preview all the week’s upcoming events for our sports teams. “Follow us” on Twitter at @elonphoenix and @elonscores, “Like” Elon Phoenix on Facebook and continue to check elonphoenix.com to stay current on all things Elon Athletics.

Baseball (3-5)

Elon at East Carolina, Wednesday, March 2, at 4 p.m., Greenville, N.C.

Elon Invitational

Elon vs. Bowling Green, Friday, March 4, at 4:30 p.m., Latham Park

Elon vs. Stony Brook, Saturday, March 5, at 12:30 p.m., Latham Park

Elon vs. Appalachian State, Sunday, March 6, at 4:30 p.m., Latham Park

• The Phoenix went 3-1 last week, falling at UNCG before earning a sweep of La Salle over the weekend.

• Elon pitchers struck out 18 Explorer hitters, including nine by starter Mason Daniels, in a win over La Salle on Sunday. The last time an Elon team fanned 15 or more batters was May 7, 2013, when the Phoenix struck out 16 hitters against North Carolina A&T.

• The maroon and gold will play four games again this week, beginning with a mid-week bout at East Carolina. The Phoenix will then return home to host the Elon Invitational featuring Bowling Green, Stony Brook and Appalachian State. That tournament will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, March 4, when Stony Brook plays Appalachian State.

Men’s Basketball (16-15, 7-11 CAA)

2016 CAA Men’s Basketball Championship

No. 8 seed Elon vs. No. 9 seed Drexel, Friday, March 4, at 6 p.m., Baltimore, Md.

• Elon completed a 1-1 final week of the regular season. The Phoenix fell to William & Mary on Senior Night on Thursday and defeated Delaware on Saturday in the regular-season finale.

• The Phoenix is the No. 8 seed for the 2016 CAA Championships in Baltimore. Elon will face ninth-seeded Drexel on Friday at 6 p.m. inside Royal Farms Arena.

• Friday’s first round action of the CAA Championships will be streamed live online on CAA.TV.

Men’s Golf

Loyola Intercollegiate, Sunday – Tuesday, Feb. 28 – March 1, Goodyear, Ariz.

• The maroon and gold is currently tied for 11th at the Loyola Intercollegiate after the first round of action.

• This is the first tournament of the 2016 spring season for Elon.

• The Phoenix earned a top-10 finish in all four tournaments during the spring season, including a fourth place finish at the Elon Intercollegiate.

Men’s Tennis (6-3)

Elon at North Carolina A&T, Wednesday, March 2, at 3 p.m., Greensboro, N.C.

Elon vs. Old Dominion, Saturday, March 5, at 1 p.m., Jimmy Powell Tennis Center

• Elon finished off a big weekend defeating both Brown and VCU in 4-3 thrillers.

• The Phoenix has won four straight matches since Feb. 7 with wins over Liberty, USC Upstate, Brown and VCU.

• The maroon and gold faces the Aggies on the road on Wednesday and will be back home on Saturday for an important match against Old Dominion.

Softball (7-7)

Buffalo Wild Wings Spartan Invitational

Elon vs. Valparaiso, Saturday, March 5, at 3 p.m., Spartanburg, S.C.

Elon vs. SIU-Edwardsville, Saturday, March 5, at 5 p.m., Spartanburg, S.C.

Elon vs. Presbyterian, Sunday, March 6, at 1 p.m., Spartanburg, S.C.

Elon at USC Upstate, Sunday, March 6, at 3 p.m., Spartanburg, S.C.

• Elon travels to its final road tournament of the season this weekend, the Buffalo Wild Wings Spartan Invitational hosted by USC Upstate. The maroon and gold will face Valparaiso, SIU-Edwardsville, Presbyterian and USC Upstate at the tournament.

• The Phoenix is coming off a 3-1 ledger at its home tournament last weekend, the Elon Phoenix Classic. The maroon and gold fell to Triad rival North Carolina A&T before earning three wins over Fairleigh Dickinson to close out the tournament.

• Elon currently leads the Colonial Athletic Association in doubles (27), triples (six), RBI (73), total runs (82) and hits (115) on the season.

Women’s Basketball (17-11, 10-7 CAA)

Elon at William & Mary, Wednesday, March 2, at 7 p.m., Williamsburg, Va.

• The Phoenix went 1-1 last week, posting a 62-45 win in its home finale against Delaware before a heartbreaking, 73-72, loss at league champion James Madison on Sunday. Shay Burnett averaged a double-double on the week with 15.5 points and 10.5 rebounds.

• Elon closes out the regular season on the road Wednesday when it travels to William & Mary. The maroon and gold then has a week off until the 2016 CAA Women’s Basketball Championship on March 9-12 in Upper Marlboro, Md., at the Show Place Arena.

• As it stands right now, the Phoenix would be the fourth seed in the tournament and play fifth-seeded Delaware in a 2:30 p.m. tip on Thursday, March 10.

Women’s Golf

Kiawah Island Intercollegiate, Sunday – Tuesday, Feb. 28 – March 1, Kiawah, S.C.

• The Phoenix currently stands in a tie for fifth place after the first round of the Kiawah Island Osprey Intercollegiate

• Heather Munro finished sixth overall individually as the Phoenix took third place in the FGCU Eagles Invitational, Feb. 12 – 14, at Stoneybrook Golf Club.

• Since the start of the fall season, Elon has earned a top-three finish in four of its five tournaments.

Women’s Lacrosse (4-1)

Elon vs. Albany, Friday, March 4, at 6 p.m., Rudd Field

• The Phoenix posted the biggest win of the young program’s existence with a 7-6 final at No. 10 Duke last Thursday. With game tied at six-all, Sloane Kessler found Shelby Scanlin from behind the net to notch the winning goal with six seconds left to lead Elon to victory.

• Elon nearly kept its perfect record intact, coming back from a 10-5 deficit at Vanderbilt on Sunday to make it a 10-9 game with less than a minute to play. The maroon and gold won the ensuing draw but turned it over, allowing the Commodores to run out the clock,

• Elon returns home after a three-game road swing to host Albany, a 2015 NCAA Tournament team, on Friday evening at Rudd Field.

Women’s Tennis (2-8)

Elon vs. UNCW, Thursday, March 3, at 2 p.m., Jimmy Powell Tennis Center

Elon vs. North Carolina A&T, Saturday, March 5, at 10 a.m., Jimmy Powell Tennis Center

Elon vs. NC Central, Saturday, March 5, at 2 p.m., Jimmy Powell Tennis Center

• The Phoenix finished 1-1 overall last week with a 5-1 win at UNCG and a 6-1 loss against No. 73-ranked ETSU.

• Elon hosts three matches this week, including a doubleheader on Saturday at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.

• The maroon and gold will host its second CAA foe of the season on Thursday against UNCW at 2 p.m.

Women’s Track and Field

ECAC Indoor Championships, Friday – Saturday, March 4 – 5, Boston

• The Phoenix heads to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Indoor Championships for the second year this weekend, March 4 – 5, in Boston. Last season, the Phoenix finished 21st overall at the ECACs with 14 total points.

• Elon has 10 individual athletes qualified for the ECACs in Elyse Bierut (3,000-meters), Jen Esposito (400-meters), Sydney Griffin (60-meter hurdles and 200-meters), Megan Kirschling (high jump), Tereza Novotna (5,000-meters), Carrie Abraham (long and triple jump), Shelby Cuddeback (5,000-meters), Brigid Brennan (one-mile), Emily Dixon (pentathlon) and Bryanna Hames (shot put). The maroon and gold also qualified its 4×400-meter relay team of Esposito, Lydia Laws, Lauren Brzozowski and Desiree Ross.

• Among the ECAC qualifiers, Griffin has recorded the fifth-best time in the region in the 60-meter hurdles with her school-record performance of 8.48.