ELON, N.C. – In the midst of a seven-game homestand, the Elon University baseball team will welcome in the Liberty Flames for a 4 p.m., game on Tuesday, March 8.
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 during the game.
Pitching Matchup
Liberty – Sr. RH Geoffrey Murphy (0-0, 3.24 ERA)
Elon – Jr. LH Jordan Barrett (0-0, 6.43 ERA)
The Series
Former Big South Conference rivals, Elon and Liberty have met 26 times on the baseball diamond. The Flames have come out on top in 16 of those contests. The sides first met in 1976 with Liberty claiming an 8-1 victory. The Phoenix has won the last two meetings, both in 2014. Elon picked up a 4-2 win at home on March 11, 2014, before knocking off the 21st-rated Flames 7-6 in Lynchburg, Va., on May 13, 2014.
About Liberty
Liberty enters the game with an overall record of 7-5 after winning two of its three games against UConn over the weekend. The Flames, selected to place third in the Big South, has also earned victories over South Florida, William & Mary, Marshall and Duke. Their other losses have come to USF, Ohio State and Old Dominion.
Top-25 Win Snaps Streak
With its 8-7, 10-inning victory at #16 East Carolina, Elon picked up its 27th win against a top-25 foe. The decision also snapped a 12-game skid against the Pirates by the maroon and gold. The last Elon victory over ECU had come on April 28, 2009 in Elon. The last time a Phoenix team had won in Greenville was May 15, 2007.
KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
In the Feb. 28 victory over La Salle, Elon pitchers combined to strike out 18 Explorer hitters. Starter Mason Daniels fanned a career-high nine batters in 5.0 innings and Elon struck out at least one hitter in each inning. The last time an Elon team had posted at least 15 strikeouts in a game was May 7, 2013 when the maroon and gold fanned 16 against North Carolina A&T. The last time Elon had 18 strikeouts in a 9-inning game was March 30, 2007 against Davidson.
Picked Off
Thorugh 12 games, Elon pitchers have picked off seven base runners, matching last years total that included two by a catcher. Lefty Jordan Barrett leads the way with three, while Matt Harris, Dimitri Lettas, Derek Pike and Robbie Welhaf each have one.
On Deck
Elon will wrap up its homestand by hosting former Southern Conference rival The Citadel for three games this weekend. The series begins with a 4 p.m., first pitch on Friday, March 11.