ELON, N.C. – For the second time this season, the Elon University baseball team will face a top-25 opponent. The Phoenix is set to visit the sixth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels for a 6 p.m. contest on Wednesday, March 16.
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. This game will also mark the first of the season broadcast on WSML 104.5 FM/1200 AM and through elonphoenix.com as Taylor Durham will have the play-by-play call.
The Series
Elon and North Carolina have met 44 times on the diamond before this week’s contest with UNC holding a 35-9 edge in the series. The Tar Heels and Phoenix have met at least once each season since 1998 and twice each season since 2012. The two first met on March 26, 1909 with UNC earning a 6-5 victory. Last year, the Tar Heels picked up a 10-5 win in Elon and a 14-2 victory in Chapel Hill.
Pitching Matchups
Neither team has announced a starter for Wednesday’s game.
About North Carolina
North Carolina, which also plays a Tuesday game at East Carolina, enters the week with a 12-2 overall record, including a 2-1 mark in ACC action. UNC’s two losses came at UCLA and at home against Pittsburgh. Tyler Ramirez’s .447 average leads the Tar Heels. He’s added six doubles, two home runs, 11 runs scored and 13 RBI. As a team, UNC is hitting .311 with eight home runs and 101 runs scored through 14 games. On the mound, the staff sports a 2.34 ERA and has struck out 141 hitters in 130.2 innings.
Picked Off
Through 16 games, Elon pitchers have picked off eight base runners, surpassing last year’s total of seven, which included two by a catcher. Lefty Jordan Barrett leads the way with three, while Nick Beaulac, Matt Harris, Dimitri Lettas, Derek Pike and Robbie Welhaf each have one.
Pair Near National Stats Lead
Nick Zammarelli and Kyle Jackson are both off to solid starts to the 2016 season and are both near the top of a couple of NCAA statistical rankings. Zammarelli currently has 10 doubles to rank third in the nation, just one behind the leaders. Jackson’s eight home runs are one shy of the national lead. He also rates second in total bases and fourth in slugging percentage
McVicar, Conroy Garner League Honors
Senior first baseman Tyler McVicar was honored as the CAA player of the week, while freshman pitcher Ryan Conroy shared rookie of the week honors on March 14.
McVicar led Elon to a 3-1 week by hitting .529 (9-for-17) with a double, home run, three runs scored and eight RBI. He had at least two hits in all four games, including a 3-for-5 day with a career-high five RBI in a win over Liberty.
Conroy went 2-0 with a save out of the bullpen in Elon’s four games. He allowed just one hit and no runs in the final 3.1 innings to earn his first career save against Liberty. He then tossed 1.2 shutout frames to pick up his first win against The Citadel on Saturday and gave up just one run over 3.0 innings to get another victory on Sunday. He struck out six on the week.
On Deck
Elon will open up CAA play this weekend by hosting the Tribe of William & Mary for three games. The series is scheduled to begin with a 4 p.m. game on Friday, March 18.