ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team takes a step outside of league play as the Phoenix heads to NC State for a midweek matchup against the Wolfpack on Wednesday, April 6. The first pitch is slated for 6 p.m. at Dail Softball Stadium.
Follow the Phoenix
Fans can keep up with the action of the Phoenix on Wednesday via live stats from the program’s schedule page at elonphoenix.com. Updates will also be provided on Twitter on @elonscores or the program’s handle, @ElonUSoftball. The game will be broadcast live for free through NC State’s athletic website, gopack.com.
Versus NC State
NC State holds a 10-7 lead over Elon on the softball diamond in a series that goes back to 2004. The Wolfpack has won two of the past three contests including a 13-5 win over the maroon and gold the last time the programs met in Raleigh in 2014. Elon however won the most recent contest last season in a 3-2 victory at Hunt Softball Park. Alaina Hall led the maroon and gold at the plate with a 3-for-3 performance, which included a double. Emily Cameron was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI while Madison Kadlic also had an RBI after going 1-for-3.
Leading Off For Elon
• The Phoenix is currently seventh in the nation in triples per game at 0.35 and leads the CAA with 12 total on the year.
• Elon is first in the CAA in runs scored (191), RBI (160), walks (104) and on-base percentage (.390). The Phoenix is also second in the league in batting average (.311), total hits (282) and doubles (51).
• Nationally, Hall and Kara Shutt are both tied for 13th in the country in triples with four each and 24th in triples per game (0.12). Hall’s 11 career triples places her seventh all-time in program history.
• Shutt is also in the top-20 in the nation with her .463 batting average, which leads the conference. She is also 30th in the country in doubles per game (0.35) and paces the CAA in hits (50) and on-base percentage (.516). She also ranks in the top-two of the league in runs scored (29), doubles (12) and triples.
• Emily Roper ranks in the top-30 in the country in hit-by-pitches per game (0.32) and sacrifice flies (three).
• Elon head coach Kathy Bocock won her 350th career game after the Phoenix earned a 6-5 victory over Charlotte on March 16. Elon also won its 400th game as a Division I program against the 49ers.
• The Phoenix improved its ledger to 14-3 at the home confines of Hunt Softball Park this season with its two wins over College of Charleston this past weekend. Elon is still searching for its first true road win of the season as the maroon and gold sits at 0-5 this year away from home.
Last Time Out
The Phoenix improved to 5-1 in CAA play with a series win against College of Charleston this past weekend, April 2-3. Elon swept the Cougars in its doubleheader on Saturday with the Phoenix taking game one, 4-1, before closing out the twin bill with a 4-3 victory. CofC rebounded with a 2-1 victory in the series finale on Sunday, but Elon earned its first series win over the Cougars since 2011.
Serafini Rewarded as the CAA Player of the Week
Freshman Erica Serafini was selected as the Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week on Monday, April 4. Serafini helped the Phoenix to its second CAA series win this past weekend. The Tampa, Fla., native batted .500 (4-for-8) in the series while scoring a team-high four runs with three RBI, a double and a home run. She also had a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .556 on-base percentage. In the opening game of the series against the Cougars, Serafini went a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate while scoring three runs and hustling for a double. She then belted her first career home run on a three-run shot in the bottom of the fourth that proved to be the eventual game-winner as the Phoenix defeated CofC 4-1.
Perfecto
Rookie Abby Barker tossed the program’s first-ever perfect game at the Division I level in Elon’s 8-0 win over Niagara on Friday, March 11. The Granville, Ohio, native had three strikeouts in her 6.0 innings of work and only threw 74 pitches in the contest against the Purple Eagles. It’s also the first time that Elon has no-hit an opponent since 2011.
Scouting the Phoenix (19-15, 5-1 CAA)
Elon’s 5-1 CAA record is the Phoenix’s best start in conference play since the 2012 season. The Phoenix also heads into Wednesday’s contest looking for its first true road win of the season as Elon sits with a 0-5 ledger on the road.
The Phoenix has a +46 hit differential over opposing teams this season and has a 16-1 record when it outhits the opponent. Elon has also scored most of its runs this season in the fourth inning (42) and has a 17-2 record when leading after the fourth frame. The Phoenix has also started quickly with 39 runs in the opening inning and a 12-3 record when it scores first.
Shutt’s .463 average is the highest for a Phoenix player since 2013. In CAA play, she is hitting a blistering .571 and is one of three players that is hitting better than .400 in league play in the Phoenix’s regular lineup along with Serafini (.429) and Callie Horn (.412). Overall, Elon has four players hitting north of .300 on the year.
The Phoenix pitching staff held a CofC team that was hitting .306 before last weekend to a .186 average. Both freshman Elise Walton and senior Kayla Caruso earned wins during the series against the Cougars with Barker receiving her first career save as well. On the year, the Phoenix hurlers have a 3.47 ERA in 220.0 innings with Walton ranking in the top-five of the CAA in ERA at 1.85.
Scouting NC State (17-20)
The Wolfpack is coming off a 3-0 loss to Pittsburg in its most recent outing and is 17-20 on the year. NC State was tabbed to finish third in the 2016 Atlantic Coast Conference preseason poll after coming off a 38-22 record a year ago that included a trip to the NCAA Super Regional.
NC State is hitting .276 as a team and has scored 191 runs on the year with 45 home runs and 180 RBI. Tyler Ross has been the main run producer for the Wolfpack with her team-high 13 home runs and 37 RBI and is second on the squad with a .357 average.
Three players have mainly seen time toeing the rubber for the Wolfpack with Courtney Mirabella being the workhorse. The junior has tossed 138.1 innings and has a 4.45 ERA with a 11-11 record. She has also struck out 123 batters with NC State posting a staff ERA of 4.73.
On Deck
Elon welcomes defending CAA Tournament champion Hofstra to Hunt Softball Park for the first time as the Phoenix hosts the Pride in a three-game series beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 9, at 1 p.m.