ELON, N.C. – After winning its CAA series at Northeastern over the weekend, the Elon University baseball team returns home to Latham Park to take on 12th-ranked North Carolina State at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12.
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. The game can also be heard on WSML 104.5 FM / 1200 AM and through elonphoenix.com. Fans can watch the game for free on Phoenix All-Access.
SAAC Food Drive
Elon’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committe (SAAC) will be hosting a food drive as part of the CAA’s fourth-annual conference-wide Food Drive Challenge from Saturday April 9 through Friday, April 15. SAAC members will be on hand at Tuesday’s game to collect nonperishable food items and monetary donations to benefit Allied Churches of Alamance County. Any fan who makes a donation at Tuesday’s game will receive a raffle ticket for the chance to win a $25 Bojangles’ gift card (winner will be announced during the game). Additionally, those that donate at Tuesday’s game will receive a Bojangles’ Mystery Gift Card, valued between $1 and $100 (while supplies last).
The Series
Elon and NC State have met 53 times before with the maroon and gold picking up 13 victories. The teams first met in 1908 with Elon claiming a 4-2 decision. Last year, the two played twice, each winning on their home field. Elon’s victory was a 7-5 win on April 7, 2015.
Pitching Matchups
Tuesday:
Elon – TBA
North Carolina State – TBA
About North Carolina State
North Carolina State, which has a game Monday evening at Wake Forest, owns a 22-9 overall record and is 7-5 in ACC play. The Wolfpack rank as high as 12th nationally (D1Baseball.com poll) and sit at 13th (coaches poll), 17th (Collegiate Baseball) and 20th (Baseball America) in other national polls. NC State is hitting at a .300 clip through 31 games and has scored 184 runs. The Wolfpack has 68 doubles, seven triples and 25 home runs on the year. On the mound, the pitching staff’s ERA sits at 3.65. The unit has recorded 287 strikeouts in 279.0 innings of work.
Picked Off
Through 32 games, Elon has picked off 13 base runners, surpassing last year’s total of seven, which included two by a catcher. Lefty Jordan Barrett leads the way with five while Nick Beaulac, Ryan Conroy, Mason Daniels, Matt Harris, Dimitri Lettas, Derek Pike and Robbie Welhaf each have one as does catcher Austin Leeney.
Pair Near National Stats Lead
Nick Zammarelli and Kyle Jackson are both having solid 2016 seasons and are both near the top of a couple of NCAA statistical rankings (thru games of April 10). Zammarelli currently has 16 doubles to rank fifth in the nation, just two behind the leaders. Jackson’s nine home runs rate 25th, while his 13 doubles rank 26th.
Held Down
In the final two games of Elon’s series at Northeastern, the Phoenix allowed a total of two runs in 2-0 and 3-2 wins. The last time that Elon held opponents to two or fewer runs in back-to-back games was April 1-2, 2014 when the Phoenix defeated N.C. A&T 10-2 and Campbell 2-1.
Elefante Shuts ‘Em Down
Senior Michael Elefante earned his first win of the season with a dominating performance at Northeastern on April 9. Elefante struck out a career-high 11 hitters and allowed no runs on two hits and two walks in 8.0 innings against the Huskies. The 2-0 victory marked Elon’s first shutout since March 2014. The performance earned Elefante CAA Pitcher of the Week honors.
On Deck
The Phoenix will return to CAA play by hosting the Towson Tigers for three games this weekend. The series opens on Friday, April 15, with a 6:30 p.m. game.