Elon Baseball to Host Liberty, Visit #9 East Carolina

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University baseball team will play a pair of midweek contests as the Phoenix will play host to the Liberty Flames at 4 p.m. on Tuesday before travelling to face the ninth-rated East Carolina Pirates in Greenville, N.C., on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

GAME NOTES

Tickets vs. Liberty
Tickets are available for $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under. Tickets can be purchased at elonphoenix.com or at the ticket windows at Latham Park beginning one hour prior to first pitch.

Parking
Free parking for baseball games at Latham Park is available in the Ingold Parking Lot adjacent to the stadium. Parking is also available across the stree in the Hunt Softball Parking Lot.

Latham Park Regulations
• Elon reserves the right to remove from Latham Park anyone who is intoxicated, using foul or abusive language or behaving inappropriately.
• In accordance with Elon University policies, alcohol and tobacco products are prohitbited in Latham Park.
• Per league policy, artificial noisemakers of any kind are prohibited in Latham Park.
• In accordance with Elon University policy, pets are not premitted within the gates of Latham Park. Only service animals may be brought into the facility.
• Umbrellas are prohibited inside Latham Park.
• Only student-athletes, officials and authorized personnel are permitted onto the field.
• Gates open 60 minutes prior to first pitch.

Pitching Matchups
Tuesday – Elon: Jr. RH Sean Byrnes (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Liberty: Sr. RH Evan Mitchell (1-0, 2.84 ERA)
Wednesday – Elon: TBA vs. East Carolina: So. RH Chris Holba (1-0, 1.23 ERA)

Series History
Elon is 11-16 all-time against Liberty, but the Phoenix has won the last two meetings. The two sides last met on March 8, 2016 with the maroon and gold winning a10-5 decision at Latham Park.

The Phoenix is 31-45-1 in its meetings with East Carolina. The two played twice last season with each squad winning on the road.

Preseason Prognostications
In its third season in the CAA, the league’s coaches selected the Phoenix to finish fifth in the preseason poll. Senior CJ Young was honored as a preseason all-CAA selection.

1. UNCW (8)
2. William & Mary (1)
3. College of Charleston
4. Delaware
5. Elon
6. James Madison
7. Northeastern
8. Towson
9. Hofstra

Oh Captain, My Captain
Head coach Mike Kennedy announced prior to the 2017 season that five players will serve as team captains this year. Seniors Jordan Barrett, Danny Crowe and Will Nance will be joined by sophomore Ryne Ogren and red-shirt freshman Cam Devanney as the Phoenix captains in 2017.

Pitcher’s Duels in Tiger Town
In a three-game series at #12 Clemson, the Phoenix went toe-to-toe with the Tigers as two of the three games were low-scoring affairs. In the opener, the two were scoreless until the last of the 13th inning when Clemson pushed across a two-out run. The 1-0 game was the first for Elon since a 1-0 win over Georgia Southern on March 14, 2014. Sunday’s finale was a 3-0 game that featured a combined 11 hits.

On Friday, Elon starter Ryan Conroy tossed 8.2 shutout innings, scattering six hits and not issuing a walk.

Barrett Mows ‘Em Down
In 7.0 innings in a win over Radford, senior lefty Jordan Barrett struck out a career-best 13 hitters. At one point, Barrett fanned five consecutive hitters. The 13 Ks were the most by an Elon pitcher since Spencer Medick struck out 13 in 9.1 innings against UNCG on April 29, 2012.

Welhaf Tosses No-No, Earns National Honor
Junior righty Robbie Welhaf threw the first no-hitter of the 2017 NCAA baseball season, and the first for Elon at the Division I level, when he blanked Longwood 7-0 on Feb. 18. Welhaf walked one and hit one batter, but faced just one over the minimum and fanned a career-high eight hitters in what was just his third career start.

The performance earned Welhaf a spot on Collegiate Baseball’s Players of the Week list, National Pitcher of the Week honors from the NCBWA and Perfect Game and CAA Pitcher of the Week.

Quick Feet
After stealing just 37 bases over the course of the 2016 season, the Phoenix showed off some speed during its opening weekend against Longwood. The maroon and gold was successful on 10 of its 13 steal attempts against the Lancers.

On the year, Elon now has stolen 13 bases in 17 tries.

I Choose Elon
Freshman right-handed pitcher George Kirby had a chance to begin a professional career out of high school after being a 32nd round selection of the New York Mets in the 2016 MLB Draft, but elected to come to Elon. Kirby is the fourth player since the 2010 draft to choose to join the Phoenix instead of turning pro. The others were pitcher David Whitehead (36th round in 2010), pitcher Tyler Manez (32nd round in 2012) and infielder Nick Zammarelli (28th round in 2013).

Tough Slate
Elon’s 2017 schedule features 14 games against teams that participated in NCAA Tournament action a year ago. Of the Phoenix’s 14 non-conference opponents, seven were selected to finish in the top three of their league (or division). Among them were league (or division) preseason favorites in East Carolina (1st AAC), UNCG (1st SoCon), High Point (1st Big South) and North Carolina (1st ACC Coastal Division).

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