Elon Baseball Closes Homestand Against High Point on Tuesday

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University baseball team will wrap up a 10-game homestand by trying to extend a season-long eight-game winning streak as the Phoenix hosts the High Point Panthers on Tuesday, April 24. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

GAME NOTES

Latham Park gates open 60 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.

Fans can listen to the game on WSJS 104.5 FM and 1200 AM as Taylor Durham will provide all the play-by-play action. The pregame show begins at 5:45 p.m. The radio broadcast can also be heard at elonphoenix.com and on the TuneIn app.

PITCHING MATCHUP
Elon – So. RH Mason Daniels (1-1, 7.24)
High Point – TBA

THE SERIES
Elon has met High Point more often than any other opponent. Tuesday’s meeting marks the 213th all-time contest between the two programs. Elon leads the series by a 126-86 margin after picking up a 13-9 victory at High Point earlier this month. The two first met in 1926 with the maroon and gold earning 10-5 and 9-3 victories.

ABOUT HIGH POINT
High Point enters Tuesday’s game with a 21-18 overall record and a 12-6 ledger in Big South play after dropping two games to Liberty over the weekend.

As a team, HPU is hitting .294 with 262 runs scored (6.7 per game), 60 doubles, 11 triples, 45 home runs and 43 stolen bases. Hunter Lee paces the Panthers with a .362 batting average, 11 doubles and 34 RBI. Austen Zente’s 40 runs, 10 homers and 17 stolen bases lead the team.

On the mound, the Panthers have a 4.81 team ERA and have surrendered 228 runs (5.8 per game) on 327 hits. Over 347.2 innings, HPU pitchers have recorded 335 strikeouts and held opponents to a .251 batting average.

HEAD COACH MIKE KENNEDY
Now in his 22nd season as the head coach at his alma mater, Mike Kennedy (’91) is the winningest coach in program history. He has compiled a career record of 703-540-3 and has led his program to five regular season titles, three conference tournament championships and seven NCAA postseason appearances. Kennedy earned his 700th career win on April 18 as Elon defeated North Carolina A&T by a 5-4 score.

BRNOVICH, OGREN ON NATIONAL WATCH LISTS
Sophomore pitcher Kyle Brnovich has been selected to the 2018 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list. The award is presented annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country. Presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation, the 41st Golden Spikes Award will be presented on June 28 in Los Angeles.

The midseason watch list features 40 of the nation’s top amateur players from the college ranks. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will continue to maintain a rolling list of athletes, allowing players to play themselves into consideration for the award before announcing the semifinalists on May 21.

Brnovich is also on the watch list for the College Baseball Foundation’s Pitcher of the Year Award. The award highlights 78 of the top arms in the country that includes both perennial powers and up-and-coming teams. The award, sponsored by Diamond, will be presented later this summer by the College Baseball Foundation.

Junior infielder Ryne Ogren was named to the watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award, which is sponsored by Mizuno and honors the nation’s top shortstop and will be presented this summer by the College Baseball Foundation. There are 53 players on the list.

RACKING UP THE K’S
Through 41 games this season, the Elon pitching staff has put up some impressive strikeout totals. Three pitchers have eclipsed the 10-K mark in individual outings as sophomore George Kirby (11 Ks on opening day,11 at Georgia Southern, 10 vs. Appalachian State and 13 vs. Hofstra), Robbie Welhaf (12 in a relief outing against Radford) and Kyle Brnovich (11 vs. Marshall, 12 vs. Appalachian State, 13 vs. Rider, 14 vs. Charleston, 10 at Northeastern, 12 vs. Hofstra and 14 vs. Hartford) have all accomplished the feat.

As a staff on the year, the Phoenix has recorded 433 strikeouts on the year, an average of 10.6 per game. Last year, Elon set a new program record with 491. The maroon and gold is on pace to notch 592 strikeouts this season.

PHOENIX AMONG BEST IN BALANCING POWER
This season, Elon has hit 23 home runs. A total of 13 different players have gone deep for the Phoenix. Below is a list of team’s with the most players who have homered this year (through April 17).

15 – Tennessee Tech
13 – Elon, Mercer
12 – Arkansas, Clemson, FAU, South Carolina, Vanderbilt
11 – Davidson, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Wichita State
10 – Florida, NC State, Ohio, Western Kentucky, N.C. A&T

ELON’S IRONMAN
Elon junior shortstop Ryne Ogren has been a mainstay in the Phoenix lineup since his arrival on campus. The Devon, Pa., native has now started 130 consecutive games dating back to his freshman campaign. Ogren has started all 41 games this year, started all 56 games a year ago and started the final 33 contests in 2016. The last time Ogren did not appear in Elon’s starting lineup was March 22, 2016 against High Point.

THAT’S TIGHT
Elon’s first seven games of the season were decided by a combined eight runs. The Phoenix played four one-run games in its first five outings. The last time that Elon had four one-run decisions in its first five games of the season was 1934. That year, the team opened with four consecutive one-run contests.

On the year, Elon has played in 15 one-run games, going 8-7, and an additional eight two-run contests.

KENNEDY EARNS 700
With a 5-4 victory over North Carolina A&T on April 18, Elon skipper Mike Kennedy claimed the 700th victory of his career. Kennedy is Elon’s all-time winningest coach and has been at the helm of his alma mater for 22 years.

BRNOVICH PICKS UP SECOND CAA ACCOLADE
For the second time this year, sophomore Kyle Brnovich was named the CAA Pitcher of the Week. This time, he earned the honor on April 23 after throwing a complete-game, three-hitter in a win over Hartford. Brnovich allowed just one earned run in his first complete game of the season and matched a season high with 14 strikeouts.

ON DECK
The Phoenix will hit the road for a crucial three-game Colonial Athletic Association series at UNCW. The series is scheduled to begin with a 6 p.m. first pitch on Friday, April 27.