ELON, N.C. – Currently sitting in third place in the Colonial Athletic Association standings, the Elon University baseball team will wrap up CAA play this weekend with a trip to Newark, Del., and a three-game series against the Delaware Blue Hens. The series opens on Friday, May 6, with a 3 p.m. first pitch. Saturday’s game two and Sunday’s finale are both scheduled for 1 p.m. starts at Bob Hannah Stadium.
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 Series
Elon has faced Delaware nine times, including five meetings last season. The Phoenix is 5-4 all-time against the Blue Hens, but UD won three of the five games a year ago. The two first met in 1910 with Elon claiming a 10-2 victory. Delaware earned a 4-1 win in the most recent contest, a game that ended the Phoenix’s 2015 campaign in the CAA Tournament.
About Delaware
The Blue Hens enter the weekend with an overall record of 27-18 and a 5-10 CAA mark. Delaware won its lone mid-week game, an 11-2 contest at Saint Joseph’s, and dropped two of its three games at William & Mary last weekend. As a team, UD is hitting .298 and has scored 320 runs in 45 games. The team has 91 doubles, 12 triples and 36 home runs. On the mound, the staff has a 5.41 ERA and has recorded 339 strikeouts in 394.0 innings of work. Opponents are hitting .273 off of Blue Hen pitchers.
Picked Off
Through 46 games, Elon has picked off 16 base runners, surpassing last year’s total of seven, which included two by a catcher. Lefty Jordan Barrett leads the way with six, while Derek Pikehas two and Nick Beaulac, Ryan Conroy, Mason Daniels, Matt Harris, Dimitri Lettas and Robbie Welhaf each have one. Catcher Austin Leeney has two.
Turning Two
Defensively, Elon has turned 55 double plays this season. That marks the most turned by the maroon and gold since turning 57 in 2012. The Phoenix’s 55 double plays ranks third nationally.
Ogren Repeats
Ryne Ogren earned his second CAA Rookie of the Week in a row after hitting .381 (8-for-21) with a home run, five runs scored and seven RBI to help the Phoenix to a 3-1 week. He had three multi-hit outings and had a career-high five RBI in the series-clinching victory at JMU. Ogren hit .545 (6-for-11) with runners on base and .556 (5-for-9) with runners in scoring position.
On Deck
Elon will return home to Latham Park for its final four games of the regular season. The Phoenix will begin that stretch with a 6:30 p.m. game against Campell on Tuesday, May 10.