ELON, N.C. -- Elon enters the 2005 campaign looking to build on its solid debut in the Southern Conference last year, when the Phoenix finished fourth in the 11-team league and posted its fifth consecutive 30+ win season. Mike Kennedy’s squad returns six position starters and 10 pitchers from the 2004 team that went 31-28 overall and 17-13 in the SoCon.
For the second straight year, Elon’s recruiting class was recognized as one of the best in the nation by Collegiate Baseball, ranking 42nd in the country and behind only North Carolina, North Carolina State and East Carolina in the state. The class is comprised of seven true freshmen and five transfers.
“Our coaching staff is excited about the mix of youth and experience that makes up this baseball club,” said Kennedy. “From a leadership standpoint, this club may be the best I have had.”
The 2005 team boasts numerous players that rank among the top-10 leaders in many of the program’s career categories, including senior second baseman Gary Morris (Franklin, N.C.). In 2004, Morris collected First Team All-Southern Conference honors from both the media and coaches, Second Team All-Atlantic Region, North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association All-State, CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District, CoSIDA Third Team Academic All-American and TIAA-CREF Academic All-Southern Conference accolades. Morris enters the year ranking in career top-10’s in games played, at bats, hits, runs and doubles.
On defense, Elon should be much improved with the addition of sophomore shortstop Adam Weaver (Rocky Mount, N.C.), who transferred to the Phoenix program from North Carolina. The Phoenix defense will also see junior Paul Bennett (Charlotte, N.C.) move from the infield to play centerfield.
Kennedy adds, “Paul is so valuable to this team. For the third straight season, we have asked him to play a different position and he has jumped all over it and performed extremely well.”
Other key returners are junior catcher Drew Davis (Salisbury, N.C.), senior rightfielder Grant Rembert (Hickory, N.C.), senior infielder Evan Erickson (Healdsburg, Calif.) and senior catcher/outfielder Matt Stocco (Guelph, Ontario, Canada).
Says Kennedy, “This group has a chance to be one of the best we have had offensively from top to bottom.” Led by Morris, Elon also returns starters Rembert (.340, 85 hits, 24 2B, seven homers, 60 RBI), Erickson (.303, 17 2B, five homers, 36 RBI), Davis (.351, 81 hits, 16 2B, six home runs, 51 RBI), Chris Price (Asheville, N.C. - .295, 57 hits, 10 2B, seven homers, 50 RBI) and a much improved Bennett (.281, 47 hits, seven 2B, two home runs, 22 RBI). Add transfers Weaver, sophomore first baseman/pitcher Chris Vasami (Mamaromeck, N.Y.) who came to Elon after one season at Notre Dame and Ryan Radford (Asheville, N.C.) who came to Elon after playing at Young Harris to much improved returners John Walker (Charlotte, N.C.), Matt Hill (Charlotte, N.C.) and Danny Miller (Brookeville, Md.) and you can see the potential of this group.
The Pitching Staff
Junior Lance Cole (Asheboro, N.C.) will be looked to as the anchor of the 2005 pitching staff. In 2004, Cole hurled 85.1 innings and posted a 6-2 record and 4.43 ERA. His six wins are the most of the returning pitchers from last year’s staff. Senior Justin Weeks (Horse Shoe, N.C.), junior Matt Chastain (Charlotte, N.C.) and sophomore Matt McSwain (Sophia, N.C.) return and will try to crack into the weekend rotation. Chastain made six starts a year ago and posted a 2-3 ledger. McSwain started nine games and went 4-4 in his freshman campaign. McSwain fanned a career-best 11 hitters over 7.1 innings of work to claim a victory over High Point in 2004. Weeks is looking to bounce back from a disappointing junior season in which he made only nine appearances and finished 0-2.
“Chastain, McSwain and Weeks are all very capable arms for us,” states Kennedy. “More than anything, what we need from them is consistency.”
Junior transfer Justin Bors (Simpsonville, S.C.) should see meaningful innings this spring as could Vasami. At Spartanburg Methodist in 2004, Bors posted a 7-1 record and a 2.67 ERA over 54.0 innings of work.
Closing out games in 2005 will be juniors Kevin Regan (Elon, N.C.) and Chad Tilley (Charlotte, N.C.). Regan will step in to replace the graduated Adam Acosta, who recorded eight saves a season ago. Last year, Regan tallied one save and made 14 appearances.
“Both Regan and Tilley are interchangable and we will use them both to finish games,” noted Kennedy.
Also returning and out to make an impact are junior Kory Radford (Asheville, N.C.) and sophomores George Blystone (Norwalk, Conn.), Brian Ebert (Bay Village, Ohio) and Chris DeFago (Nags Head, N.C.). Those four combined to go 2-2 over 46 total appearances last season. DeFago led the group with 15 games, while Blystone and Radford each earned a victory.
Newcomers Patrick Adams (Salisbury, N.C.), Ryan Basham (Winston-Salem, N.C.), Jesse Lewter (Raleigh, N.C.) and Pedro Lopez (Miramar, Fla.) each are expected to contribute in their first seasons with the Phoenix. Adams, Basham and Lewter are all true freshmen, while Lopez joins the Elon program as a red-shirt freshman after transferring mid-year from Miami. Basham was rated the number two prospect in North Carolina and a top-200 prospect nationally by Baseball America.
Kennedy claims, “Our young arms (Basham, Adams and Lewter) come in with some very impressive credentials. How deep our staff will be will be determined by how these guys perform. They will certainly get their opportunity to help this ballclub.”
The Catchers
Returning as the starting catcher in 2005 will be Second Team All-Southern Conference selection Davis. Last season, Davis hit .351 with six homers and 51 RBI to help pace the Phoenix offense. He also threw out 52 percent of potential base stealers in 2004.
Other returning catchers include Stocco and sophomore Kevin Pratt (Charlotte, N.C.). Stocco appeared in 48 games last year, while Pratt appeared in nine contests.
Freshman Pat Smith (New Hartford, Conn.) joined the squad as a walk-on and will be used primarily as a bullpen catcher.
Kennedy adds, “We are fortunate to have two defensive catchers in Davis and Stocco that we believe are both all-conference type players.”
The Infield
The Phoenix infield should be a strong point for Elon this season. With Morris and Weaver up the middle and a combination of Erickson, Miller, Vasami and Walker at the corners, Kennedy’s infield defense should be improved in 2005.
Hill, a red-shirt freshman, will back up Morris at second while also competing for time at both shortstop and third base. Bennett will also see time in the infield at both short and third.
Morris led the 2004 team in batting average (.379), runs (64), hits (88), homers (tied with seven), slugging percentage (.552) and on-base percentage (.482).
Erickson batted .303 over 201 at bats in his first year in an Elon uniform, Price hit .295 and was tied for the team lead with seven home runs en route to Second Team All-Southern Conference honors as a DH and Walker hit .333 in a reserve role as a true freshman. In one season with the Tar Heels, Weaver batted .283 over 53 at bats in 38 games. Vasami saw limited plate appearances with the Fighting Irish last year as he was used more as a pitcher.
Red-shirt freshman Miller may also see some time at first base or as a DH while sophomore Chris Norwood (Jamestown, N.C.) will either red-shirt after an injury or see action at third this season.
The Outfield
The outfield should again be solid for Elon. Returning in rightfield will be Rembert, who set new program season records with 250 at bats and 24 doubles last year. Moving from shortstop to centerfield will be Bennett, who hit .281 in 58 games in 2004. Competing for the job in leftfield will be Price and Ryan Radford. Radford, a junior, batted .271 with six home runs at Young Harris last year and will also see time in centerfield in 2005.
Figuring into the outfield mix in 2005 will also be sophomores Austin Boehme (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and Matt Link (Marietta, Ga.) as well as true freshmen Chris Bland (Shallotte, N.C.) and Stuart Bost (Charlotte, N.C.). Boehme appeared in 29 games and Link saw action in 20 contests last year in reserve roles.
“Matt Link may be the best defensive outfielder we have and will be used accordingly,” added Kennedy.
Pratt may also see some playing time in the outfield this season.
The Schedule
A daunting slate of games awaits the Phoenix in 2005. Elon will play 17 contests against teams that participated in the NCAA Regionals last season, including a three-game set at College World Series participant Georgia. The other 14 games include three with College of Charleston, three with The Citadel, three with Coastal Carolina, two with UNC Wilmington and one each with North Carolina, North Carolina State and Clemson.
Other non-conference tilts include four games with ACC foes (two each with Wake Forest and Duke), three games with national power Auburn of the SEC, three games with Delaware State out of the MEAC, three games with Columbia of the Ivy League and two games with former Big South Conference rival High Point.
Of this year's slate, Kennedy said, "We feel like this is as tough a schedule as we've ever played. When you look at the strength of the Southern Conference and then add in trips to Auburn, Georgia and Clemson, among others, you can see where this schedule will present a great challenge for our players. Traditionally, we have played a very tough non-conference schedule and 2005 will be no different."
Elon opens the 2005 season by hosting Southern Conference foe Wofford beginning on Feb. 4 and will play its first six games at Latham Park.
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