ELON, N.C. -- The 2008 baseball campaign marked yet another historically successful one for head coach Mike Kennedy and his Phoenix program. Elon finished 44-18 – one victory shy of equaling the school record for victories in a season, won the 2008 Southern Conference regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Regionals for the second time in three years.
The Southern Conference regular season crown marked the Phoenix’s second outright in three years while the tournament title was the first since the Phoenix joined the NCAA Division I level nine years ago.
Elon started hot out of the gate, winning its first 10 contests and 17 of its first 20 games. The 10-game winning streak marked the program’s longest such streak since the 200 team reeled off 14 consecutive victories.
Throughout the season, Elon never dropped more than three games in a row and tallied three streaks of at least six consecutive victories.
The Phoenix offense was one of the most prolific, if not the most prolific, in school history. The 2008 squad shattered club records for runs scored (545; old record was 491 in 2006), hits (682; old record was 653 in 2006), doubles (135; old record was 133 in 2006), home runs (80; old record was 68 in 2006) and RBI (495; old record was 449 in 2006). This club’s 24 triples fell just shy of the record of 25 set by the 1982 team and the 155 stolen bases came within nine of the school record 164 swiped in 1985.
On the mound, the Phoenix hurlers also established a new school mark with 467 strikeouts eclipsing the 441 thrown in 2001. Junior Steven Hensley left his mark on the Elon record book as well, setting a new milestone with 302 career strikeouts.
Elon is known for knocking off quality opponents every season and 2008 was no different. The Phoenix earned victories over UNC Wilmington and East Carolina, both of which spent time in the top-25 throughout the season, as well as two wins over Atlantic Coast Conference foe Wake Forest. The most notable win, however, came when Elon visited then-fourth-ranked North Carolina and shutout the Tar Heels 2-0. It represented the Phoenix’s 18th victory over a top-25 team in 10 years and the first time an Elon team had ever shutout a top-25 foe.
The Phoenix captured the SoCon regular season championship with a 19-8 league mark and advanced through its conference tournament bracket with impressive wins over Wofford (21-12), Georgia Southern (16-5) and UNC Greensboro (12-4) to earn a first-ever trip to the title game. In front of a regional television audience, the Phoenix claimed a decisive 17-8 triumph in the tourney final over College of Charleston who had twice defeated Elon during the regular season.
Elon sprinted through the tournament, obliterating records for the league’s showcase. Among the SoCon Tournament milestones set were total runs scored (66, surpassing the mark of 51 by Western Carolina in 1991), total bases (114, equaling the mark set by Georgia Southern in 1992), RBI (64, surpassing the mark of 43 set by Western Carolina in 1988 and tied by Georgia Southern in 1992), highest batting average (.423, surpassing the mark of .410 set by Western Carolina in 1986), most runs in an inning (15 in the sixth inning vs. Wofford, surpassing the 13 by Appalachian State vs. Marshall in 1989), RBI in a game (21 vs. Wofford, equaling the mark set by Western Carolina vs. The Citadel in 1988), individual runs (13 by junior Cory Harrilchak, equaling the mark set by David Beckley of The Citadel in 1996) and individual hits in a game (five by Harrilchak vs. College of Charleston, equaling the mark set eight other times).
With the SoCon Tournament crown, the Phoenix secured the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the program’s third regional trip in seven years. On Memorial Day, Elon learned that it would head to Cary, N.C. to participate as the third seed in the Cary Regional hosted by North Carolina.
In its NCAA opener, Elon took on a familiar foe in UNC Wilmington, but fell short as the Seahawks knocked off the Phoenix 5-2. Against Mount St. Mary’s, Elon rebounded to take a 6-3 decision and set up a rematch with UNCW. The Phoenix’s season would end there though; as the Seahawks staged a late rally to pick up a 15-11 win over Elon.
Individually, numerous Elon players were honored throughout the season. During the season, three Phoenix pitchers were named either SoCon Pitcher of the Week or SoCon Pitcher of the Month. The lone weekly award went to freshman Jimmy Reyes. The monthly honors went to Hensley twice and senior Jesse Lewter once. Elon also had one SoCon Player of the Week as Harrilchak nailed down that accolade.
Following the regular season, the SoCon’s coaches handed out their all-conference awards. Hensley was honored for a stellar season with Pitcher of the Year honors while closer Thomas Girdwood earned Freshman of the Year distinction. Both Hensley and Girdwood were joined as First Team All-SoCon picks by Harrilchak, who earned a spot as an outfielder. Kennedy was also rewarded by his peers, claiming his second SoCon Coach of the Year honor in three years.
The media also awarded all-conference honors in baseball, recognizing Hensley as its SoCon Pitcher of the Year and Kennedy as its Coach of the Year. Hensley, Harrilchak and Girdwood were again first team selections while juniors Bennett Davis (third base) and Dallas Tarleton (catcher) both claimed spots on the second team.
Hensley became Elon’s first all-American at the NCAA Division I level when he was selected to as a Louisville Slugger TPX Third Team All-American. Girdwood was named to two freshman all-America teams, claiming Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-American and Second Team All-Freshman All-America honors by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
All-State honors were bestowed upon Hensley and Harrilchak, who fashioned a .410 batting average to become the first Elon player to eclipse the .400 single-season plateau since 1988.
In early June three Phoenix players were chosen in the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, the most ever selected from Elon in one draft. Hensley became the school’s highest-ever June selection, being picked by the Seattle Mariners in the fourth round. Junior outfielder Chris Dove was the next drafted. Dove, an Academic All-District honoree, came off the board in the 26th round as a Texas Rangers selection. Finally, senior second baseman Donny Jobe, an All-Cary Region honoree, was taken by the Mariners in the 44th round.
-- ELON --
