ELON, N.C. -- The 2009 Southern Conference champion Elon Phoenix baseball squad will receive its championship rings prior to Saturday's Homecoming football game against the Chattanooga Mocs.  The baseball team will then be recognized on the field at halftime of the football contest.

 

The 2009 title was the third in the past four seasons for the Phoenix, which also earned the 2008 SoCon crown.  Last season's team finished the year with a 41-18 overall record as well as a 23-4 league ledger while advancing to the Atlanta Regional of the NCAA tournament.  Elon made it's first-ever final top-25 appearance after the 2009 campaign, ranking 24th in the Baseball America top-25.

 

For their efforts, the Southern Conference coaches honored Mike Kennedy as the 2009 SoCon Coach of the Year while junior infielder Chase Austin was named the league’s Co-Player of the Year. Three players – sophomore closer Thomas Girdwood, senior outfielder Pat Irvine and senior outfielder Cory Harrilchak – collected First Team All-SoCon accolades from the coaches. Second team distinction was claimed by Austin and sophomore pitcher Jimmy Reyes. Infielder Zeth Stone and relief pitcher Jordan Darnell were each named to the SoCon All-Freshman Team.

 

The SoCon Media Association handed out all-league honors to Irvine, Reyes, Girdwood and Harrilchak and also recognized Kennedy as the league’s Coach of the Year.

 

Elon finished the 2009 campaign by leading the country with 138 home runs, an average of 2.34 per game which also topped the nation. The Phoenix rated second in scoring (10.2 runs per game), total runs (604) and slugging percentage (.596) among the Division I ranks. The 326 walks drawn by Elon hitters placed them sixth in the country in that category.

 

The home run total obliterated the previous school record of 80 established a year ago. This group set new program records for runs (604, which broke the mark of 545 set in 2008), hits (711, surpassing the previous high of 682 set in 2008), doubles (137, squeaking past the 135 hit in 2008) and RBI (558, flying by the mark of 495 set in 2008). Elon legged out 24 doubles, one shy of the school record of 25 hit in 1982.

 

Individually, Austin established a new school record with 23 homers. Austin became just the second Elon player to ever hit 20 or more home runs in a season, joining Jeff Kipila who belted 21 in 1988. Austin drove in 82 runs, equaling the program-record mark set by teammate Davis a year ago. Austin also set new program records with 178 total bases and 92 hits in 2009.

 

Harrilchak’s 256 at bats in 2009 broke the previous school record of 255 and his 86 hits are the third-highest total ever for an Elon hitter. Irvine established a new single-season school record by compiling a .789 slugging percentage. His Elon career ended with him ranking among the program’s career top-10 in games played (10th; 202), runs (6th; 161), homers (5th; 31) and RBI (7th; 147).

 

In early June, Phoenix players anxiously watched and listened to the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft to see if their names would be called. Austin was the first of a program-record seven players to hear their names announced as he was chosen by the Florida Marlins in the fifth round. Joining him were Harrilchak (14th round to the Atlanta Braves), senior catcher/first baseman Dallas Tarleton (20th round to the Colorado Rockies), Irvine (33rd round to the Pittsburgh Pirates), senior pitcher Tom Porter (40th round to the San Diego Padres), junior outfielder Justin Hilt (41st round to the Oakland Athletics) and Davis (42nd round to the Tampa Bay Rays).