Live Stats (All Games)

Game Notes

Phoenix Leadoff Classic Complete Schedule

ELON, N.C. – The reigning Southern Conference champion Elon University softball team officially begins its quest for another successful season this weekend as the team hosts the Phoenix Leadoff Classic, Feb. 12-13, at East Field. Along with Elon, competing in the season-opening Phoenix Leadoff Classic will be the Kent State Golden Flashes and Youngstown State Penguins.

On Saturday, Elon will face YSU at 1:15 p.m. and KSU at 3:30 p.m. On Sunday, the Phoenix takes on the Golden Flashes at 1:15 p.m. before wrapping up the two-day event with a 3:30 p.m. contest against the Penguins. Kent State and Youngstown State will play each other at 11 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

ELON VS. KSU AND YSU: Elon and Youngstown State will be meeting for the first time in the Phoenix Leadoff Classic, but the Phoenix and Golden Flashes have met one time prior to this weekend, as Kent State came away with 7-0 win on March 17, 2001.

THE RADUENZ FILE: The 2011 season marks Patti Raduenz’s 11th season as Elon’s head coach. Through 10 seasons, Raduenz has accumulated a 247-301-2 career record. Raduenz enters the 2011 season only 16 wins shy of passing former Elon head coach Sue Leonard for the most victories in school history.

COMMON THREADS: Kent State and Youngstown State will travel about 500-miles each to play in the Phoenix Classic this weekend, despite the two Buckeye state schools sitting only 40-miles apart from one another.

SEASON OPENERS: Since the 1990 season, Elon has a 12-9 record in season openers. Last season, Elon topped UNC Wilmington, 5-4, in its season opener, as the Phoenix began the season on a seven-game winning streak.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: Last season, the Elon softball team recorded a program-record 38 wins en route to the school’s first Southern Conference title in any women’s sport and the team’s first NCAA Regional appearance. Elon earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Athens Regional in Athens, Ga. hosted by the sixth-seeded and Women’s College World Series bound Georgia Bulldogs.

MEET THE SENIORS: Elon has a total of six seniors on its 2011 squad, including Emerald Graham, Caitlin McGowan, Hannah Shelton, Lauren Taylor, Pam DelPizzo and Jackie Gonzalez.

NEW FACES: Elon has six newcomers on this year’s team, including McKenzie Harrelson, Lauren Oldham, Johanna Spencer, Megan Day, Lauren Snead and Carleigh Nester. The team also welcomes first-year assistant coach Monica Wright, a three-year letterwinner as a pitcher for the Indiana University softball team.

CONFERENCE TOUR: Including its competitive Southern Conference schedule, the Phoenix will take on opponents from 11 different conferences this season, including the Horizon League (Youngstown State), Mid-American (Kent State), Big East (Seton Hall), Atlantic-10 (Dayton and Charlotte), Mid Eastern Athletic Conference (Morgan State), Southeastern (South Carolina), Ohio Valley (Tennessee State), America East (Binghamton), Atlantic Sun (Stetson) and Atlantic Coast (North Carolina State and North Carolina).

FOR THE 22ND TIME: The 2011 season will mark the 22nd season of the fast pitch era for Elon. Since the fast pitch era began in 1990, the Elon softball program has accumulated a 535-497-3 record.

THE ROAD TO STATESBORO: The Elon softball team will look to defend its Southern Conference title from a year ago this season in Statesboro, Ga., as the 2011 Southern Conference Tournament is set for May 11-14. All nine SoCon teams will participate at Eagle Field on the campus of Georgia Southern, with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA regional softball tournament. This year will mark the 18th annual SoCon Softball Championship.   

FIRST-YEAR SUCCESS: Last season as a rookie, Tomeka Watson was named the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year after leading the Phoenix to the 2010 SoCon championship. Watson led Elon with a .373 batting average and 24 stolen bases. Watson also belted eight home runs, six doubles and a triple to finish the season with a .539 slugging percentage. Watson was the first Elon player to ever earn the honor.

BORN TO RUN: Last season, Tomeka Watson and Emerald Graham tied for the Southern Conference lead in runs scored with 47 apiece. As a team, Elon scored a league-best 293 runs in 2010, averaging five runs per contest.

GOING STREAKING: Elon senior second baseman Jackie Gonzalez enters the 2011 season riding a four-game hitting streak. Gonzalez ended last season on fire at the plate, as she was named the Southern Conference Player of the Month in May after leading Elon to the SoCon title and an NCAA Regional appearance.

PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS: The Elon softball team was tabbed as the 2011 preseason favorite to win the Southern Conference, as voted on by the league’s head coaches. Elon received a total of five first place votes in the poll and earned 61 total points. The Phoenix also received a total of four first-team all-conference preseason honorees with Jackie Gonzalez, Tomeka Watson, Emerald Graham and Kaitlyn Piazzolla. #Erin O’Shea and Danielle Lafferty# earned preseason second-team all-conference accolades.

GETTING OFFENSIVE: Except for doubles, Elon placed at least one player in the top-10 in every offensive statistical category last season, including runs scored (three in top 10), slugging percentage (three in top 10), on-base percentage (two in top 10), runs scored (three in top five), hits (three in top 10), runs batted in (two in top five), triples (two in top four), home runs (four in top 10), total bases (three in top 10), walks (one in top five) and hit by pitch (two in top 10).

STATE BREAKDOWN: Elon’s current roster has 19 players from eight different states. Five players each hail from North Carolina and Virginia, while four players are Georgia natives. Pennsylvania, Indiana, Delaware, New Jersey and Colorado each claim one Phoenix player.