Game Notes
Live Stats
Live Chat (Tuesday Only)
Live Audio (Tuesday)
Live Audio (Wednesday)

ELON, N.C. -- Fresh off of a three-game sweep of UNCG, the Elon baseball team will face another Triad opponent on Tuesday and Wednesday as the Phoenix will take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in a home-and-home set.  The teams will meet in Winston-Salem on Tuesday and at Elon's Latham Park on Wednesday.  Tuesday's game can be heard on WPCM 920 AM while Wednesday's tilt will air on WSOE 89.3 FM.  Both games can also be heard at elonphoenix.com.

Probable Starting Pitchers:
Tuesday
  EU: RH Jim Stokes (1-3, 5.56 ERA) vs. WFU: RH Connor Kaden (1-0, 7.71 ERA)
Wednesday
  EU: TBA vs. WFU: LH Tim Cooney (5-4, 3.30 ERA)

In-Game Chat
If you can not be at any of the Phoenix’s road games, join in with Elon’s free interactive live online chat.  Just click on the link on the Elon baseball home page.

Elon Baseball Live
This year, WPCM 920 AM will broadcast three editions of Elon Baseball Live featuring Phoenix head coach Mike Kennedy.  Hosted by Taylor Durham, the final show will be May 15 at 7 p.m. at The Fat Frogg.

Phoenix BaseBLOG
Fans of Elon baseball can get an inside look at the team this year thanks to a blog being written by junior outfielder Niko Fraser.  The blog can be found at www.elonbaseball.wordpress.com or by clicking the link at the top of the Elon baseball home page at elonphoenix.com.

Scouting Wake Forest
Wake Forest enters this two-game mid-week set with Elon with an overall record of 26-19.  The Demon Deacons are 9-15 in ACC play after being swept at Boston College over the weekend.

Wake’s offense is paced by Conor Keniry who is hitting .314.  Pat Blair leads the team with 52 runs scored and 18 stolen bases while Carlos Lopez has a team-high 17 doubles and 42 RBI.  Mac Williamson is the squad’s top power hitter as he has a team-leading 13 homers on the year.  As a team, the Demon Deacons are hitting .268 with 283 runs scored, 89 doubles, three triples, 35 home runs and 66 stolen bases.

On the mound, Wake sports a 4.27 ERA.  Demon Deacon hurlers have walked 193 hitters and struck out 318 while holding opponents to a .256 batting average in 396.1 innings.

In his third year at Wake Forest, head coach Tom Walter sports a career record of 495-415 in his 15-plus seasons as a collegiate head coach.  At Wake, Walter is 69-87.

Elon Skipper Mike Kennedy
Elon head coach Mike Kennedy is in his 16th season at the helm of the Phoenix program.  The 1991 Elon graduate is the program’s all-time winningest coach and has compiled a career record of 536-372-3 (.590).

Series Notes
Elon and Wake Forest have faced off 85 times before this two-game mid-week set.  The maroon and gold has won 34 of those contests.  The teams split the home-and-home season last year with each program claiming a victory on the road.

Watch This
Elon junior catcher Alex Swim was named as one of the 43 catchers on the official watch list for the 2012 Johnny Bench Award.  The Johnny Bench Award is presented by BaseballSavings.com and is handed out by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission.

Those on the list were nominated by their coaches and is presented annually to the top catcher at the NCAA Division I ranks.  The list will be updated until May 7, 2012.  Nominees must serve as a team’s starting catcher in at least 75 percent of the squad’s games.

Winning Late
A year ago the Phoenix had a lot of late-inning drama.  In fact, Elon won 11 games in its final at bat during the 2011 season.

The Phoenix won its first game in its final at bat in game two of a doubleheader against George Mason on Feb. 18, rallying for four eighth-inning runs in a 4-3 victory.  Elon has six wins in its final at bat this year.

A Tough Road
Elon always plays a tough schedule and 2012 is no different.  The Phoenix will play 14 games against teams that participated in NCAA postseason play in 2011 including a three-game set at two-time defending national champion South Carolina.

Of Elon’s first 34 games in 2012, 15 were against opponents ranked in the top 30 at the time.  According to WarrenNolan.com, Elon’s strength of schedule ranks 30th in the nation on April 25.  Furman has the second-toughest schedule in the SoCon at 36th according to the rankings.

Elon has played 10 games against teams ranked in the top 25 this year.  The only time that the Phoenix has played more games against top-25 foes in a season was 2007 when it competed in 11 such games.  Elon also played 10 games against the top 25 in 2005.

Can We Just Play 9?
Elon has played eight extra inning games in 2012.  Four of have gone 11 innings and one went 18 innings.  The maroon and gold is 5-3 in those seven games.  In both 2010 and 2011 Elon played six extra inning bouts.

Winning in the SoCon at Home
After sweeping a three game SoCon series against UNCG, Elon has now won 11 consecutive home conference series.  The maroon and gold last dropped a home SoCon set when it lost games two and three to Georgia Southern on April 10-11, 2010.

Medic(k)!
Junior lefty Spencer Medick had a career day in Elon’s 3-1 walk-off win over UNCG.  Although he didn’t figure in the decision, Medick tossed 9.1 innings allowing just five hits and one run.  He did not walk a batter and fanned a career-high 13 hitters while throwing 85 of his 118 pitches for strikes.  Medick only reached two three-ball counts in the game.  His efforts earned him SoCon Pitcher of the Week honors.

Walking Off
For the second time in as many years, sophomore Ryan Kinsella sent the Elon fans home happy with a walk-off homer.  This year, Kinsella belted a 2-2 fastball over the left field wall for a two-run homer as Elon completed a sweep of Triad rival UNCG with a 3-1 victory.  Kinsella’s first walk-off came last April when he homered in the last of the ninth in a 1-0 win over Wofford.

Milestone Hit
In the second inning of game two vs. UNCG, junior Alex Swim lined a single to center for the 200th hit of his career.  Swim currently has 203 hits and is four shy of moving into a tie for 10th place on Elon’s career hits chart with fellow catcher Mike Melillo (2007-10).

Tough to K
Last year catcher Alex Swim was one of the toughest hitters in the nation to strike out.  Swim fanned just 11 times in 236 at bats as a sophomore.  He ranked 12th nationally with one K in every 21.5 at bats.

This season, Swim has struck out nine times in 188 at bats, or one K every 20.9 at bats.

Closing it Out
Since 2007 Elon has been very good at closing out games.  The Phoenix has gone a combined 181-13 (.933) when leading after seven innings and 186-13 (.935) when holding a lead following the eighth inning.

The State of North Carolina Baseball
Records Since 2000 (Elon’s 1st DI Year)
North Carolina 578-241-1
East Carolina 518-271-3
North Carolina St. 465-305
ELON 456-299-2
UNC Wilmington 426-271-1
Charlotte 409-300-2
Western Carolina 408-328-2
Wake Forest 389-337-2
UNCG 385-331
Appalachian St. 313-384-3
Campbell 311-386-1
Duke 308-407-1
High Point 286-426-1
North Carolina A&T 278-416
UNC Asheville 260-447
Davidson 250-396
Gardner-Webb* 248-246-1
N.C. Central^ 13-30
* Moved to DI in 2003
^ Moved to DI in 2012