ELON, N.C. – Elon University baseball plays its first series of the 2021 season this weekend as UNC Greensboro hosts the Phoenix for three games this Friday-Sunday, Feb. 19-21 at UNCG Baseball Stadium. Friday's game is scheduled for 4 p.m. start, Game Two on Saturday will begin at 2 p.m., and the series finale is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch.

COVERAGE
Live stats will be available for all three games, with Games One and Three streamed on ESPN+.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

Elon	UNC Greensboro
R-Jr. LH Jared Wetherbee (0-0, 0.00 ERA)	R-Jr. RH Alex Hoppe (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Fr. RH Ben Simon (0-0, 0.00 ERA)	R-So. RH Austin Koehn (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
R-So. RH Brian Edgington (0-0, 0.00 ERA)	TBD

THE SERIES
Elon leads the all-time series 36-21, though that margin narrows to a 17-15 edge when playing in Greensboro. This weekend will be the first meeting between the sides since the 2019 season when the Spartans won 4-3 at home and 9-8 at Latham Park. 

In the last meeting on April 23, 2019, the Phoenix held an 8-1 lead through six, but UNCG rallied with eight runs down the stretch. Alum Ty Adcock went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run and four RBIs to lead the offense. Cam Devanney went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs, and two runs, while Nick Cicci and Adam Spurlin both hit 1-for-4 for the team's other hits.

ABOUT UNC GREENSBORO
The Spartans were picked to finish third in the SoCon Preseason Coaches Poll behind preseason favorite Samford and Mercer. The team had three Preseason All-Conference Second Team selections in Austin Koehn, Zack Budzik and Greg Hardison. Koehn went 1-0 with a 1.04 ERA through 17.1 innings pitched. He struck out 19 batters through four appearances and two starts. Budzik ranked fifth in the nation with 12 stolen bases, while Hardison opened 2020 on a 15-game hitting streak and finished with eight doubles, good for 15th in the nation.

UNCG went 12-5 overall during the shortened 2020 season and ended on a five-game win streak after sweeping Maryland Eastern Shore in a four-game series and earning an 11-3 final at High Point. The Spartans set multiple program records last year: Austin Parsley combined with alum Jake Lewis for UNCG's first no-hitter; the team's 15-inning win over Appalachian State was the longest in both time (5:37) and innings played; and UNCG recorded program bests for team ERA (3.24) and batting average against (.245).

Head Coach Billy Godwin enters his second year leading the Spartans after being named the new coach in August 2019. He had spent the previous five years with the New York Yankees overseeing all amateur scouting in North and South Carolina. Prior to that, Godwin was the head coach at East Carolina from 2005-14.

The Spartans are looking to start right-handed pitchers Alex Hoppe and Koehn on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Sunday's starter has yet to be determined.

PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
With the CAA splitting into two divisions for the first time since 2003, the Phoenix were picked to finish third in the South Division in the Preseason Coaches Poll behind UNCW and Charleston. The Seahawks garnered seven first-place votes and 35 points, while the Cougars were next with two first-place votes and 30 points. In the North Division, Northeastern collected eight first-place votes and 29 points to earn the top spot.

Jared Wetherbee was named to the Preseason All-CAA Team for the second year in a row after finishing 1-1 with a 3.54 ERA through four appearances in 2020. Through 20.1 innings pitched, he tallied 27 strikeouts with giving up 13 walks and 16 hits. Also earning Honorable Mention Honors was Anthony Galason. The outfielder from Colts Neck, N.J. started all 17 games for the Phoenix last year and hit .292 (19-for-65) with one home run, one triple, four doubles, 13 RBIs, nine runs and four bases on balls. On defense, he owned a .971 fielding percentage with 33 putouts. He also led the maroon and gold with six multi-hit games, four multi-RBI games and posted a six-game hit streak.

UP NEXT
Elon will host VCU next Friday-Sunday, February 26-28 for the team's home-opening series. Game One will begin at 4 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m. start for Game Two and a 1 p.m. first pitch for Game Three.