ELON, N.C. – Thirty-one home games – including a season-opening series against Kentucky and five series against CAA foes – highlight the Elon baseball team's 2023 schedule, announced by head coach Mike Kennedy on Wednesday.
 
The Phoenix will play eight games versus four 2022 NCAA Regional participants as part of its 54-game slate. That includes a showdown with Super Regional host East Carolina on March 8 at Latham Park. Ticket information for that game and the rest of Elon's home contests will be announced in January.
 
"We are excited to get started and look forward to the 2023 season," said Kennedy, who's entering his 27th season at the helm of his alma mater. "Our nonconference slate will again be challenging with the likes of Kentucky, NC State, Wake Forest and ECU, among others. We will get a great test right out the gate hosting SEC member Kentucky for a three-game set. With only three nonconference weekends this spring, we will have to be ready to go and playing at a high level to prepare for a very challenging CAA schedule."
 
For the eighth time in nine years, Elon will begin the season at home when it hosts Kentucky from Feb. 17-19. The Phoenix's Opening Day game against the Wildcats, scheduled for 4 p.m., will mark its first against an SEC foe since facing Kentucky in the Caravelle Resort Tournament on Feb. 22, 2013, in Myrtle Beach, S.C. It will also be Elon's first home game against an SEC team since hosting South Carolina on March 27, 2007.
 
Following its first road game on Feb. 21 at Gardner-Webb, the Phoenix will welcome Akron to Latham Park for a three-game series from Feb. 24-26. It will then play a home-and-home series against UNCG during the following week before hosting Quinnipiac for three games from March 3-5.
 
Other highlights of the Phoenix's 24-game nonconference slate include home contests against ECU, Gardner-Webb and USC Upstate; trips to Navy and NC State; and home-and-home series against Campbell, High Point and Wake Forest.
 
Elon will open CAA play with a three-game home series against Northeastern from March 10-12. It will then visit league newcomer Monmouth from March 17-19. The rest of the Phoenix's conference slate features home series against Delaware (March 24-26), UNCW (April 7-9), Stony Brook (April 21-23) and North Carolina A&T (May 12-14) as well as road series against Towson (March 31-April 2), William & Mary (April 14-16), College of Charleston (April 28-30) and defending CAA Tournament champion Hofstra (May 18-20).
 
The 2023 CAA Tournament will be held May 24-27 at The Ballpark at Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
 
Elon returns 21 letterwinners from last year's squad that went 27-28 overall and 9-14 in CAA play. That includes seven starting position players in Justin Cassella, Connor Coolahan, Charlie Granatell, Parker Haskin, Cole Reynolds, Luke Stephenson and Will Vergantino as well as two starting pitchers in Joe Savino and Shea Sprague, the reigning CAA Co-Rookie of the Year.