ELON, N.C. – Continuing a 10-game homestand, the Elon University softball team hosts its second ACC in-state foe this season welcoming NC State to Hunt Softball Park this Wednesday, March 2, for a midweek contest. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.
 
Follow the Phoenix
• Live stats will be available for the game by going to the team's schedule page at elonphoenix.com.
• Updates will also be posted on Twitter at the team's account @ElonSoftball.
• Wednesday's game will stream live on FloSoftball via a paid subscription.
 
Series Breakdown
• In a series dating back to 2004 in Elon's fastpitch era (since 1990), the Wolfpack holds a 13-9 advantage over the Phoenix.
• Both teams last met in 2020 in which NC State took a 12-4 decision over Elon in Raleigh.
• Elon's last victory in the series came in 2019 where the maroon and gold defeated the Wolfpack 5-4 at Hunt Softball Park.
 
Last Time Out
• The Phoenix hosted No. 19 and Big Ten opponent Michigan at Hunt Softball Park on Monday, Feb. 28. The meeting was the first between the two teams and the first time that a current member of the Big Ten Conference played at Hunt Softball Park.
• The Wolverines took the game, 11-3, over the Phoenix scoring six runs in the first two innings before putting up a five-spot in the top of the fourth.
• Elon's lone runs came off the bat of sophomore Gabi Schaal. The Lakeland, Fla., native connected on her second home run in the last three games on a three-run blast in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Home Sweet Home
• The Phoenix is in a midst of a 10-game homestand and has played all but one of its 12 games at the home confines of Hunt Softball Park so far.
• In total, the Phoenix will play 36 total games on its home diamond. Elon will host its third and final regular season tournament this weekend, March 4-6, the Cardinal Invite.
• Elon will also look to continue its play on its field during the postseason as the Phoenix will host the 2022 Colonial Athletic Association Softball Championships.
 
Stiff Competition
• NC State becomes the fourth team from a Power 5 conference that Elon will face so far this season after matchups with North Carolina (Feb. 16), at No. 13 Duke (Feb. 23) and versus No. 19 Michigan (Feb. 28). The Phoenix also has contests versus Michigan State (March 4-5 and March 13) remaining on its schedule.
 
Around the Horn
• Elon finished the month of February with its 9-4 ledger. The last time the Phoenix had nine wins in the opening month of the season was in 2018.
• After recording her fourth triple of the season versus St. Bonaventure last Saturday, Megan Grant currently leads the country in triples. She also sits third in the nation in triples per game at 0.31.
• As a team, the Phoenix is hitting .225 overall on the year with two players – Rebecca Murray (.382) and Grant (.333) – hitting better than .300. The Phoenix also has three players with 10 or more hits this year in Murray (13), Grant (12) and Schaal (11).
• Schaal is second in the CAA in RBI with 14 and is tied for fourth in the league in home runs with three. Over her last four games, Schaal is hitting .500 (6-for-12) with two doubles, a pair of home runs with nine RBI.
• Since taking over the helm of the softball program in 2012, Elon head coach Kathy Bocock is 13-30 versus ACC schools.
• Both McKenzie Weber (0.00) and Isley Duggins (1.58) are ranked in the top three of the CAA in ERA. The duo ranks 1-2 in the league in opposing batting average at .172 for Weber and .175 for Duggins.
• Bocock is in her 11th season at the helm of the Elon softball program. She has amassed 490 career victories with 242 of those coming at Elon.
 
Scouting NC State
• The Wolfpack are currently 14-2 so far on the season and won four of its five games at its home tournament, the NC State Invitational last week. NC State will host Villanova in an early-week contest on Tuesday before traveling to Elon on Wednesday.
• Offensively, NC State is hitting .357 with six players batting .300 or better in its regular lineup. Logan Morris carries a team-high .523 batting average and ranks in the top-10 of the nation in total hits with 23 along with teammate Kaylee Lambrecht.
• In the circle, the Wolfpack have posted a 2.15 team ERA with three arms doing the bulk of the work this season. Redshirt sophomore Sam Gress leads the team with her 36.0 innings while posting a 6-0 ledger and a 2.33 ERA. Another redshirt sophomore, Aisha Weixlmann, is second in innings pitched with 31.0 while leading the team with 46 strikeouts.
 
On Deck
Elon hosts its final home tournament of the year, the Cardinal Invite, this weekend, March 4-6. The Phoenix will play five games at the tournament against the field of Michigan State, Detroit Mercy and East Carolina.