ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team opens its 2022 Colonial Athletic Association schedule this weekend, March 26-27, with a three-game series against Hofstra. The Phoenix and the Pride kickoff the series with a doubleheader on Saturday at 12 p.m. before wrapping up on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Hunt Softball Park.
 
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.
• The series will be streamed on FloSoftball via a paid subscription.
 
GAME PROMOTION
• For Sunday's game, fans will be able to design their own visors to wear during the game.
 
SERIES BREAKDOWN
• Since becoming league opponents in 2015, Hofstra holds a 10-5 advantage all-time over the Phoenix including a 5-1 ledger when playing in Elon. The maroon and gold's lone win at Hunt Softball Park against Hofstra came in 2016.
• Elon has won three straight in the series with the last meeting coming at the 2021 CAA Tournament in Harrisonburg, Va., last spring. The Phoenix earned an 11-3 victory over the Pride to avoid elimination at the tournament.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Phoenix produced its sixth shutout win of the season as Elon defeated N.C. Central on Tuesday, March 22, 7-0. It was the 16^th straight defeat that Elon had over its in-state foe.
• Five Elon pitchers combined to hold the Eagles to one hit, posting the Phoenix's first one-hitter since 2019.
• Gabi Schaal drove in three RBI in the contest while going 3-for-4 at the plate for her fifth multi-hit game of the year. The sophomore also added a pair of doubles.
• Keagan Goldwait was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a double. Rebecca Murray also added a double to her stat line.
 
SEVEN DEEP IN THE CIRCLE
• The Phoenix has utilized a seven-person pitching staff this season posting solid results in the process with six shutouts.
• The staff holds a 2.90 ERA this season, which would be the program's best mark since 2017 when it posted a 2.86 cumulative ERA.
• As mentioned earlier, the Phoenix has posted six shutouts this season highlighted by freshman Taylor Cherry's perfect game versus East Carolina on March 6. Redshirt senior McKenzie Weber has two shutouts including one versus Big Ten opponent Michigan State on March 4.
• Elon has struck out 134 batters this season in its 28 games, already surpassing its 105 fanned batters from all of last season. Cherry leads the Phoenix with 53 strikeouts in her 54.2 innings.
• Weber ranks second in the CAA in ERA at 1.35 and fifth in the league in lowest opposing batting average at .215. Freshman Isley Duggins leads the CAA in the lowest opposing batting average at .188.
 
AROUND THE HORN
• Since joining the CAA in 2015, Elon is 59-58 during league play with four appearances to the CAA Softball Championships. This season, the Phoenix tabbed to finish third in the 2022 CAA Preseason Poll behind James Madison and Delaware.
• Elon is hitting .236 overall going into the weekend matchup with Murray (.341) and Schaal (.310) being the only players hitting better than .300 in the Phoenix's regular lineup.
• Murray leads the CAA in stolen bases with 15 this season, matching her career total in her first three seasons. As a team, Elon has swiped 36 bags this year with 11 games with two or more stolen bases.
• Murray also ranks in the top-10 of the CAA in batting average, hits (28), doubles (five), total bases (41) and walks (11).
• Schaal has come on late at the plate in her last four games. The Lakeland, Fla., native is hitting .529 (9-for-17) with three home runs, three doubles and eight RBI in that stretch. She also has a 1.235 slugging percentage while recording multi-hit efforts in three out of the four contests.
• Elon is tied for the Colonial Athletic Association lead in triples with seven with five of those coming from Megan Grant, who is third in the nation with her five triples.
• The Phoenix leads the league in walks (89), ranks second in hits (162) is third in doubles (26) and home runs (15).
• Kathy Bocock is in her 11th season at the helm of the Elon softball program. She has amassed 497 career victories with 260 of those coming at Elon.
 
SCOUTING HOFSTRA
• Hofstra enters with a 6-16 overall record after playing at Howard on Thursday. The Pride were picked fourth in the 2022 CAA Preseason Poll behind the Phoenix after coming off a 16-16 overall record in 2021 and earned an at-large berth to the league championship tournament.
• On the year, the Pride are hitting .195 overall on the year with junior Chelsea Manto hitting a team-best .335 average. Hofstra has one home run as a team all season with that coming off the bat of senior Meghan Giordano, who also is tied for the team-lead with seven RBI.
• In the circle, Hofstra's pitching staff has a 3.30 team ERA with 97 strikeouts. Four players have taken turns toeing the rubber for the Pride this season with sophomore Julia Apsel pacing the squad with her 55.2 innings. Apsel is second on the squad with her 2.89 ERA and 31 strikeouts behind rookie Haley Venturini and her 2.53 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 44.1 innings. Both Apsel and Venturini have combined for five of Hofstra's six wins this season.
 
ON DECK
Elon continues CAA play with a road trip to Delaware next weekend, April 2-3. The series begins with a doubleheader on Saturday at 12 p.m.