ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team (1-4) hosts its second tournament of the season, the Phoenix Invitational, this weekend, Feb. 17-19. The maroon and gold welcomes the field of Fordham (1-4), Michigan State (3-2), Saint Francis (Pa.) (2-2) and James Madison (0-2) at Hunt Softball Park.
 
ELON SOFTBALL PHOENIX INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE (ELON GAMES ONLY)

• Friday, February 17^th
  • 1:00 PM – vs. Fordham
  • 3:30 PM – vs. Michigan State

• Saturday, February 18^th
  • 12:00 PM – vs. Saint Francis (Pa.)

• Sunday, February 19^th
  • 5:00 PM – vs. James Madison

 
FOLLOW THE PHOENIX
• Live stats will be available for the tournament by going to the team's schedule page at elonphoenix.com.
• Updates will also be posted on Twitter at the team's account @ElonSoftball.
• Elon's game against James Madison on Sunday, Feb. 19, at 5 p.m. will stream on FloSoftball via a paid subscription.
 
LAST TIME THEY MET
• Fordham: The Phoenix and Rams are tied at 1-1 in their all-time meetings going into the weekend. Both teams last met in 2017 at the Citrus Classic in Orlando, Fla., with Fordham taking a 10-2 win. Elon's lone win of the series came back in 2005 at the Bethune-Cookman Spring Break Classic with the Phoenix earning a 10-2 result.
• Michigan State: The Spartans hold a slight 5-4 advantage over the Phoenix in a series dating back to 2002. Friday will be the fourth meeting in the last two years between the two schools as MSU also competed at Elon's home tournament last season. Both teams split their two matchups at Hunt Softball Park with Elon earning a 2-0 shutout victory to open the tournament. The Spartans however have won the past two meetings.
• Saint Francis (Pa.): Elon holds a 2-1 advantage over Saint Francis (Pa.) with both schools splitting their two meetings last year. The Phoenix earned a 3-2 victory over the Red Flash at its season-opening tournament last season before Saint Francis (Pa.) avenged that loss with a 3-2 win of its own at the uNCG Spartan Classic.
• James Madison: Longtime opponents from the Colonial Athletic Association, the Phoenix and the Duke will meet for the first time as nonconference foes since 2012. James Madison leads the all-time series with a 23-8 ledger and has won four straight over the Phoenix. Elon's last win came in 2021 with the maroon and gold handing the Dukes a 5-4 setback at Hunt Softball Park. That loss was the only regular-season blemish for a JMU team that advanced all the Women's College World Series that season.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Phoenix held a 5-0 lead in the first two and a half innings, but could not hold off a furious rally by North Carolina as Elon fell to its in-state rival, 9-5, on Wednesday evening, at Chapel Hill.
• Elon scored a run in the top of the first and added four more runs in its half of the third frame to jump out to the early lead. The Tar Heels eventually came back with a solo home run in the home half of the third which began a streak of nine unanswered runs including the walk-off grand slam to earn UNC the win.
• Elon outhit the Tar Heels at the plate, 11-9, with three players having multi-hit games. Carley Davis and Bella Devesa both went 3-for-4 at the dish with Devesa driving in an RBI and Davis adding a double to her stat line.
• Elon's loss was only the second out of its last six games against its intrastate rival.
 
BOCOCK CHASING HISTORY
• Elon head coach Kathy Bocock became the program's longest-tenured head coach at the Division I era as she is starting her 12th season at the helm of the program.
• Bocock is also three wins shy of becoming the program's all-time career leader in wins as she sits with 275 victories as the head coach at Elon, trailing only Patti Raduenz (2001-2011) on the team's all-time wins list.
 
SCOUTING ELON
• Elon is currently hitting .259 on the year with two players among its regulars hitting north of .300 in Devesa (.600) and Davis (.313). Devesa tied her career-high with three hits against the Tar Heels and it was her second three-hit game of the season. The Pembroke Pines, Fla., native currently leads the CAA in batting average and hits.
• Davis also tied her career-high with her three base knocks versus the Tar Heels while also adding her second double of the season, tying Devesa for the team-lead.
• Reagan Hartley legged out her second triple of the season at UNC on Wednesday. That currently leads the CAA.
• Going into the weekend, Elon currently leads the CAA in hits (37), doubles (eight), triples (two) and total bases (58). The Phoenix is second in the league in RBI (18) and slugging percentage (.432).
• In the circle, Elon has made use of its pitching depth so far this season with all six arms on the roster pitching at least 3.0 innings. Meredith Wells leads the team in innings pitched after going 4.2 frames at UNC on Wednesday.  The Daleville, Va., native has a 2.51 ERA with four strikeouts in her four appearances.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Fordham
• The Rams are 1-4 this season after opening its campaign at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. Fordham's only win at the tournament came against Prairie View A&M by a score of 2-1.
• Fordham went 30-22 last season and went 15-7 in the Atlantic 10, winning the conference tournament and earning a berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Rams were selected to repeat as the A-10 champions in the conference's 2023 preseason poll.
• Offensively, Fordham is hitting .205 on the season as graduate student Julia Martine currently has the highest batting average on the squad at .294. She has also produced a pair of home runs and three RBI.
• Four arms have seen time toeing the rubber this season for the Rams with Devon Miller leading the team with her 11.2 innings pitched.
 
Michigan State
• Michigan State opened the season going 3-2 at the Texas A&M Invitational last weekend, earning wins over Texas A&M-Commerce, Tarleton State and Northern Kentucky. The Spartans suffered a setback against host Texas A&M and in a rematch against Northern Kentucky to close out the tournament.
• The Spartans enter 2023 with a new head coach in Sharonda McDonald-Kelley. McDonald-Kelley spent the last four seasons at Campbell where she led the Camels to consecutive NCAA Regionals in 2021 and 2022.
• Among the top returners for Spartans is junior pitcher Ashley Miller. Miller was named second team All-Great Lakes region last season after posting a 1.81 earned run average and 244 strikeouts in 193.1 innings pitched. This year, she has a 1.47 ERA with a shutout in her 19.0 innings this season to go along with 29 strikeouts.
 
Saint Francis (Pa.)
• Saint Francis (Pa.) carries a 2-2 ledger into the weekend after coming off playing at the Buzz Classic last weekend at Atlanta. The Red Flash earned both of its wins versus UIC at the tournament.
• The Red Flash is coming off a 37-18 campaign in 2022 including a 20-4 mark in Northeast conference play. Saint Francis advanced to the NCAA Tournament after winning the conference championship tournament and was selected as the unanimous Northeast Conference favorites in the 2023 preseason coaches' poll.
• Among the top returning players for the Red Flash include pitcher/utility Rachel Marsden. Marsden was named the No. 8 two-way player in the NCAA Division I by Extra Inning Softball. In her junior season, Marsden earned NFCA First Team All-Region as a pitcher/utility player, NEC Pitcher of the Year, First Team All-NEC as a pitcher and Second Team All-NEC as a designated player. She held a 2.28 ERA, 20-9 record, 144 strikeouts and a .236 batting average against in 187 innings pitched on the mound. At the plate, she hit .289 with 10 doubles, 13 home runs and 35 RBIs.
• Sophomore Olivia Ulam is back after earning first team All-NEC honors as a freshman. During her freshman season, Ulam hit .293 with eight doubles, five home runs and 30 RBI. Her doubles and RBI both ranked third on the team.
 
James Madison
• The Dukes are 0-2 on the season after starting their season at the Charleston Invitational. James Madison had setbacks to Chattanooga and Indiana State before the remainder of the tournament was canceled.
• JMU went 21-21 last season and went 10-5 in its final year in the CAA. The Dukes transitioned to the Sun Belt Conference last summer and were tabbed fifth in the conference's 2023 preseason poll.
• First baseman Hannah Shifflett was named to the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Softball Preseason All-Conference Team. Shifflett was selected as a first baseman to the preseason team after being named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year and earning All-Region and All-CAA First Team nods last season. She started all 42 games for the Dukes in 2022 and recorded a batting average of .350 with an .800 slugging percentage. She added 20 home runs, 65 RBI and 75 total hits.
 
AROUND THE HORN
• Elon is coming off a 30-22 ledger in 2022 and went 10-8 in the CAA. Highlight victories from last season include wins over Power 5 opponents North Carolina and Michigan State while also earning its second-ever trip to the CAA championship game.
• The Phoenix returns 13 players from last year's team, including six starters and four pitchers. Among the notable returners outside of Schaal and McCard include CAA All-Rookie selection Taylor Cherry and CAA All-Tournament choices in catcher senior Carley Davis and sophomore Chloe Hatzopoulos.
• The 2023 schedule for the maroon and gold will feature eight teams that made the postseason last season and 28 games on its home diamond at Hunt Softball Park. The slate is also scheduled to feature five teams from Power 5 conferences, 14 that posted winning records in 2022 and three teams that finished in the top 35 in 2022 RPI including two teams in the top 25 that will play at Hunt Softball Park.
• Six fresh faces will make their debut this season in an Elon uniform including a pair of transfers. Sophomore outfielder Reagan Hartley and junior pitcher Meredith Wells join the Phoenix after beginning their collegiate careers at Chattanooga State and James Madison, respectively. Hartley batted .346 in 179 at bats and ranked 11th in the nation in stolen bases with 51. She also drove in 27 RBI and scored 55 runs in 60 games last season. Wells is coming off making 12 appearances in the circle with the Dukes including going 3-1 this past spring with an ERA of 4.59 in 29.0 innings of action.
• Both Hartley and Wells will join first-year players Michaela Hobson (RHP), Mauri Murray (UT), Payton Swart (IN) and Mary Moss Wirt (C/UT) as the newcomers for the Phoenix.
• Last season, Elon's pitching staff was one of the more formidable units in the CAA. The Phoenix finished third in the league in ERA at 2.98, which was the team's best since 2017. Elon also tied for the league lead in shutouts with 10 and was second in strikeouts (238) and opposing batting average (.246).
• Among one of the top hurlers returning for the Phoenix is Cherry, who led the Phoenix in innings pitched (88.2), strikeouts (87) and saves (two) while going 7-7 with a 3.39 ERA. The Suffolk, Va., native became the third pitcher in school history to toss a perfect game with her outing versus ECU last season.
• Another sophomore, Isley Duggins, also looks to build off her rookie campaign. The Burlington, N.C., native finished second on the team last year in ERA (2.61) in her 64.1 innings pitched and earned a complete-game win versus North Carolina. She finished second in the CAA in opposing batting average at .193.
 
SCHAAL, MCCARD NAMED TO 2023 CAA PRESEASON WATCH LIST
• Junior Gabi Schaal and sophomore McKenna McCard were selected to the inaugural Colonial Athletic Association Preseason Watch List as announced by the league office on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
• A third-team All-CAA selection last season, Schaal led the Phoenix in home runs (nine) and RBI (38) while hitting .316 overall with nine doubles. She also had 12 multi-RBI games. Despite missing the final 13 games of the year due to an injury, the Lakeland, Fla., native still finished second in the CAA in RBI, fourth in homers and eighth overall in slugging percentage (.624).
• McCard earned CAA All-Tournament team honors after helping the Phoenix clinch a spot in the league championship game for the second time in program history with her performance in the circle. The Ashburn, Ga., native went 3-3 on the season with a 3.27 ERA in 51.1 innings while only holding opposing hitters to a .182 average. She also struck out 48 batters, which finished second on the team.
 
2023 CAA PRESEASON POLL
• The Phoenix was predicted a fourth-place standing in the 2023 CAA Preseason Poll as released by the league office on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
• Reigning tournament champion UNCW was chosen as the CAA's preseason favorite, piling up 95 points and five first-place votes. Defending regular-season champion Delaware took second place with 91 points while tying UNCW with five first-place votes. Hofstra was placed third with 80 points and one first-place vote while Elon had 71 points in fourth. Fifth place was occupied by league newcomer Stony Brook, which had 69 points.
• College of Charleston (54) was rated sixth in the poll followed by Drexel (45) and Towson (33) in seventh and eighth, respectively. League newcomers Monmouth (31), Hampton (21) and North Carolina A&T (15) rounded out the 11-team poll.
 
ON DECK
The Phoenix travels to NC State for a matchup against the Wolfpack next Wednesday, Feb. 22. That game is set for 5 p.m.