ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team will face Detroit Mercy for an early-week, nonconference matchup this Tuesday, March 7. The Phoenix (5-14) and Titans (0-9) are set for a 4:30 p.m. opening pitch 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.
• Tuesday's game will stream live on FloSoftball via a paid subscription.
 
SERIES BREAKDOWN
• Elon and Detroit Mercy have only faced each other twice on the softball diamond with both meetings coming last season. The Titans competed at the Phoenix's home tournament, the Cardinal Invite, matching up with the hosts for the first time.
• The Phoenix won both contests, earning an 11-3 victory in the first game before shutting out the Titans in game two, 8-0. Elon batted .444 in the two games with Megan Grant going 4-of-6 at the plate for a .667 average, four RBI and a triple.
• Elon's pitching staff posted a 2.10 ERA versus the Titans. Kaitlin King had a complete-game shutout in the Phoenix's 8-0 win while Isley Duggins earned the win in the circle for the maroon and gold's 11-3 victory.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Phoenix faced longtime Piedmont Triad rival UNCG this past weekend in a three-game series. The Spartans got the best of the maroon and gold in the three-game set, earning its first sweep in the series since 2019.
• Both teams played a doubleheader in Greensboro, N.C., on Saturday, March 4. Elon led early in game one, 1-0, on a Claudia Penny home run in the third, but UNCG tied the game in its home half. The Phoenix retook the lead, 2-1, on a wild pitch in the fourth, but the Spartans walked off with the win on a two-run home run. UNCG completed the twin bill sweep with a 10-5 victory in game two.
• Elon was handed a 3-1 setback in the series finale on Sunday at Hunt Softball Park. A three-spot in the top of the third frame for the Spartans was enough to earn the series sweep over the Phoenix despite Penny adding her second home run of the series in the seventh.
• The Phoenix was held to a .221 batting average against the Spartans with Drew Menscer the only regular batting north of .300 with her .400 average (2-of-5). Penny and Grant led the Phoenix with a pair of RBI.
 
SCOUTING ELON
• Elon's offense is hitting .226 with 113 hits in 2023, including leading the Colonial Athletic Association in doubles (23), triples (four), home runs (10), walks (62) and runs scored (59) through 16 games.
• Penny is the lone Phoenix player hitting better than .300 on the season with her .333 batting average. She is tied for the CAA-lead in doubles (six) and is in the top 10 of the CAA in slugging percentage (.579), OPS (.975), hits (18), RBI (11) and home runs (two).
• Carley Davis ranks in the top 10 of the country in caught stealing from her catcher position, throwing out seven runners so far in 2023. The Bridgewater, Va., native is also one of four Phoenix players that are in the top 10 of the CAA in home runs with two.
• Three Elon players also set in the top 10 of the CAA in walks with two in the top three. Sophomore Allee Seering is second in the league with 11 walks followed by Grant with 10. Menscer is also in the top 10 of the CAA with eight free passes.
• The Elon pitching staff has posted a 4.93 ERA with 66 strikeouts and 87 walks in 127.2 innings. Meredith Wells leads the team in innings pitched with 45.2 and has an ERA of 3.53 with a save. Duggins is next with 33.2 innings pitched with a 4.78 ERA while leading the team with 23 strikeouts. Duggins is also fifth in the CAA in opposing batting average at .238.
 
SCOUTING DETROIT MERCY
• The Titans are searching for their first win of 2023 after last competing at the Red and Black Softball Tournament at Gardner-Webb this past weekend. Detroit Mercy is coming off a 6-36 2022 campaign and was selected ninth in the 2023 Horizon League Preseason poll.
• Detroit Mercy is hitting .187 on the year with sophomore Jaiden Lara leading the team with her .348 average and eight hits. She also has driven in four runs for the Titans, who are searching for their first home of the season going into Tuesday.
• In the circle, the Titans have a cumulative ERA of 4.15 with 38 strikeouts and 23 walks among their hurlers. Senior Olivia Warrington has seen the most time toeing the rubber for Detroit Mercy with her 24.0 innings pitched and four complete games while also posting a 3.79 ERA with 18 strikeouts. Sophomore Chloe Spitzer has pitched 15.0 innings with a 4.67 ERA.
 
BO'S ON TOP
• Elon head coach Kathy Bocock became the program's all-time wins leader with the Phoenix's 8-2 win on Sunday, Feb. 19, versus James Madison. The victory was the 278^th for Bocock in her 12 seasons at Elon, surpassing Patti Raduenz's mark of 277 that was set from 2001-11.
 
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.
 
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.
 
ON DECK
Elon begins CAA play this weekend, hosting league newcomer Stony Brook at Hunt Softball Park. The three-game set begins with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 4, at noon.