ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team enters its first Colonial Athletic Association series this weekend as the Phoenix (6-14) hosts Stony Brook (6-7) in a three-game set. The series is scheduled to begin with a single game on Friday, March 10, at 4 p.m. followed by a twin bill on Saturday, March 11, at 1 p.m. at Hunt Softball Park.
 
FOLLOW THE PHOENIX
• Live stats will be available for the series by going to the team's schedule page at elonphoenix.com.
• Updates will also be posted on Twitter at the team's account @ElonSoftball.
• Saturday's doubleheader stream live on FloSoftball via a paid subscription.
 
SERIES BREAKDOWN
• Both Elon and Stony Brook have met on the softball diamond twice in their series histories. Both teams will make their debuts as league foes this weekend as Stony Brook begins its first foray into CAA play.
• Elon leads Stony Brook 2-0 in the all-time series with both programs last meeting in 2004 at the Phoenix Classic. The Phoenix swept the Seawolves at the tournament, outscoring them 10-2 in both contests.
• Stony Brook will be the first of four CAA newcomers that the Phoenix will face on its schedule this season along with Monmouth (March 18-19), Hampton (April 1-2) and North Carolina A&T (May 5-6).
 
LAST TIME OUT
• Elon snapped a six-game losing skid after posting a 9-1 victory over Detroit Mercy on Tuesday, March 7. It was the Phoenix's first win since rallying from a 7-0 deficit against Northern Illinois at the Liberty Softball Classic to an 8-7 verdict on March 25.
• The Phoenix opened the game with a two-run home run from Allee Seering in the bottom of the first to put Elon ahead 2-0. Another run would be added in the second off a Reagan Hartley RBI to give the maroon and gold a 3-0 advantage.
• A four-spot in the bottom of the third gave Elon a 7-0 advantage before Detroit Mercy finally responded with a solo home in the top of the fourth. The Phoenix returned the favor with a run of its own in the home half of the fourth on a sac fly by Mauri Murray.
• A Detroit Mercy error in the bottom of the sixth scored the final run for the Phoenix, who took the 9-1 run-rule victory.
• Elon recorded eight hits in the game, its third game out of its last four of seven or more hits. Claudia Penny (2-of-3) and Carley Davis (2-of-4) both had multi-hit performances with Penny adding her team-best seventh multi-hit game of the season.
• Seering added her third home run of the season, tying for the team-lead. She also drove in two RBI along with Kaitlyn Wells. Seering was also walked two times.
• Taylor Cherry (1-1) picked up her first win of the season pitching 3.0 innings with one run allowed and a pair of strikeouts in relief while splitting time with starter McKenna McCard.
• McCard held the Titans without a hit in her 3.0 frames while walking one with two strikeouts.
 
SCOUTING ELON
• Elon's offense is hitting .231 with 121 hits in 2023, including leading the Colonial Athletic Association in hits, doubles (25), home runs (11), walks (69) and runs scored (76) through 20 games.
• Penny is the lone Phoenix player hitting better than .300 on the season with her .351 batting average. She is in the top 10 of the CAA in doubles (seven), slugging percentage (.579), OPS (1.010), hits (20), RBI (11) and home runs (two). Her seven doubles also ranked 25^th in the country.
• 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. Seering is tied for the league with 13 walks followed by Megan Grant with 11. Drew Menscer is also in the top 10 of the CAA with nine free passes.
• The Elon pitching staff has posted a 4.77 ERA with 70 strikeouts and 88 walks in 133.2 innings. Meredith Wells leads the team in innings pitched with 45.2 and has an ERA of 3.53 with a save. Isley 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 STONY BROOK
• The Seawolves are 6-7 on the season after last playing at the FIU Tournament this past weekend. Stony Brook went 2-3 against the field with victories over Stonehill and hosts FIU.
• Stony Brook went 31-16 in 2022 while going 10-6 in its final season in the America East Conference. This year, the Seawolves were selected fifth in the CAA Preseason Poll.
• Offensively, the Seawolves are batting .296 on the year, good for second in the CAA. Stony Brook also ranks first in the league in home runs per game (0.62) and on-base percentage (.364) while sitting second in the CAA in runs per game (4.54) and slugging percentage (.414).
• At the plate, four players are hitting .300 or better in the regular lineup for the Seawolves. Shauna Nuss is third in the CAA with her .423 average while Corinne Badger leads the CAA in home runs with five. Badger is also in the top 10 of the CAA in RBI with 11 along with teammate Alyssa Costello.
• In the circle, the Seawolves have a 5.25 cumulative ERA along with 51 strikeouts and 39 walks in 78.2 innings. Junior Mia Haynes has been the team's workhorse with a 3.42 ERA in 43.0 innings along with a 5-2 record. She has also struck out 38 batters, which is second in the CAA.
 
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
The Phoenix hosts Notre Dame on Tuesday, March 14, at Hunt Softball Park. That game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. start time and will air on FloSoftball.