Charleston, S.C.-  The Elon Phoenix (24-15, 13-7 CAA) will hit the road this weekend to battle the College of Charleston Cougars (26-14, 12-6 CAA) at Patriots Point. This matchup sees the third and fourth best team in the conference standings face off with huge conference tournament implications. Elon enters the matchup following a win against No.8/9 Campbell, while Charleston enters the series on a four-game winning streak.
 
How to Follow
 

• This weekend's games will be aired on FloBaseball which can be reached by CLICKING HERE.
• Live stats will be available for the weekend contests and can be reached by CLICKING HERE.
• Follow live updates on the Elon Baseball Twitter account @ElonBaseball.

 
The All-Time Series
 

• Elon trails the all-time series to the College of Charleston, 40-29.
• The first matchup between the two took place in 1998, with two being played in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. The two split the double-header then would regularly play beginning in 2004 as members of the Southern Conference.
• The two schools have played a weekend series every season since 2004, except in 2014 when Charleston joined the CAA one season before Elon did the same.
• The opponents have met in the CAA Tournament six times since joining the CAA. The Cougars are the most common opponent in the CAA Tournament for the Phoenix.
• Charleston enters the weekend series on a five-game winning streak against the Phoenix. This includes last season's CAA Tournament game at Latham Park where Charleston eliminated Elon from contention with a 6-1 victory.
• Elon and Charleston have played 11 times during the last two season, including seven matchups during the 2021 season.
• The Phoenix have had success at Patriots Point in recent play. This includes series wins in 2019 and 2021. Elon has won two out of three against the Cougars in the last two series.
• The last victory for Elon against the College of Charleston came in 2021 when the Phoenix took the rubber match of a three-game series at Patriots Point.
• In the most recent Phoenix victory, the Elon bats were hot. Elon collected 14 hits against the Cougars and jumped out to an 8-0 lead through three and a half innings.
• Eight of the nine Phoenix starters collected a hit and four Phoenix collected multiple hits. Nick Cicci picked up three RBI against the Cougars and Alex Iadisernia picked up an RBI triple along with two runs scored.
• Mike Kennedy has a record of 29-40 against the College of Charleston during his time as Elon's skipper.

 
Scouting College of Charleston
 

• The College of Charleston enters the matchup with the Phoenix on a four-game winning streak. A clean sweep of Western Carolina then a midweek victory against Georgia Southern on the road.
• Charleston enters the series with Elon with a 26-14 overall record with a 12-6 conference clip. Their 26 wins are the second highest in the conference and their 12 conference wins are also the second highest.
• Charleston claimed its first regular season title since 2015 last season but were bounced in the loser's bracket final, one game short of reaching the CAA title game.
• The Cougars were selected as the preseason favorites in the CAA, receiving nine of the 11 first place votes.
• Junior pitcher William Privette was also selected as the CAA Preseason Player of the Year. Privette entered the season having claimed consensus All-American honors, CAA Pitcher of the Year and was one of three finalists for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year award.
• Charleston had seven players make the Preseason All-Conference Team with two of the seven being named to the honorable mention.
• JT Marr, Trotter Harlan, Tyler Sorrentino, Ty Good and Privette were named to the All-Conference Team while Cam Dean and Joseph Mershon were named honorable mention.
• Will Baumhofer leads the Cougars at the plate with a .320 batting average. As a junior in 2022 he appeared in just eight games, but has started 32 of the 33 games he has appeared in. Baumhofer set career marks against Monmouth earlier this month for RBI, HR, and doubles in a ballgame.
• Cole Mathis, JT Marr and Luke Wood all join Baumhofer in the over .300 club with Wood and Mathis both claiming the team high in long balls with seven.
• Ty Good continues to man the hill for the Cougars on Friday nights. Good possesses a 3.36 ERA and leads the CAA in strikeouts with 65. Opposing batters are clipping at .184 against Good on the season thus far.
• Trey Pooser and Cole Mathis are the clubs remaining two starters and are equally impressive. Pooser has an ERA of 2.85, the best on the club and Mathis has allowed just 15 walks in 51 innings pitched.
• William Privette has been phenomenal out of the bullpen with a 1.11 ERA and a WHIP of less than one. The reliever has allowed just four earned runs in over 32 innings pitched and is second in the CAA for strikeouts by a reliever behind Joe Savino.

 
About the Phoenix
 

• Elon enters this matchup with Charleston following the Phoenix's second victory over a top-ten opponent when Elon defeated No.8/9 Campbell on Wednesday.
• Tanner Holliman returned to the home run list with a game-tying blast in the bottom of the eighth to give Holliman ten on the season.
• Cole Reynolds launched his 16^th home run of his Elon career and his seventh of the season to give Elon a boost in the third inning.
• The Phoenix enters this CAA weekend series following a weekend series loss to the Stony Brook Sea Wolves.
• This was the first home weekend series loss for the Phoenix since Elon fell in two out of three games to the Kentucky Wildcats back in February.
• Multiple personal bests were set during the series with the Sea Wolves, but the star of the week was junior Justin Cassella.
• Cassella finished his week with five home runs over the span of four games including a home run in four straight games along with a two-homer performance against the Sea Wolves on Sunday. The junior now leads the CAA during conference play in slugging percentage and home runs.
• Luke Stephenson set a career mark for RBI in a game when the graduate backstop slashed seven RBI against Stony Brook on Saturday. This is the most RBI in a game by a Phoenix this season and is the most in a ballgame since Charlie Granatell drove in seven against Towson a season ago.
• The 18 runs tied Elon for their season high and were the most by the Phoenix at Latham Park since a matchup with Rider in 2018 when the Phoenix had 21 runs.
• Elon is currently ranked 57^th in RPI and is ranked 19^th in the Mid-Major Power Rankings by 11point7. Elon is one of six CAA members to be rated in the top 105 of the RPI. The CAA is just one of seven conferences with six teams in the top 105. 
• The Phoenix continues to show off their power at the plate by capitalizing on the long ball. Elon is tied for second in the CAA for home runs during conference play. Justin Cassella now leads the club with ten homers while Tanner Holliman is right behind him with nine home run. Luke Stephenson holds third place with eight.
• Cole Reynolds saw his 29-game on base streak come to an end against Stony Brook in the first game but responded against the Sea Wolves in game two. Reynolds finished 2-for-3 with a home run and reached base six times in the Phoenix victory.
• Luke Stephenson has continued to showcase his power that Elon fans saw a season ago. Stephenson now has eight home runs on the season giving him 23 for his Phoenix career. He slashed a career high seven RBI in game two against the Sea Wolves and set a CAA program mark for longest hitting streak by a primary catcher. Stephenson hit safely in 14 consecutive games, breaking the previous mark held by Matt Oldham.
• Ryan Sprock continues to have a fantastic freshman campaign getting it done on the mound and in the batter's box. On the mound, Sprock is second in ERA for freshman in the CAA and in second in strikeouts amongst freshman along with being eighth overall. Sprock has continued to evolve at the plate in his freshman season. A season that has featured a 12-game hitting streak and sees Sprock in second place in walks drawn with 17 during conference play.
• Justin Mitrovich leads all CAA freshman in ERA with a 2.74 clip, good enough for third overall. Mitrovich has fanned 51 batters on the season, another freshman category that he leads. Mitrovich earned his fifth win of the season against the Sea Wolves, allowing just two runs while striking out sevena and walking none.  
• Shea Sprague spearheads the weekend rotation and is still just as dominant. Sprague is fifth in the conference in ERA and is second in strikeouts. The two-time CAA Pitcher of the Week is third in innings pitched and tied for third in wins among qualified pitchers. Sprague set a new career-high against William & Mary earlier this month with nine strikeouts on 109 pitches.
• Elon is third in the CAA in total ERA, but the three weekend starters all have an ERA of under four and all sit in the top ten in the conference in ERA.
• All three starters; Sprague, Sprock and Mitrovich also find themselves in the top 10 amongst CAA pitchers in strikeouts.
• Liam Dabagian continues to be a consistent left-handed arm out of the bullpen. Dabagian has an ERA of 1.30 and a team low whip of .94. Dabagian has allowed just 20 hits in 27.2 innings of work and has walked just six batters.
• Joe Savino continues to make his mark out of the bullpen. Savino has made 16 appearances for Elon and has struck out 51 batters while walking just eight. Savino sits fourth in the CAA in total punchouts and is tops in the CAA among primary relievers.
• Phoenix pitching finds themselves ranked Top-30 nationally in five separate categories. The Phoenix rank: fourth in walks per nine innings (2.85), eighth in strikeout to walk ratio (3.14), 18^th in ERA (3.86), 29^th in WHIP (1.32), and 30^th in shutouts (2).

 
CAA Honors
 

• Freshman Justin Mitrovich was honored earlier this season as the CAA Pitcher of the Week for his performance against Delaware. The rookie hurler pitched seven great innings allowing just three hits, striking out eight and walking none in the winning effort.
• Mitrovich is ranked top 10 in the CAA in wins, ERA and strikeouts among qualified pitchers.
• Following the Monmouth series, Tanner Holliman and Ryan Sprock were both recognized for their performances by the CAA being awarded CAA Player of the Week and CAA Rookie of the Week respectively.
• The redshirt junior caught fire during Elon's six game winning streak clubbing five home runs during the stretch.
• Holliman scored nine runs during the four games and completed the week with seven RBI.
• Freshman Ryan Sprock was awarded the CAA Rookie of the Week award for the third time this season following his week against Monmouth.
• Sprock has been awarded Rookie of the Week in back-to-back weeks for his performance on the mound and at the plate.
• Sprock went 4-for-8 (.500) against #23 NC State and Monmouth in Elon's 4-0 week. Sprock clubbed three home runs in the week's four games and delivered eight RBI in the four games.
• The six innings were a season high for Sprock and the one walk was a season low. 
• Shea Sprague has picked up two CAA Pitcher of the Week awards following his performances against Kentucky and Akron.
• Last season, Elon had six weekly award winners; this season the Phoenix have tallied seven weekly awards with half the season still to play.

 
Preseason All-Conference
 

• Elon pitcher Shea Sprague and outfielder/catcher Luke Stephenson were named to the preseason All-CAA team.
• Sprague was one of five pitchers named to the team, while Stephenson earned the designated hitter nod on the team.
• Sprague ranked in the top 76 nationally in ERA, WHIP, walks allowed per nine innings and hits allowed per nine innings a year ago. He was the CAA Co-Rookie of the Year in 2022.
• Stephenson led the CAA with 15 home runs a year ago and ranked in the top seven in the CAA in total bases, slugging percentage, and RBI.

 
Up Next
 

• The Phoenix will continue their road trip by heading to Buies Creek, N.C. to complete their home and home series with Campbell. The following weekend, the six-game road trip will complete with two games against the Naval Academy next Saturday and Sunday. 
• Fans can purchase voucher books for the 2023 Elon Baseball season. For just $25, fans receive 10 ticket vouchers for any home regular season games. The ticket voucher books are available for purchase at all home games, by visiting ElonTickets.com, or by calling 336-278-6750.