Elon, N.C.- The Elon Phoenix (28-18) will welcome rival High Point (16-31) to Latham Park for Elon's final midweek contest of the 2023 season. The Phoenix and Panthers met earlier this season in High Point in a matchup that saw the Phoenix escape with a 4-2 victory following an eighth inning rally.
 
How to Follow
 

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

 
The All-Time Series
 

• Elon leads the all-time series 131-88 over High Point.
• This will be the 220^th meeting all-time with High Point being Elon's most frequently played team in the program's history.
• The two schools first met in 1926 with a two-game series where Elon won both matchups.
• Elon and High Point have played in every season since 1933. The only times the two did not play include a three-year gap in the early 1990s, along with the period of World War II from 1941-1945 and the COVID shortened 2020 season.
• The Phoenix' 131 wins against High Point are the most for Elon against a school in the program's history.  
• Elon has won five out of the last six matchups with the Panthers including two victories over High Point last season and one this season.
• Shea Sprague picked up his first career Phoenix win against the Panthers at Truist Point in High Point in a 7-0 shutout. The combined efforts of Shea Sprague, Jake Nolan, Ben Sieracki, and Ben Simon limited the Panthers to just six hits in the shutout victory.
• Luke Stephenson shined in game two against High Point at Latham Park. Stephenson finished 3-for-3 on the day with two home runs to lead the Phoenix to a 5-1 win last season.
• In the first matchup of the season, the Phoenix offense started slow but picked up in the final two frames. Freshman Ryan Sprock gave the Phoenix the lead in the eighth inning with a two-run home run that would prove to be the game's most decisive play. Charlie Granatell also homered in the first meeting with the Panthers this season.

 
Scouting High Point
 

• The High Point Panthers enter this midweek matchup with the Phoenix riding a three-game winning streak following a conference weekend sweep of Charleston Southern.
• With the sweep, High Point moves into a tie for fifth place in the Big South with six conference games remaining.
• During the weekend series against Charleston Southern, Javon Fields proved to be pivotal in the sweep. Fields finished the weekend with a 4-for-10 performance at the plate along with a home run in game three with four RBI over the series.
• Brett Ahalt enters the matchup with Elon on a seven-game hitting streak. This includes another four-hit weekend against Charleston Southern. Ahalt leads the Panthers in batting average (.313) which is assisted by claiming a hit in ten of the last 11 games.
• Cael Chatham continues to be an extra-base hit machine for the Panthers. Chatham has started and played in every game for High Point and has collected 23 extra-base hits including 11 doubles and 12 home runs.
• The leader in home runs is Blake Sutton. The redshirt-junior has clubbed 13 home runs on the season and is two off the Big South Conference lead held by Campbell's Bryce Arnold.
• Javon Fields has collected 20 stolen bases on the season which is good for third in the Big South.
• Panther starter Gus Hughes is in the top-10 in the Big South in multiple pitching categories. Hughes is top-10 in the Big South in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched and opposing batting average.
• Both Javon Fields and Trenton Pallas have failed to make an error on the season and possess two of the five spots in the Big South with a 1.000 fielding percentage.
• Joey Hammond is in his second season with High Point after claiming High Point's first 20-win season since 2019 last season. He led the Panthers to a 14-10 finish in the Big South. Hammond spent seven seasons prior to his time at High Point as the volunteer assistant to Tom Walter at Wake Forest.

 
About the Phoenix
 

• Elon enters this matchup with High Point following a two-game series split with the Naval Academy in Annapolis. In game one of the series, Elon used a quartet of singles in the ninth inning to bring home two runs and prevailed 3-1 in the first game. In game two, Elon's offense continued to attack Navy pitching, but Navy brought their bats and collected 17 hits along with eight runs to win, 8-5.
• Elon is currently ranked 53^rd in RPI and is ranked 14^th in the Mid-Major Power Rankings by 11point7. Elon is one of six CAA members in the top 100 of the RPI poll.  
• Justin Cassella concluded his fantastic month of April, a month which saw Cassella enter the month with four home runs and sees him exit the month with 12. Cassella had a monster last two weeks that saw the junior hit eight home runs including two in Elon's game three matchup with the College of Charleston. Cassella now leads the CAA during conference play in both home runs and slugging percentage.
• Cole Reynolds has been an on-base machine this season, having reach base safely in 35 of his last 36 games. Reynolds has an on-base percentage of .422 and a conference on-base percentage of .495 good enough for third best in the conference during CAA play. Reynolds is also batting .372 during conference play and is top five in OPS during CAA games.
• 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.
• James Broderick has been a steady glove at shortstop and is coming off another hot weekend series. Broderick has reached base in nine straight games and is hitting .367 over that streak. Broderick has found a way on base via the walk all season, he is in the top ten for both overall and conference play in total walks.
• Justin Mitrovich leads all CAA freshman in ERA with a 3.14 clip, good enough for fifth overall. Mitrovich has fanned 54 batters on the season, another freshman category that he leads. Mitrovich earned his fifth win of the season against Stony Brook in Elon's most recent home CAA series, allowing just two runs while striking out seven and walking none. 
• Shea Sprague spearheads the weekend rotation and is still just as dominant. Sprague is fourth in the conference in ERA and is second in strikeouts. The two-time CAA Pitcher of the Week is first in innings pitched and tied for third in wins among qualified pitchers. Sprague set a new career-high against William & Mary earlier in April with nine strikeouts on 109 pitches.
• 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 2.36 and a team low whip of 1.14. Dabagian has allowed just 22 hits in 34.1 innings of work and has walked just seven batters.
• Joe Savino continues to make his mark out of the bullpen. Savino has made 18 appearances for Elon and has struck out 60 batters while walking just nine. Savino sits fifth in the CAA in total punchouts and is tops in the CAA among primary relievers.
• Phoenix pitching finds themselves ranked Top-35 nationally in four separate categories. The Phoenix rank: third in walks per nine innings (2.72), fourth in strikeout to walk ratio (3.29), 28^th in ERA (4.24), and 31^st in WHIP (1.35).

 
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
 

• Elon will finish off their regular season slate of home games this weekend as they welcome cross-town rivals North Carolina A&T for their first matchup as conference opponents. Following the series with the Aggies, Elon will travel to Hofstra to take on the Pride in their final conference weekend series.