ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team travels to Virginia Tech for a midweek matchup this Wednesday, Feb. 21. The Phoenix (4-5) and the Hokies (7-2-1) are set for a 4 p.m. opening pitch time at Tech Softball Park.
 
FOLLOW THE PHOENIX
• Live stats will be available by going to the team's schedule page at elonphoenix.com.
• Updates will also be posted on Twitter at the team's account @ElonSoftball.
• The game will air on the radio via the HokieSports App and stream on the ACCNX via WatchESPN or the ESPN app.
 
SERIES BREAKDOWN
• Elon and Virginia Tech will meet for the first time since the 2017 season as the Hokies own a 6-2 series lead over the Phoenix.
• The Phoenix swept the Hokies in a twin bill in the last meeting back in 2017 at Virginia Tech. Elon took game one, 4-3, before closing out the nightcap with a 7-5 victory for the doubleheader sweep and its first-ever victories over Virginia Tech.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• Elon played at the NC State hosted Marucci Classic last weekend, facing the field of North Dakota State, UConn and NC State. The Phoenix went 1-4 at the tournament with its lone win coming against NDSU on Saturday, 7-5, in its second extra inning game of the weekend versus the Bison.
• Mauri Murray had a strong weekend for the Phoenix offensively as the sophomore batted .438 (7-of-16) with three home runs and nine RBI while scoring four runs. The Marvin, N.C., native had two home runs and four RBI in the Phoenix's win over NDSU and then added four more RBI and a home run versus the Wolfpack on Sunday.
• Freshman Greta Hessenthaler also had a strong outing at the plate as the Liberty, N.C., native batted .357 (5-of-14) with two doubles and an RBI.
• In the circle, Taylor Cherry had the lone win for the Phoenix in the game versus North Dakota State. The redshirt sophomore had an ERA of 2.62 in 8.0 innings while striking out seven batters.
 
THIS IS ELON SOFTBALL!!
• Elon head coach Kathy Bocock earned her 300^th career win with the program with the Phoenix's victory over the Bison on Saturday. Bocock, who became the Phoenix's all-time career wins leader last season, is the only coach in school history with 300 or more wins at the school.
• Among her highlights during Bocock's 12 seasons leading the Elon softball program include her taking the Phoenix to the CAA title game in two of the last four seasons, earning wins versus top-10 nation teams like Georgia (twice) and James Madison and coaching the lone two All-Americans in school history (Tomeka Watson '13 and Kara Shutt '16).
 
AROUND THE HORN
• The Phoenix as a team is hitting .239 with four players in the lineup hitting north of .300. Murray paces the squad with her .440 average along with her four homers and 12 RBI. She also heads into the game against the Hokies on a four-game hitting streak and leads the CAA with a .920 slugging percentage.
• Henssenthaler is second on the team in batting average (.318) while Carley Davis (.308) and Allee Seering (.300) also the other players in the Phoenix lineup hitting better than .300. Seering is second on the team in homers (two) and RBI (11). The Phoenix currently have three players in the top-four of the CAA in RBI in Murray (first), Seering (second) and Kaitlyn Wells (4^th, nine). Wells also is the early leader in the CAA in triples with three.
• Elon has used every member of its eight-person pitching staff on the young season so far. McKenna McCard leads the Phoenix in innings pitched with 16.1, two ahead of Cherry at 14.1. Both Cherry and McCard are 1-0 on the season with Cherry holding a 3.91 ERA while McCard leads the team with 12 strikeouts.
• The game will serve as a homecoming for the Phoenix on both sides. Eight members of the maroon and gold (Teagan Baulsir, Cherry, Davis, Megan Grant, Kyra Leonard, Ella Roberson, Payton Swart and Meredith Wells) are returning to their home state of Virginia on Wednesday. Elon will also see a familiar face on the Virginia Tech coaching staff in alum Megan White, who is the Hokies' Director of Player Development and Technology. White played for the Phoenix from 2019-22, helping lead Elon to a pair of CAA title games while being named the CAA Co-Rookie of the Year in 2019.
• The 2024 season is the 47^th overall year of the Elon softball program and the 34^th season during the fastpitch era (since 1990). The program will celebrate its 47^th year of collegiate competition by using the hashtag #Team47 all season.
• Elon is coming off a 22-26 campaign a year ago, but went 15-7 during CAA play, tying its highest league win total ever. The Phoenix earned the fourth seed for the league tournament, advancing to the CAA postseason for the fourth straight, non-COVID year.
• The Phoenix returns 16 letterwinners from its roster last season including seven starters and five pitchers. Along with Davis and Kaitlyn Wells, some notable returners for the Phoenix include fifth-year Megan Grant and graduate student Drew Menscer and juniors Chloe Hatzopoulos, Reagan Hartley and Allee Seering.
• Hatzopoulos led the team in homers last season with 11 while Grant, Menscer and Seering combined for 77 walks. Hartley was the team's leader in stolen bases with eight.
• In the circle, the Phoenix brings back its top three pitchers in innings pitched in junior McKenna McCard, senior Meredith Wells and junior Isley Duggins. McCard served as the staff ace for the Phoenix last season, pacing the squad in innings (95.0), ERA (2.36), wins (nine) and strikeouts (50).
• Elon will also look forward to having redshirt junior Gabi Schaal and redshirt sophomore Taylor Cherry back on the diamond in 2024 after both players missed time last season due to injuries. Schaal was a Third Team All-CAA choice in 2022 after leading the team in homers (nine) and RBI (39) while Cherry received CAA All-Rookie honors after her freshman season in which she led the Phoenix with 88.2 innings pitched along with 87 strikeouts while becoming the third Elon pitcher at the Division I level to toss a perfect game.
• Bocock added three new members to her coaching staff over the summer in Jonathan Lynch, Bailey Thomas and Sophia Devesa. Lynch joins the Phoenix after spending time as an assistant coach at NAIA program Central Methodist since 2020. Lynch worked with the pitchers and outfielders at Central Methodist, helping coach several First Team All-Conference pitchers in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.
• Thomas joins the Elon staff after spending the last five seasons as an assistant coach at Utah State. While with the Aggies, Thomas worked with the outfielders while also having responsibility for all defensive instruction, game planning and in game adjustments along with assisting in hitting. Thomas also served as the travel, camp and compliance coordinator.
• Devesa arrives after serving as an assistant coach at Mars Hill since 2021. Prior to joining Mars Hill, she was a graduate assistant coach with Florida National University for two seasons.  She helped lead the Conquistadors to become the 2021 United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Champions as the team compiled a 28-13 overall record.  While at FNU, Devesa was responsible for coordinating and running practices, scouting opposing teams, and administrative work such as planning schedules, advising student-athletes, and game day preparations. Her younger sister Bella was a member of the Phoenix softball team from 2020-23.
 
SCOUTING VIRGINIA TECH
• The Hokies are 7-2-1 on the season after coming off playing at the Littlewood Classic in Arizona last weekend. Virginia Tech went 5-2 at the tournament.
• Virginia Tech went 39-20 overall in 2023 while going 14-10 in the ACC. The Hokies reached the NCAA Regional round last season and were picked to finish fourth in the 2024 ACC Preseason poll.
• The Hokies hit .351 as a team with 18 home runs and 69 RBI on its 10-game season so far. Seven players in the regular lineup are hitting .300 or better including two hitting above .480 with Rachel Castine (.526) and Addy Green (.481). Castine has been the main run producer for the Hokies with her team-highs in homers (five) and RBI (18). Greene is tied for the team-lead in doubles with five and has 13 base hits on the year.
• In the circle, Virginia Tech as a staff has an ERA of 2.97 with 70 strikeouts in 63.2 innings of work. Four players have seen time toeing the rubber with Emma Mazzarone posting a team-low ERA of 0.51 in 13.2 innings while Lyndsey Grein has a 2.10 ERA with a 2-0 ledger and 27 strikeouts.
• Head coach Pete D'Amour is in his sixth season as the head coach of the Hokies. During his time at Virginia Tech, he has led the program to a 197-61-1 record while coaching 27 All-ACC selections. He also helped the Hokies reach their fourth straight NCAA appearance.
 
PRESEASON PRAISE
• Fifth-year Carley Davis and junior Kaitlyn Wells were named to the 2024 CAA Preseason Watch List as announced by the CAA on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
• Davis earned All-CAA accolades last season at catcher after the Bridgewater, Va., native ranked fourth in the CAA in doubles (13) and was second in the league runners caught stealing. She is also the Phoenix's returning leader in batting average (.301) and hits (41) while also ranking in the program's top three in slugging percentage (.463) and total bases.
• Wells received Second Team All-CAA recognition as a designated player/utility in 2023. The Roswell, Ga., native is Elon's returning leader in RBI (27) while ranking second on the squad in home runs (five) a year ago. The junior also earned CAA Player of the Week honors last season during a Phoenix series win over Towson.
 
2024 CAA PRESEASON POLL
• Elon was tabbed to finish sixth overall in the 2024 CAA Preseason Poll as predicted by the league's 12 head coaches as announced on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
• Delaware was tabbed as a narrow favorite to win the CAA Softball title in a tight predicted order of finish, according to a vote of the league's 12 head coaches. The Blue Hens tallied three first-place votes and 112 points to sit atop the preseason poll, ahead of newcomer Campbell, who totaled a league-best six first-place votes despite trailing with 109 points. The defending CAA Champion, Hofstra, also received three first-place votes, totaling 101 points to edge UNCW (96) by five points in fourth.
• Towson (82) and Elon (73), separated by nine points, rounded out the top half of the poll in fifth and sixth, respectively. Stony Brook (56), Charleston (55) and North Carolina A&T (39) followed, with Monmouth (36), Drexel (20) and Hampton (13) concluding the predicted order of finish.
 
ON DECK
The Phoenix travels to Durham, N.C., for the Duke Invitational this weekend, Feb. 23-25. Elon will play against Michigan State (2x), Villanova, Boston University and host Duke at the tournament.