ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team closes out its five-game road swing and the nonconference portion of its schedule this Tuesday, April 2, as the Phoenix (13-21) faces NC State (18-16) at 6 p.m. at Dail Softball Stadium.
 
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/X at the team's account @ElonSoftball.
• The game will be streamed on the ACC Network Extra via Watch ESPN or the ESPN app.
 
SERIES BREAKDOWN
• In-state rivals since 2004, Elon and NC State will meet on the diamond for the 27^th time in their series histories and for the third meeting overall this season. The Wolfpack leads the all-time series over the Phoenix, 17-9.
• NC State won both contests against the Phoenix earlier this season at its home tournament, the Marucci Classic on Feb. 17-18. The Wolfpack took the opening game, 5-2, before earning an 8-4 in the final game of the tournament for the Phoenix.
• Elon's last win in the series came on April 17, 2019, with the Phoenix earning a 5-4 victory over the Wolfpack at Hunt Softball Park. The maroon and gold's last win at NC State came back in 2016 with the Phoenix taking a 4-2 victory over the host.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• Elon closed out this past weekend with a series sweep at College of Charleston on March 28-30. It was the Phoenix's second CAA series sweep of the season while extending Elon's win streak to four against CAA competition.
• The Phoenix won the opening game last Thursday, 9-2, before taking a 14-6 verdict in the second game on Friday. The series closed out with Elon earning a 13-2 victory on Saturday in five innings and extending its win streak to seven games over the Cougars at College of Charleston.
• Offensively, Elon batted .378 in the three-game set versus the Cougars while scoring 36 runs with 33 RBI while having a .622 slugging percentage and a .517 on-base percentage. The 14 runs scored by the Phoenix in its game-two win are the most that the program has scored in a single-game this season.
• Megan Grant had a strong outing versus the Cougars, batting .750 with three doubles, reaching safely in all three games. Reagan Hartley batted .625 with four RBI while Kaitlyn Wells added three homers and six RBI with her .300 average versus CofC.
• McKenna McCard pitched a team-high 8.1 innings for the Phoenix, posting a 1.68 ERA with seven strikeouts. She earned the win in the series finale against the Cougars after a complete-game performance in the circle.
 
AROUND THE HORN
• The Phoenix's offense is hitting .253 overall as a team while also scoring 166 runs with 21 homers and 151 RBI. Elon has posted a .394 slugging percentage with a .348 on-base percentage.
• Elon is second in the CAA in total runs scored (166), doubles (44), triples (nine), home runs (23), RBI, slugging percentage (.394), walks (105) and on-base percentage.
• Mauri Murray paces the squad with her .341 average along with her six homers. The Marvin, N.C., native ranks in the top 10 of the CAA in slugging percentage (.582), OPS (1.005), RBI (23) and home runs.
• Allee Seering is in the top 10 of the league in runs scored (22), RBI (27), doubles (seven) and triples (three). The Waxhaw, N.C., native leads the Phoenix with 10 multi-RBI games this season including a season-best four versus N.C. A&T on Sunday, March 10.
• Three players – Seering, Kaitlyn Wells (3) and Megan Grant (2) – rank in the top three in the league in triples, respectively. Elon as a team ranks 25^th overall in the country in triples per game (0.33) while Seering and Wells are 24^th overall in the nation.
• Elon has four players total that rank in the top 10 of the CAA in RBI – Seering (2^nd), Murray (6^th – 23), Gabi Schaal (8^th – 20) and Kaitlyn Wells (10^th – 19). Murray, Schaal (five) and Wells (four) are also in the top 10 of the league in homers.
• Drew Menscer has stolen 10-of-12 bases on the season for the Phoenix to lead the squad. As a team, Elon has stolen 43-of-47 bases this season, good for fourth overall in the CAA.
• McCard leads the Phoenix in the circle with a 2.90 ERA in 67.2 innings of action. The junior is 5-4 on the year and has 52 strikeouts to her name. Taylor Cherry is second on the team with 45.0 innings pitched with a 3.89 ERA and 29 strikeouts.
 
SCOUTING NC STATE
• NC State is 18-16 overall on the season and has lost seven straight going into Tuesday's contest. The Wolfpack last played at No. 18 Florida State, getting swept in their ACC series.
• Offensively, NC State is hitting .264 overall while also posting a .450 slugging percentage and a .373 on-base percentage. The Wolfpack have scored 157 runs with 34 home runs and 148 RBI.
• Four players in NC State's lineup are batting over .300 with redshirt sophomore Michele Tarpey leading the way with her .333 average. Junior Taylor Ensley is second on the team with her .323 average while being one of the team's main run producers with eight homers and a team-high 27 RBI.
• In the circle, the Wolfpack have a cumulative ERA of 3.94 in 211.2 innings with 155 strikeouts compared to 82 walks. Three players have seen the most time toeing the rubber for NC State. Madison Inscoe leads the team with 71.1 innings with a 3.73 ERA and a 5-6 record. Aisha Weixlmann is second on the team with 62.1 innings of action while having a 3.82 ERA.
• Lindsay Leftwich is in her first season as the head coach at NC State. The fourth coach in Wolfpack program history, Leftwich comes to Raleigh after a dozen years as an assistant coach at national powerhouse LSU where she helped the Tigers to four College World Series, including two finals.
 
THIS IS ELON SOFTBALL!!
• Elon head coach Kathy Bocock earned her 300^th career win with the program with the Phoenix's victory over North Dakota State on Saturday, Feb. 17. 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).
 
ON DECK
The Phoenix welcomes CAA-leader Delaware to Hunt Softball Park for a three-game set this weekend, April 5-7. The series begins on Friday, April 5, at 5 p.m. with all games during the weekend being streamed in FloSoftball.