ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team returns to Hunt Softball Park this weekend, April 19-21, hosting Hampton in a CAA series. The Phoenix (16-25, 10-8 CAA) and the Lady Pirates (15-27, 6-12 CAA) begin the three-game set on Friday at 5 p.m.
 
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 games will be streamed on FloSoftball via a paid subscription.
 
SERIES BREAKDOWN
• Elon leads the all-time series 8-1 since its start on March 14, 1998. The Phoenix also has a perfect 6-0 ledger against the Lady Pirates on its home diamond.
• This is the second year that the two schools will meet as CAA opponents and the first at Elon as league foes. Both teams split last year's series at Hampton with Elon taking the opening game, 9-0, before the hosts rebounded with a 7-4 victory over the Phoenix. The series was reduced to two games due to weather.
• In the opening game last year against the Lady Pirates, McKenna McCard earned the complete-game, shutout win as she allowed just three hits with three strikeouts. Kaitlyn Wells had a 2-of-3 performance at the plate, belting two home runs with five RBI.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Phoenix took two out of three at Towson in its last CAA series last weekend. Elon won the opening game, 8-0, in five innings before the Tigers rebounded with a 5-1 verdict in game two to set up the rubber match. Elon was able to secure the series with a 6-0 win in the finale.
• McCard had two wins in the series as the Ashburn, Ga., native posted a 0.00 ERA in 12.0 innings of action last weekend. The junior also struck out nine batters and held opponents to a .128 batting average. In the series finale on Sunday, McCard tossed a one-hit gem while earning her second shutout of the weekend and her third overall on the season.
• Offensively, Elon hit .293 against the Tigers, scoring 22 runs with four players in the lineup hitting over .300. Allee Seering hit .500 (5-of-10) while Carley Davis (.375), Megan Grant (.333) and Greta Hessenthaler (.333) also joined her north of the .300 batting line. Gabi Schaal drove in a team-best three RBI.
 
AROUND THE HORN
• Going into this weekend's contest, the Phoenix is currently sixth in the CAA standings with its 10-8 ledger, a game back behind Hofstra, who is 11-7. Elon currently has a two-game lead over Drexel for the sixth and final postseason spot for the CAA Championship Tournament.
• The Phoenix's offense is hitting .257 overall as a team while also scoring 192 runs with 23 homers and 173 RBI. Elon has posted a .392 slugging percentage with a .352 on-base percentage. In league play, the Phoenix is slashing .305/.444/.409 while scoring 103 runs.  
• Elon ranks in the top five of the CAA in runs scored, doubles (52), triples (11), home runs (23), RBI (173), slugging percentage, walks (127) and stolen bases (50).
• Seering is one of three players in the Phoenix's regular lineup who is hitting .300 or better with her team-best .331 average. The Waxhaw, N.C., native ranks in the top 10 of the league in slugging percentage (.524), runs scored (25), hits (41), RBI (29), doubles (nine) and triples (three).
• Davis is second on the team with her .325 average and currently sits second in the CAA in on-base percentage at .475. The Bridgewater, Va., native is also in the top 10 of the league in OPS (.981) and runners caught stealing (six).
• During league play, Grant is hitting .447, scoring 14 runs with six doubles versus CAA opponent – which are all team-highs. The fifth-year has also drawn 18 walks against conference opponents and is second overall in the league in walks with 23.
• Four players – Seering, Kaitlyn Wells (3) Grant (2) and Drew Menscer (2) – rank in the top 10 in the league in triples.
• Elon has three players that rank in the top 10 of the CAA in RBI – Seering (2^nd), Schaal (8^th – 25) and Mauri Murray (9^th – 24). Schaal (six), Murray (six) and Kaitlyn Wells (four) are also in the top 10 of the league in homers.
• McCard leads the Phoenix in the circle with a 2.59 ERA in 92.0 innings of action. She is 8-5 on the year and has 66 strikeouts to her name. Her ERA is sixth overall in the CAA while she ranks fifth in the league in opposing batting average at .233.
 
SCOUTING HAMPTON
• The Lady Pirates are 15-27 overall on the season and have a 6-12 record in its second year in the CAA. Hampton is coming off a sweep of North Carolina Central on Wednesday and earned a 2-1 series victory over Drexel last weekend.
• Offensively, Hampton is batting .253 with 161 runs scored with three homers and 138 RBI. The Lady Pirates have a .320 slugging percentage and a .345 on-base percentage while leading the CAA in total walks with 136.
• Sophomore Carmynn Bonner is the lone player in Hampton's lineup hitting over .300 with her team-best .350 average. The Dayton, Ohio, native also has two of the team's three homers on the year and ranks second on the squad in RBI with 23. Her 14 doubles currently lead the league as well.
• Brooke Williams leads the Lady Pirates with 24 RBI and is tied for the team-lead with two triples. The Winslow, Ariz., native currently leads the CAA in walks with 24.
• In the circle, Hampton pitchers have posted a 4.13 ERA in 274.1 innings with 143 strikeouts and 127 walks allowed. Five players have pitched at least 23 or more innings on the season for the Lady Pirates. Freshman Taryn Bennett has a team-low 3.16 ERA in 73.0 innings while posting a 7-4 ledger with 46 strikeouts. Sixth-year Emily Workman leads the team with 97.1 innings of action and has a 3.60 ERA with a 5-9 record with 37 strikeouts.
 
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
Elon travels to Stony Brook for its final CAA road series next weekend, April 26-28.