ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team is on the road this Wednesday, Feb. 26, as the Phoenix (5-7) travels to North Carolina (12-3) for an early-week matchup versus the Tar Heels. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Anderson Stadium.
 
FOLLOW THE PHOENIX
• Live stats will be available for the tournament by going to the team's schedule page at elonphoenix.com.
• The game will stream on the ACCNX via Watch ESPN or the ESPN app.
• For more information on the Phoenix, follow the program's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram at @elonsoftball.
 
SERIES HISTORY
• Elon and North Carolina will face each other for the 39^th time on Tuesday in their series histories. The Tar Heels lead the Phoenix in the series with a 31-6-1 ledger going back to 1998 during Elon's fastpitch era (since 1990).
• Last season, the Tar Heels defeated the Phoenix at Hunt Softball Park, 12-1. Elon was held to three hits against the Tar Heels with Mauri Murray providing the lone RBI for the maroon and gold with her double.
• The Phoenix's most recent win in the series came in 2022 when Elon edged out the Tar Heels 4-3 at Hunt Softball Park. The last time the maroon and gold won at Chapel Hill was in 2020 with the Phoenix coming away with a 2-1 victory.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Phoenix played at the Clemson Classic last weekend, Feb. 21-23. Elon dropped its first two games at the tournament versus Marshall and host Clemson, but rallied to earn two victories over Villanova in its final games of the tournament on Saturday and Sunday.
• Amongst the standouts for the Phoenix this past weekend was sophomore pitcher Lia Miller against the Wildcats on Saturday. The Allendale, N.J., native struck out a career-high seven batters in her completed-game effort as the Phoenix defeated Villanova 4-3.
• In its tournament finale on Sunday in a rematch versus the Wildcats, Chloe Hatzopoulos broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the sixth with a grand slam to help lead the Phoenix to a 6-2 win to close out the weekend.
• Hatzopoulos led the Phoenix at the plate with her .364 batting average (4-of-11) with her one home run and five RBI. Allee Seering batted .357 (5-of-14) with four runs scored.
 
AROUND THE HORN
• As a team, Elon is batting .267 while scoring 53 runs with 12 home runs and 47 RBI. Going into Wednesday, the Phoenix ranks 41^st in the nation in home runs per game (1.00) and 54^th in total homers.
• Seering has a team-best .429 batting average with the Waxhaw, N.C., native having posted six multi-hit games this season. The junior is tied for the team-lead with three home runs while driving in 10 RBI.
• Kaitlyn Wells (.351) and Hatzopoulos (.306) are the other two players in Elon's regular lineup that are hitting better than .300. Wells has three home runs and is tied with Gabi Schaal for the Phoenix-lead in doubles with four. Hatzopoulos has driven in a team-best 11 RBI and is tied with Seering and Wells for the team-lead with three homers.
• Sophomore Greta Hessenthaler enters Wednesday having reached base in all 12 games for the Phoenix this season. She is just a hair shy of batting .300 with her .297 average while drawing five walks on the year.
• Elon's pitching staff has posted a 3.67 cumulative ERA this season in 82.0 innings of action. The Phoenix hurlers have accounted for 46 strikeouts compared to 41 walks.
• McKenna McCard leads the Phoenix in innings pitched at 22.2 while posting a 2.47 ERA with a 1-2 record. Isley Duggins is second on the team with 17.1 innings tossed with a team-low 2.02 ERA. McCard and Miller are tied for the team-lead with 11 strikeouts with Miller having a 2-0 record and a 2.55 ERA in 11.0 innings this season.
 
SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA
• The Tar Heels are 12-3 and have won three straight after going undefeated at its home tournament, the Carolina Classic, this past weekend. North Carolina defeated the field of Maryland, Wagner and Queens and outscored the opposition 20-0.
• North Carolina is hitting .343 offensively with 103 runs scored, 11 home runs and 96 RBI. The Tar Heels also have a .505 batting average and a .419 on-base percentage.
• Seven players in UNC's lineup are hitting .300 or better with three players batting north of .400. Sophomore Sanaa Thompson is .452 with 13 RBI while graduate student Kat Rodriguez is hitting .409 with a team-best 19 RBI. Grace Jackson is the other player hitting .400 for the Tar Heels.
• In the circle, the Tar Heels have a team ERA of 3.25 from its staff this season while striking out 76 batters compared to 45 walks. Junior Kenna Raye Dark has been the staff ace for UNC this season, leading the team in innings (49.0), ERA (2.29), appearances (10) and strikeouts (43) while going 5-2 on the season. Sophomore Nikki Harris is 6-0 with a 2.56 ERA in 27.1 innings with 18 strikeouts.
• Megan Smith Lyon is in her second season as the head coach at her alma mater North Carolina. During her first season at Chapel Hill in 2024, Smith Lyon led the Tar Heels to a 30-20 record and a 10-14 mark in the ACC.
 
PRESEASON PRAISE
• Elon had four members of its program recognized on the 2025 Preseason All-CAA Softball Team as announced by the league office on Jan. 31. Fifth-year Gabi Schaal, senior McKenna McCard and junior Mauri Murray were selected to the Preseason All-CAA Team in their respective positions. Senior Allee Seering was an honorable mention nod.
• Schaal was a Second Team All-CAA choice last season as the Lakeland, Fla, native led the CAA in home runs with 11 and finished third in the league with 38 RBI. She finished in the top 10 of the CAA in slugging percentage (.556).
• Murray was selected to the All-CAA First Team after leading the team in batting average (.361) and slugging percentage (.583). The Marvin, N.C., native notched 52 hits in 144 at-bats while scoring 32 runs with eight homers and 33 RBI while ranking in the top-10 of the CAA in several categories. She also earned NFCA Mid-Atlantic Third Team All-Region honors.
• McCard served as the Phoenix's ace in the circle, leading the Phoenix in appearances (30), starts (21), complete games (11) and innings pitched (122.0). The Ashburn, Ga., native posted a 2.52 ERA while also striking out a team-high 85 batters while posting four shutouts on the season.
• Seering was named to the All-CAA Second Team during her junior campaign last season. The Waxhaw, N.C., native led the Phoenix with 40 RBI and 15 stolen bases and was second on the squad in doubles (12) and hits (49).
 
RETURNING PHOENIX
• Outside of the four preseason All-CAA honorees, the Phoenix returns several key players in 2025, including starters Greta Hessenthaler (second base), Kaitlyn Wells (outfield) and Reagan Hartley (outfield). Hessenthaler was a CAA All-Rookie team choice last season while Wells was third on the team with six home runs. Hartley finished third on the program with 11 stolen bases.
• In the circle, Elon returns 100 percent of its pitching staff last season. Along with McCard, the Phoenix welcomes back the arms of Taylor Cherry, Meredith Wells, Isley Duggins, Michael Hobson, Kyra Leonard, Anna Dew and Lia Miller.
 
CALL HER COACH CAR
• Elon added a familiar face to its coaching staff this summer as Carley Davis begins her first season as an assistant coach on head coach Kathy Bocock's staff in 2025.
• Davis concluded her career with the Phoenix last spring, spending most of her time as a starter behind the plate. She appeared in 197 career games with 194 starts for the maroon and gold and was a two-time All-CAA Second Team selection. A native of Bridgewater, Va., Davis finished her career as Elon's all-time Division I leader in runners caught stealing with 37. This past season, Davis hit a career-best .312 with four homers and 24 RBI.
• Along with Davis, Bocock also made another staff change with the elevation of Sophia Devesa to a full-time assistant and recruiting coordinator after Devesa spent her first season as a volunteer for the Phoenix in 2024. Devesa was part of a staff that helped mentor the Phoenix batters to hit .270 last season, Elon's highest batting average since 2018. The Phoenix's offense was also second in the CAA in runs scored with 252 while its 34 home runs were a league best.
 
2024 RECAP
• Elon finished last season with a 23-29 ledger and a 17-10 mark during CAA play. The 17 league wins mark the most for the program since joining the league as the Phoenix reached the CAA Softball Championships for the fifth straight season (excluding the canceled 2020 COVID-19 season).
• Among the notable accomplishments for the Phoenix last season included Elon head coach Kathy Bocock earning her 300^th career win with the program. Bocock, who is the Phoenix's all-time career wins leader, earned the milestone versus North Dakota State at the Marucci Classic.
• The Phoenix had five players received All-CAA recognition last season. Sophomore Mauri Murray received All-CAA First Team laurels while fifth-year Carley Davis, redshirt junior Gabi Schaal and junior Allee Seering were placed on the league's Second Team. Freshman Greta Hessenthaler rounded out the All-CAA Phoenix honorees with her spot in the All-Rookie Team.
• Schaal also received some hardware for her work both on and off the field as she was named the softball recipient of the 2023-24 Coastal Athletic Association's Leadership and Sport Excellence Award.
• Megan Grant became the program's all-time career leader in walks at the Division I level. The Vinton, Va., native retired after last season with 125 career free passes to her name.
 
ON DECK
• The Phoenix will play four games this weekend versus Sacred Heart and UNCG in a round-robin style tournament. Elon hosts Sacred Heart on UNCG on Saturday, March 1 at Hunt Softball Park before closing out the weekend in a rematch versus both teams in Greensboro, N.C., on Sunday, March 2.