ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team travels to Delaware for a three-game CAA league series this weekend, March 28-30. The three-game set between the Phoenix (16-12, 8-1 CAA) and the Blue Hens (18-11, 7-2 CAA) begins on Friday at 5 p.m. at Delaware Softball Stadium.
 
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, March 28 – 5 p.m.
Saturday, March 29 – 3 p.m.
Sunday, March 30 – 1 p.m.
 
FOLLOW THE PHOENIX
• Live stats will be available for the series by going to the team's schedule page at elonphoenix.com.
• The series will stream on FloCollege (FloSoftball) via a paid subscription.
• For more information on the Phoenix, follow the program's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram at @elonsoftball.
 
SERIES HISTORY
• Delaware leads the all-time series over Elon 17-10 (11-7 CAA), dating back to 2001 and has won two straight going into the weekend. The Phoenix is 1-7 all-time in Newark, Del., with the lone victory coming back in 2001.
• Last season, the Blue Hens took two out of three versus the Phoenix in Elon. The maroon and gold won the opening game of the series, 5-2, but suffered a pair of 4-2 setbacks in the final two games. Despite losing the series, Elon outhit Delaware at the plate, .284 to .203 and had three players hit over .300. Allee Seering led the way with her .500 average with five RBI.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• A two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning from Gabi Schaal helped the Phoenix to an 8-7 victory over intrastate opponent East Carolina on Tuesday, March 25. Schaal's homer helped the hosts cap a six-run deficit comeback for its first win over the Pirates since 2022.
• The Phoenix had 13 hits at the dish, its tenth game of double-digit hits this year. Allee Seering and Kaitlyn Wells both went 3-of-4 to pace the Phoenix offensively with both players driving in a run. Wells also had a double to her stat line.
• Elon took an early 1-0 lead after the first inning, but the Pirates came back with a seven-run top of the third to move ahead 7-1. The Phoenix responded with a five spot in the bottom of the fourth to cut its deficit to one, 7-6, with that score standing until the bottom of the seventh.
• After Wells reached on a leadoff single, Schaal recovered from a 1-2 count to crush her fifth home run of the season over the wall in left field. The round tripper secured the Phoenix's fifth straight win overall.
 
AROUND THE HORN
• Elon is tied for first in the CAA standings along with Campbell with its 8-1 ledger. The 8-1 start is the Phoenix's best-ever conference start in the fastpitch era (since 1990). The Phoenix's five-game win streak is currently the longest in the CAA.
• As a team, Elon is batting .301 while scoring 168 runs with 25 home runs and 143 RBI. The Phoenix ranks third in the CAA in runs and fourth in doubles (36) and is second in the league in home runs. The Phoenix ranks second overall in the CAA in slugging percentage (.463) and is only one of six teams to convert a triple play this season in the NCAA.
• Greta Hessenthaler leads the team with her .395 batting average and is third on the squad with 32 total hits. The Liberty, N.C., native extended her reached base streak to 27 games after going 2-of-4 at the plate against ECU. She ranks third in the CAA in on-base percentage at .490.
• Kaitlyn Wells is second behind Hessenthaler with her .391 batting average. The senior is the Phoenix's leader in home runs with eight, which is second in the CAA. The Roswell, Ga., native is leading the league in RBI with 29 and slugging percentage (.770). She also ranks second in the CAA in OPS at 1.225.
• Allee Seering is third on the squad with her .370 average and is tied with Wells for the team-lead in hits with 34. The senior has three homers with 19 RBI while ranking in the top-five of the CAA in total hits.
• Schaal is fourth in the CAA in RBI with 24 and has 122 in her career, moving into a tie for third all-time in school history. The Lakeland, Fla., native also has 32 career home runs, the third player in school history to reach 30 or more round trippers behind Elon Hall of Famers, Carleigh Nester (36) and Tomeka Watson (34).
• Elon's pitching staff has posted a 4.56 cumulative ERA this season in 179.2 innings of action. The Phoenix hurlers have accounted for 122 strikeouts compared to 107 walks.
• McKenna McCard leads the Phoenix in innings pitched at 51.0 while posting a 2.22 ERA with a 6-2 record and 43 strikeouts. She ranks fifth in the CAA in ERA and third in opposing batting average (.222). Taylor Cherry is second with 35.2 innings of action and is second to McCard in strikeouts with 29. Cherry also has one of the Phoenix's two saves on the year along with Isley Duggins.
 
SCOUTING DELAWARE (18-11, 7-2 CAA)
• The Blue Hens are 18-10 on the season and is third in the CAA at 7-2 after its series at Hofstra last weekend. Delaware lost two out of three to the Pride in its series and also fell at Maryland, 5-4, at its most recent game on Wednesday.
• Offensively, Delaware is batting .292 overall while scoring 167 runs with 31 home runs and 149 RBI. The Blue Hens also have a .493 slugging percentage and a .374 on-base percentage, ranking among the top teams in the CAA in both categories.
• Five players in Delaware's normal lineup are hitting .300 or better with Sydney Shaffer leading the way with her .384 average. She is also the Blue Hens' main run producer with 10 home runs and 25 RBI. Morgan Hess, the 2025 CAA Preseason Player of the Year, is hitting .325 with five home runs and 16 RBI.
• In the circle, Delaware has a cumulative ERA of 2.52 in 189.0 innings with 176 strikeouts compared to 69 walks. Three arms for the Blue Hens have seen the majority of time toeing the rubber with Monmouth transfer Billie Kerwood being the staff ace with 105.0 innings tossed with an 11-7 ledger with a 2.07 ERA. She has struck out 126 batters this season.
 
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, Michaela 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
• Elon is back on its home diamond next weekend, April 4-6, hosting College of Charleston at Hunt Softball Park. The series will stream on FloCollege (FloSoftball).