Elon, N.C.- Following a series with the Delaware Blue Hens, the Elon Phoenix (10-17, 2-4 CAA) will hit the road for four consecutive games. The road trip begins with a midweek matchup against the East Carolina Pirates (18-10, 6-0 AAC).
The Phoenix lineup continues to produce, as the batting lineup averaged seven runs a game against the Blue Hens. Multiple players lead the CAA in different offensive categories with
Ryan Sprock leading the CAA in doubles while
Alex Duffey leads the CAA in walks.
HOW TO FOLLOW
- This Wednesday's game will be aired on ESPN+. The midweek matchup can be watched by CLICKING HERE.
- Live stats will be available for this Wednesday's game. Live stats can be reached by CLICKING HERE.
- Follow live updates on the Elon Baseball X account @ElonBaseball.
ALL-TIME SERIES
- Elon trails the all-time series with the Pirates, 32-59-1.
- The Phoenix and Pirates first met in 1940 with the Phoenix taking the matchup, 7-1.
- Elon has lost five straight in the series to East Carolina including a home-and-home last season.
- The last Elon win in Greenville came on March 2, 2016, in a ten-inning victory for the Phoenix.
- The Phoenix last tasted victory against the Pirates in 2021 with a 2-1 victory over then ranked #8 ECU. A two-run home run by Nick Cicci and nine combined innings from Spencer Bauer and Brian Edgington gave the Phoenix a bounce back win over the Pirates.
SCOUTING East Carolina
- East Carolina enters the matchup with the Phoenix with an 18-10 overall record and six game winning streak to open up AAC play.
- Entering a matchup with UNCW tonight, ECU has a record of 3-2 against the CAA this season, including a weekend series sweep over William & Mary.
- Since a midweek sweep over VCU, the Pirates have caught fire. ECU has won 11 of their last 13 games including two American Conference sweeps over Memphis and Rice.
- Braden Burress has been the best hitter for the Pirates this season and leads the team in a number of offensive categories including hits, batting average and on-base percentage.
- Five different ECU pitchers have at least 25 strikeouts while three qualified pitchers have an ERA under three. The team ERA is 3.85 and has a strikeout ratio of better than 2:1.
- Cliff Godwin is the head coach of the Pirates in his 11th season at the helm of ECU. Following a 2024 AAC Regular Season Championship, the Pirates hosted the Greenville regional where they fell to 2024 Cinderella Evansville in a winner-take-all game.
ELON WELCOMES IMPACT TRANSFERS
- Head coach Mike Kennedy and the Elon baseball program have announced the arrival of five transfers to booster the 2025 Elon baseball roster.
- The eight transfers coming into the program include three pitchers, one infielder and an outfielder. Two of the incoming players have connections to past Phoenix or current Elon players. Declan Lavelle graduated from Rye High School and his brother was high school teammates with Elon great, George Kirby. Mike Staiano hails from the same high school baseball program, Don Bosco Prep, as Charlie Granatell and played with Charlie's younger brother.
- A pair of players will join Elon from the JUCO ranks and look to make an immediate impact. Jackson Alford and Alec Welshans both had breakout seasons at Gordon State and Harford CC respectively.
- Transfer Isaac Williams continues the Gaston College to Elon pipeline as the left-handed pitcher was a reliever for the Rhinos and came in a year behind current Elon weekend starter, Nolan Straniero.
ELON IN THE PROS
- Elon has seen a number of players be called up to the Big Leagues within the past two seasons, including a pair of teammates from the 2019 CAA Regular Season Championship team. George Kirby and Ty Adcock both have made their mark at the Big League level with Kirby a key starter in the Mariners rotation and Ty Adcock being a bullpen piece in the late season postseason run for the Mets.
- In 2023, Kirby became Elon's first baseball player to represent his club at the MLB All-Star game since Tom Brewer was selected during the 1956 season. Kirby was dominate for Seattle during the 2023 season, finishing with 13 wins for the Mariners.
- The Rye, N.Y. native currently ranks second all-time in career BB/9 in major league history, only trailing the immortal Cy Young. Kirby set a career high in wins during the 2024 season with 14 and finished top 10 in WHIP at a 1.07 clip.
- The Phoenix also feature two relievers in the Bigs with John Brebbia and Ty Adcock. Adcock made his debut for the Mariners on June 12, 2023 and made nine appearances out of the bullpen before allowing a run.
- Brebbia has been the majors for six seasons after making his debut with St.Louis in 2017. Brebbia lead the majors in appearances during the 2022 season with 76 appearances featuring 11 starts for the San Francisco Giants. Brebbia made 59 appearances in 2024 with both the Chicago White Sox and the Atlanta Braves.
- Former Elon standout Cam Devanney finished his fall representing Team USA at the Premier12 tournament. Devanney earned a bronze medal with Team USA and earned a non-roster invite to Kansas City Spring Training this month.
THE FIVE SEASONS CLUB
- For the fifth time in six years, the Elon baseball program has a fifth year player who has spent all five of his collegiate seasons at Elon.
- Will Vergantino is this year's latest addition the list after a breakout 2024 campaign where he hit a career best .313 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs. The best game of his career came in 2024 against NJIT, when he finished 5-for-5, reaching base all six plate appearances, scoring six runs, homering twice and driving in seven runs in the 27-8 win.
- Liam Dabagian in 2024, Joe Sprake in 2023, Garrett Stonehouse in 2021, and Owen Lorenz in 2020 all spent five years with the Phoenix during their time at Elon.
PHOENIX SELECTS TEAM CAPTAINS FOR 2025
- Vill Vergantino, Charlie Granatell, Alex Duffey and Justin Mitrovich were selected captains for the 2025 season, as voted on by their teammates.
- "Excited about the leadership these four bring to our program," said head coach Mike Kennedy. "They are all guys that have great buy in and have worked tremendously hard both on and off the field and have proven track records. Their experience and how they go about their work each and every day is second to none. Well deserved!"
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC STUDY ABROAD
- During Thanksgiving break of 2024, the Elon baseball program studied abroad in the Dominican Republic for a week.
- The Elon baseball team spent a week in the Dominican Republic touring different areas, painting houses, holding youth baseball clinics and exploring the culture and heritage of the Dominican Republic.
- During their first two days in the Dominican Republic, the players and staff held multiple baseball clinics for youth baseball teams. A highlight for the players was the base running station, which became a "massive game of tag" by the end.
- Elon played two games against the Dominican Republic Baseball Academies of the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox. The Phoenix also toured the facilities of the Kansas City Royals where they got to interact with the players, talking baseball, sharing stories and helping the players learn English.
- The players were able to explore cultural activities including getting a tour of a local cigar factory and hike through a forest which led to a natural spring and natural water slide.
- A city tour and painting houses followed the exploration of the country. The players were taken back by the local children's enthusiasm despite having little.
- Baseball was involved at night as the Phoenix hosted a team Thanksgiving dinner then were able to take in a Dominican Winter League game between the Toros and Estrellas.
- Elon has made a commitment to its esteemed study abroad program by offering every Elon athletics program the opportunity to study abroad every four years.
UP NEXT
- Elon will continue CAA play with a trip to Plumeri Park in Williamsburg, Va. to take on William & Mary. First pitch on Friday will be 6 PM against the Tribe.
