ELON – The Elon softball team makes its 2026 home debut this weekend, hosting the Elon Softball Phoenix Invitational from Thursday through Sunday at Hunt Softball Park. Admission is free to all fans.
 
The Phoenix will play five games over the course of four days versus the field of Mount St. Mary's, Manhattan and Dayton.
 
SCHEDULE (Elon Games Only)

• Thursday, Feb. 12: vs. Mount St. Mary's (DH) – 12/2:30 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 13: vs. Manhattan - 3 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 14: vs. Dayton – 12 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 15: vs. Dayton – 2:30 p.m.

 
FOLLOW THE PHOENIX

• Live Stats: Statbroadcast
• Watch: FloCollege

 
LAST TIME THEY MET

• Mount St. Mary's: Elon holds a 2-0 advantage over Mount St. Mary's in the programs' all-time series dating back to 2002. Both squads last played in 2018, with the Phoenix coming away with an 8-0 win over the Mountaineers at Hunt Softball Park. Elon pitcher Kiandra Mitchum made history in that contest, tossing the second known perfect game in school history.
• Manhattan: The Phoenix also leads the Jaspers 2-0 in the all-time series with both contests coming in 2013 as Elon swept Manhattan in a doubleheader at home.
• Dayton: The Maroon and Gold is 4-0 versus the Flyers all-time in meetings dating back to 2002. Elon defeated Dayton, 2-0, the last time the two teams played in 2014 at Hunt Softball Park.

 
LAST TIME OUT

• Elon played at Charlotte on Tuesday in its latest contest. The 49ers took an early lead that they never relinquished as Charlotte handed the Phoenix a 5-3 setback, their fifth straight in the series.
• Teagan Baulsir stood out offensively in the game for Elon. The junior had two of the Phoenix's four hits in the contest, including a solo home run, her first of the season. It was also Balusir's third career multi-hit game.
• The Phoenix and the 49ers were originally scheduled to play at Hunt Softball Park on Tuesday, but unplayable field conditions due to the winter weather from the past two weeks forced the venue change to Charlotte.

 
AROUND THE HORN

• The Phoenix begins its 14^th season at its home diamond of Hunt Softball Park in 2026. Elon is 69-18 all-time at its home tournaments hosted at the facility.
• Elon is scheduled to host 25 remaining games this season at Hunt Softball Park. Notable opponents scheduled to visit Elon this season include Duke, North Carolina, Indiana and Virginia Tech.
• The Phoenix will also host the 2026 CAA Softball Championships on May 5-9. It will be the second time that the league tournament will be at Hunt Softball Park after Elon hosted the championships in 2022.
• Elon is in its 49^th season of competitive softball, the 37^th fastpitch season and the 27^th at the Division I level.
• The Phoenix returns 13 letterwinners and five starters from last season. In the circle, the Phoenix returns three pitchers with experience in juniors Anna Dew, Lia Miller and Kyra Leonard.
• Head coach Kathy Bocock is in her 15^th season leading the Phoenix. The winningest coach in program history, Bocock owns 354 wins at Elon and 589 career victories over 29 seasons as a head coach.

 
PRESEASON PRAISE

• Elon had three players named to the 2026 Preseason All-CAA Team, as announced by the league office on Jan. 27. Chloe Hatzopoulos, Greta Hessenthaler and Kayla Wilson earned preseason recognition, while the Phoenix was also selected as the favorite to win the league's newly formed South Division.
• Hatzopoulos returns as Elon's leader in home runs (11), runs scored (41) and RBI (34). The Huntersville, N.C., native batted .295 last season, earned All-CAA Second Team honors and was named to the league's All-Tournament Team after returning from injury. The redshirt senior claimed one of four outfield spots on the preseason team.
• Hessenthaler provides another key returning offensive presence after earning All-CAA First Team honors as a sophomore. The Liberty, N.C., native batted .354 while starting at second base, scoring 38 runs and recording 56 hits, including seven doubles. She also paced the Phoenix with 32 walks, added two triples and reached base safely in 34 consecutive games.
• Wilson earned Preseason All-CAA honors as a utility/non-pitcher after being named to the league's All-Rookie Team last season. The Graham, N.C., native batted .319 in 32 games with three doubles and eight RBI, highlighted by a game-winning RBI single in Elon's 5-4 victory at Delaware.
• Coming off its first-ever CAA Tournament championship, Elon was selected as the South Division favorite with four first-place votes and 23 points. Campbell finished second with 20 points and one first-place vote, followed by UNCW (17), Charleston (15, one first-place vote), N.C. A&T (8) and Hampton (7).

 
RETURNING PHOENIX

• In addition to its three preseason honorees, Elon returns 13 letterwinners and five starters from last season's squad. Lani Wyrick, Mary Moss Wirt and Teagan Baulsir each started at least 28 games in 2025, while Payton Swart and Peyton Fitzpatrick made at least 22 starts apiece.
• The Phoenix also welcome the return of Mauri Murray, who missed most of last season due to injury. The redshirt junior was a 2024 First Team All-CAA selection and earned Third Team NFCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region honors following her sophomore campaign.
• In the circle, Elon returns three pitchers with experience in Anna Dew, Lia Miller and Kyra Leonard. Miller finished third on the team with a 3.35 ERA, while Dew posted a 3.21 ERA during CAA play and tied for the team lead with two saves.

 
NEW BUT EXPERIENCE FACES

• The Phoenix added several experienced transfers to the 2026 roster in Brooke Camacho (Hawaii), Reili Gardner (Minnesota) and Chana Wolfe (Mid-America Christian University).
• A senior outfielder, Gardner appeared in 48 games during her career with Minnesota from 2022-25. Prior to her time with the Gophers, she spent her freshman and sophomore seasons at Illinois State, helping the Redbirds capture a Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title.
• A senior pitcher from Salina, Kansas, Wolfe spent three seasons at Mid-America Christian University, posting a 21-14 record with a 2.95 ERA across 201.2 innings pitched. She made 57 appearances, including 34 starts, and recorded 149 strikeouts, highlighted by 94 punchouts during the 2025 season.
• An outfielder and catcher, Camacho did not see game action during her true freshman season at Hawaii in 2025. The La Habra, California, native prepped at St. Paul High School, where she was a four-year varsity player.

 
ON DECK

• Elon continues its homestand with a contest versus Duke next Tuesday. First pitch between the Phoenix and the Blue Devils is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will stream on FloCollege.

 
STAY POSTED

• For further coverage of Elon Softball, follow the Phoenix on X (@ElonSoftball) and Instagram (@elonsoftball).