ELON – Elon softball welcomes No. 19/22 Duke to Hunt Softball Park for an early-week contest on Tuesday. First pitch between the Phoenix (1-7) and the Blue Devils (7-3) is scheduled for 4 p.m.
 
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SERIES HISTORY

• Intrastate opponents since 2018, Tuesday will mark the 10th meeting between Elon and Duke on the softball diamond. The Blue Devils lead the all-time series, 8-1, and have won seven straight.
• Duke earned a 10-0 victory over the Phoenix in the most recent meeting last season in Durham.
• Elon's lone win in the series came in 2019 with a 5-4 walk-off victory at Hunt Softball Park.

 
LAST TIME OUT

• Elon hosted the Phoenix Invitational last weekend, making its 2026 home debut at Hunt Softball Park. The Maroon and Gold faced Mount St. Mary's, Manhattan and Dayton, going 1-3 overall.
• The Phoenix's lone win at the tournament came against Mount St. Mary's on Thursday, as Elon earned a 12-1 victory. Junior pitcher Anna Dew set a career-high with 10 strikeouts in the contest, while home runs from Peyton Fitzpatrick and Payton Swart helped power the Phoenix offensively.
• As a team, the Phoenix hit .290 across four games, with five players batting over .300. Elon also hit six home runs at the tournament, including a pair of grand slams, while Teagan Baulsir, Mary Moss Wirt and Swart each drove in a team-high five RBI.

 
AROUND THE HORN

• Baulsir has gotten off to a strong start at the plate this season. The junior is tied with Lani Wyrick for the team lead among regulars with a .333 batting average. She also leads the Phoenix in hits (eight), home runs (two) and RBI (six).
• Wyrick has drawn a team-best six walks and is a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen bases. The sophomore also ranks among the CAA leaders in walks per game at 0.75.
• Freshman Allie Dawson made the first three starts of her career at the Phoenix Invitational. The Wade, N.C., native went 3-for-9 during the weekend, including an RBI double vs. Manhattan on Friday.
• Dew has recorded 23 strikeouts this season compared to eight walks. The Harrisburg, N.C., native ranks third in the CAA in total strikeouts and second in strikeouts per seven innings (8.3).
• 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's roster. In the circle, Elon brings back three experienced pitchers in juniors Anna Dew, Lia Miller and Kyra Leonard.
• Elon also welcomes nine newcomers to the 2026 roster, including six freshmen and three transfers.
• Head coach Kathy Bocock is in her 15th season leading the Phoenix. The winningest coach in program history, Bocock has 355 wins at Elon and 590 career victories across 29 seasons as a head coach.

 
SCOUTING NO. 19/22 DUKE

• The Blue Devils enter Tuesday's contest with a 7-3 record and are coming off a pair of losses to No. 20 Georgia and Missouri at the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational.
• Duke is ranked No. 19 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 and No. 22 in the 2026 NFCA/GoRout Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll.
• The Blue Devils went 41-18 last season and earned the program's fifth consecutive NCAA Softball Championship bid. Duke was selected to finish fifth in the 2026 ACC Preseason Poll.
• Offensively, Duke is hitting .335 as a team with 11 home runs, 57 RBI and a .546 slugging percentage. Three regulars are batting .300 or better, led by D'Auna Jennings at .500 (16-for-32). Graduate student Tyrina Jones leads the team in power production with four home runs and 16 RBI.
• In the circle, Duke's pitching staff has posted a 3.91 ERA in 62.2 innings with 46 strikeouts and 35 walks. Four pitchers have seen action, with senior Cassidy Curd leading the staff in innings (21.1) while going 3-0 with a 2.63 ERA and 18 strikeouts.

 
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).

 
ON THE HUNT

• Elon is in its 14th season at Hunt Softball Park in 2026.
• Tuesday's contest is one of 20 remaining home games for the Phoenix this season. Notable non-conference opponents still scheduled to visit include North Carolina, Indiana and Virginia Tech.
• The Phoenix will also host Campbell, Hampton, N.C. A&T and Stony Brook during CAA play, while the 2026 CAA Softball Championships are set for May 5-9 at Hunt Softball Park.

 
ON DECK

• Elon travels to Tallahassee, Florida, this weekend to compete in the Dugout Classic at Florida State. The Phoenix is scheduled to play five games over three days against Alabama, Dartmouth and host Florida State, starting with matchup against the Crimson Tide at 10 a.m. ET Friday.

 
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