ELON – The Elon softball team travels to Tallahassee, Florida, this weekend to compete in the Dugout Classic from Friday through Sunday at JoAnne Graf Field at the Seminole Softball Complex. The Phoenix (1-8) will face a challenging field that includes No. 8 Alabama (9-0), Dartmouth (0-0) and No. 6 Florida State (9-2).
 
SCHEDULE (Elon Games Only)

• Friday, Feb. 20: vs. No. 8 Alabama – 10 a.m.
• Friday, Feb. 20: vs. Dartmouth – 12:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 21: vs. Dartmouth – 10 a.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 21: vs. No. 8 Alabama – 5:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 22: at No. 6 Florida State – 12:30 p.m.

 
FOLLOW THE PHOENIX

• Live Stats: Statbroadcast
• Watch: ACCNX (Florida State game only)

 
LAST TIME THEY MET

• Alabama: Elon and Alabama will meet for the first time ever on the softball diamond this weekend. The Crimson Tide will become the seventh current Southeastern Conference (SEC) opponent the Phoenix has faced during its fast-pitch era (since 1990).
• Dartmouth: The Phoenix and the Big Green have met once all-time, squaring off in 2013 at the FAU Parents Weekend Tournament. Dartmouth won that contest, 4-3.
• Florida State: Sunday will mark the fourth all-time meeting between Elon and Florida State. The Seminoles hold a 3-0 series advantage, with the two programs last meeting in 2019 in Tallahassee. FSU claimed a 15-1 victory in that matchup.

 
LAST TIME OUT

• Elon hosted No. 14/20 Duke on Tuesday in its most recent contest at Hunt Softball Park. The Blue Devils jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, earning a 13-1 win for their eighth straight victory in the series.
• First-year players Jenna Klein and Emily Settle each recorded a hit against Duke, while junior Greta Hessenthaler drove in the Phoenix's lone RBI in the bottom of the fifth inning. The contest marked the first ranked opponent Elon has hosted at home since also welcoming then-No. 7 Duke in 2024.

 
AROUND THE HORN

• On the offensive end, the Phoenix is batting .232/.386/.362 through nine games this season. Elon hitters have produced 18 extra-base hits, with seven home runs that rank second in the CAA.
• Teagan Baulsir holds the highest batting average among Elon regulars, hitting .320 with eight hits and five runs scored. She also leads the team in home runs (two) and RBI (six).
• Lani Wyrick is tied for the team lead in walks and ranks third on the team with a .296 average. She is a perfect 4-for-4 on stolen bases this season.
• Elon has seen solid production from its five true first-year batters in Klein, Settle, Allie Dawson, Christina Piotrowski and Julia Tamulski. All five players are hitting .250 or better while combining for nine RBI and four extra-base hits. Tamulski has the lone home run among the group, as the Tampa, Florida, native belted her first career round-tripper versus Manhattan on Feb. 13.
• Junior Anna Dew leads the Phoenix in innings pitched (21.1), appearances (seven), ERA (4.27) and strikeouts (24) in the circle. She ranks third in the CAA in total strikeouts and second in strikeouts per seven innings (8.3).
• Elon is in its 49th season of competitive softball, the 37th fastpitch season and the 27th at the Division I level.
• 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.

 
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

• The Phoenix returns to its home diamond at Hunt Softball Park next Wednesday, hosting North Carolina. First pitch 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).