ELON – Elon softball welcomes unbeaten intrastate foe North Carolina for a midweek contest on Wednesday. Game time between the Phoenix (3-10) and the Tar Heels (14-0) is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Hunt Softball Park.
 
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SERIES HISTORY

• Elon and North Carolina will clash for the second time this season in the 41^st meeting overall in the series. The Tar Heels hold a 33-6-1 advantage over the Maroon and Gold since the series began in 1998.
• The Phoenix visited the Tar Heels earlier this season, with UNC earning a 15-3 victory in Chapel Hill. It was the fourth straight win for North Carolina in the series.
• The two teams last met in Elon in 2024, with the Tar Heels taking a 12-1 decision. The Phoenix's last win in the series came at home in 2022 with a 4-3 victory.

 
LAST TIME OUT

• The Phoenix competed at the Dugout Classic last weekend, hosted by Florida State. Elon faced a challenging field that included matchups against a pair of top-10 teams in No. 8/9 Alabama and No. 6/7 Florida State, along with two contests versus Dartmouth.
• Elon went 2-2 at the tournament, with both wins coming against Dartmouth.
• Offensively, Elon batted .265, with six players from the regular lineup hitting .300 or better. Seniors Payton Swart and Mary Moss Wirt led the Phoenix at the plate with .400 averages, while Swart paced the team with two doubles.

 
AROUND THE HORN

• Elon is slashing .242/.363/.358 on the season, totaling 56 runs scored with 23 extra-base hits and 44 RBI. The Phoenix has also posted double-digit hit performances in three of its past six games.
• Greta Hessenthaler is batting .316 to lead the Phoenix at the plate. The sophomore is coming off a .364 showing at the Dugout Classic. The Liberty, N.C., native has recorded a hit in all but four games this season and previously had a 10-game reached-base streak.
• Teagan Baulsir is second on the team with a .314 average. The junior leads the Phoenix in home runs (two) and RBI (nine) while also drawing seven walks.
• Mauri Murray made her season debut last weekend at the Dugout Classic after missing the majority of last season and the early portion of this year due to injury. The redshirt junior went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk off the bench in her first game against Dartmouth on Friday.
• As a team, the Phoenix ranks second in the CAA in fielding percentage at .963. Lani Wyrick leads the league in assists (33) and assists per game (2.54).
• Anna Dew went 1-0 at the Dugout Classic and posted a 1.17 ERA with five strikeouts. She has a team-best 3.59 ERA on the season in 27.1 innings and leads the team with 29 strikeouts, which ranks sixth in the CAA.
• Lia Miller leads the Phoenix in innings pitched (28.0) and appearances (nine) this season. The junior also went 1-0 at the Dugout Classic with a 3.28 ERA across 10.2 innings.
• Elon is in its 49th season of competitive softball, the 37th fastpitch season and the 27th 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 357 wins at Elon and 592 career victories across 29 seasons as a head coach.

 
SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA

• North Carolina improved to 14-0 after going unbeaten at its home tournament, the Tar Heel Invitational, last weekend with wins over N.C. Central, Appalachian State, Rider and Princeton.
• Wednesday's game will be the Tar Heels' first official road contest this season.
• The Tar Heels are hitting .429 as a team, with seven players batting over .300. Junior Emily Legette is hitting .611 with eight home runs and 29 RBI, while Sanaa Thompson (.571) and Shelby Barbee (.529) are also batting over .500.
• North Carolina's pitching staff has posted a 1.27 ERA in 83.0 innings with 81 strikeouts compared to 25 walks. Four players have thrown 10 or more innings, led by junior Carly Maxton, who owns a 1.06 ERA in 26.1 innings. She has struck out 22 batters and is 4-0 in the circle.

 
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.
• Wednesday's contest is one of 19 remaining home games for the Phoenix this season. Notable non-conference opponents still scheduled to visit include 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

• The Phoenix will co-host the Elon-UNCG Tournament this weekend from Friday through Sunday. Elon will host Indiana on Friday at 3 p.m. before facing Charleston Southern and UNCG in Greensboro for the remainder of the tournament.

 
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