http://uncwsports.com/news/2018/4/26/bas...-elon.aspx
Baseball Preview: Elon
The Seahawks host the Phoenix in a big CAA series beginning on Friday
WILMINGTON, N.C. – UNCW hosts Elon this weekend in a key Colonial Athletic Association series beginning on Friday at 6 p.m. Both teams are tied for third in the league standings as they enter the second half of the season.
Elon and UNCW are tied for third with Delaware, which owns a tiebreaker against the Seahawks and hosts the Phoenix next weekend in Newark.
Friday night features two of the top pitchers in the conference as reigning pitcher-of-the-year Alex Royalty will get the start for the Seahawks against Elon sophomore Kyle Brnovich, who is on the Golden Spikes Award watch list.
The Seahawks will wear special jerseys on Saturday that will be auctioned during the game with all proceeds going to the Miracle League of Wilmington. Game time for Saturday and Sunday is 2 p.m.
THINGS TO KNOW
- The Seahawks exploded for four home runs, including two by Kep Brown, in Wednesday 14-4 rout of visiting Campbell … The win gave UNCW a sweep of the home-and-home series with the Camels
- Ryan Jeffers enters the weekend leading the CAA in seven offensive categories, including batting average, on base average, slugging percentage, home runs, doubles, runs batted in and total bases
- Closer Clark Cota leads the CAA with eight saves and was named to the Stopper-of-the-Year midseason watch list … Cota has made 18 appearances and is striking out 15.2 hitters per nine innings
- Mason Berne extended his consecutive games reaching base safely to 34 games with single and a walk on Wednesday … His streak ranks sixth all-time at UNCW
- UNCW leads the all-time series 36-27, including a 19-8 advantage at Brooks Field… Two memorable showdowns between the two programs came in the 2008 and 2013 NCAA regionals … UNCW won both games in 2008 to eliminate the Phoenix in Cary, N.C., while Elon did likewise in 2013 in Charlottesville, Va. … CAA play between the two programs began in 2015 when Elon joined the conference after being a member of the Southern Conference.