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ELON, N.C. -- The Elon baseball team will have one final chance to solidify one of the top seeds in the upcoming Southern Conference Baseball Tournament this week as it hosts The Citadel in a three-game league series to conclude the 2012 regular season.  The set with the Bulldogs begins with a 6:30 p.m. game on Wednesday with game two scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and the finale at 1:30 p.m. on Friday from Latham Park.  All three games will be carried live on WPCM 920 AM.

Probable Starting Pitchers:
Wednesday
  EU: LH Dylan Clark (8-3, 3.69 ERA) vs. CIT: RH Austin Pritcher (6-4, 3.51 ERA)
Thursday
  EU: RH David Whitehead (4-3, 4.60 ERA) vs. CIT: LH Kevin Connell (1-4, 3.29 ERA)
Friday
  EU: LH Spencer Medick (1-3, 3.05 ERA) vs. CIT: TBA

In-Game Chat
If you can not be at any of the Phoenix’s road games, join in with Elon’s free interactive live online chat.  Just click on the link on the Elon baseball home page.

Elon Baseball Live
This year, WPCM 920 AM will broadcast three editions of Elon Baseball Live featuring Phoenix head coach Mike Kennedy.  Hosted by Taylor Durham, the final show will be May 15 at 7 p.m. at The Fat Frogg.

Phoenix BaseBLOG
Fans of Elon baseball can get an inside look at the team this year thanks to a blog being written by junior outfielder Niko Fraser.  The blog can be found at www.elonbaseball.wordpress.com or by clicking the link at the top of the Elon baseball home page at elonphoenix.com.

Scouting The Citadel
The Citadel enters the final series of the 2012 regular season with an overall record of 24-28 and a Southern Conference ledger of 13-14.  The Bulldogs won two of its three games with Furman over the weekend to secure a spot in the upcoming league showcase in Greenville, S.C.

The Citadel’s offense is led by Joe Jackson who is hitting .275 with 32 runs scored, a team-best 15 doubles, a team-high four triples and 25 RBI.  Justin Mackert’s 37 runs scored, five home runs, 31 RBI and 24 stolen bases pace the squad.  As a team, the Bulldogs are hitting .253 with 241 runs scored, 87 doubles, 16 triples, 17 homers and 66 stolen bases.

On the mound, the Bulldogs sport a team ERA of 4.16.  In 459.0 innings the staff has issued 207 walks and recorded 299 strikeouts.  Opponents are hitting .279 off of Citadel pitching.

Head coach Fred Jordan is in his 21st season as a collegiate head coach, all with The Citadel.  Jordan owns a career record of 710-532 in that time.

Elon Skipper Mike Kennedy
Elon head coach Mike Kennedy is in his 16th season at the helm of the Phoenix program.  The 1991 Elon graduate is the program’s all-time winningest coach and has compiled a career record of 538-376-3 (.588).

Series Notes
Elon and The Citadel have met 33 times on the diamond prior to this series.  The two teams have nearly split the series with the Bulldogs holding a slight 17-16 edge.  The Phoenix swept the three-game set in Charleston last year.

Watch This
Elon junior catcher Alex Swim was named as one of the 43 catchers on the official watch list for the 2012 Johnny Bench Award.  The Johnny Bench Award is presented by BaseballSavings.com and is handed out by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission.

Those on the list were nominated by their coaches and is presented annually to the top catcher at the NCAA Division I ranks.  The semifinalists will be named on May 16, 2012.  Nominees must serve as a team’s starting catcher in at least 75 percent of the squad’s games.

Winning Late
A year ago the Phoenix had a lot of late-inning drama.  In fact, Elon won 11 games in its final at bat during the 2011 season.

The Phoenix won its first game in its final at bat in game two of a doubleheader against George Mason on Feb. 18, rallying for four eighth-inning runs in a 4-3 victory.  Elon has six wins in its final at bat this year.

A Tough Road
Elon always plays a tough schedule and 2012 is no different.  The Phoenix will play 14 games against teams that participated in NCAA postseason play in 2011 including a three-game set at two-time defending national champion South Carolina.

Of Elon’s first 34 games in 2012, 15 were against opponents ranked in the top 30 at the time.  According to WarrenNolan.com, Elon’s strength of schedule ranks 29th in the nation on May 14.  Furman has the second-toughest schedule in the SoCon at 45th according to the rankings.

Elon has played 10 games against teams ranked in the top 25 this year.  The only time that the Phoenix has played more games against top-25 foes in a season was 2007 when it competed in 11 such games.  Elon also played 10 games against the top 25 in 2005.

Can We Just Play 9?
Elon has played eight extra inning games in 2012.  Four of have gone 11 innings and one went 18 innings.  The maroon and gold is 5-3 in those seven games.  In both 2010 and 2011 Elon played six extra inning bouts.

Home SoCon Streak Ended
After sweeping a three game SoCon series against UNCG, Elon had won 11 consecutive home conference series.  That streak ended when Elon lost a series to Western Carolina (May 5-7, 2012).  The maroon and gold had last dropped a home SoCon set when it lost games two and three to Georgia Southern on April 10-11, 2010.

Tough to K
Last year catcher Alex Swim was one of the toughest hitters in the nation to strike out.  Swim fanned just 11 times in 236 at bats as a sophomore.  He ranked 12th nationally with one K in every 21.5 at bats.

This season, Swim has struck out nine times in 210 at bats, or one K every 23.3 at bats.

Nail-biters
Under skipper Mike Kennedy, Elon has played 205 one-run games.  The maroon and gold has gone 106-99 (.517) in those contests.

Closing it Out
Since 2007 Elon has been very good at closing out games.  The Phoenix has gone a combined 183-14 (.929) when leading after seven innings and 188-13 (.935) when holding a lead following the eighth inning.

Home Sweet Home
Traditionally, Elon has played well at Latham Park.  Under Mike Kennedy, Elon has posted a 298-124-1 (.706) record at its on-campus stadium.

The State of North Carolina Baseball
Records Since 2000 (Elon’s 1st DI Year)
North Carolina 585-241-1
East Carolina 522-272-3
North Carolina St. 471-305
ELON 458-303-2
UNC Wilmington 431-273-1
Western Carolina 411-330-2
Charlotte 409-305-2
Wake Forest 391-339-2
UNCG 387-334
Appalachian St. 316-387-3
Campbell 314-390-1
Duke 309-409-1
High Point 286-432-1
North Carolina A&T 281-420
UNC Asheville 265-448
Davidson 251-399
Gardner-Webb* 250-250-1
N.C. Central^ 17-30
* Moved to DI in 2003
^ Moved to DI in 2012