ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team is set to travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., to take part in the Carolina Classic hosted by the University of North Carolina this weekend, March 5-7, at Anderson Softball Stadium.
 
The Phoenix joins No. 17 South Carolina, UConn and host North Carolina in the field with Elon squaring off versus the Gamecocks to open the tournament on Friday, March 5, at 11 a.m. Elon then faces UConn at 1:30 p.m. to close out the first day before its matchup against the Tar Heels on Saturday, March 6, at 4 p.m.
 
Elon will end the tournament on Sunday, March 7 at 10 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. The Phoenix's game time and opponent in its tournament finale will be dependent on its results from the weekend.
 
Follow the Phoenix
• Live stats will be available for the game by going to the team's schedule page at elonphoenix.com.
• Updates will also be posted on Twitter at the team's account @ElonSoftball.
• Elon's game versus UNC will be streamed on the ACC Network Extra via Watch ESPN or the ESPN app.
 
Series Breakdown
• The Gamecocks hold a 2-1 record all-time over the Phoenix on the softball diamond. Both teams met last season in South Carolina with the Gamecocks earning a 4-0 victory.
•  Elon and UConn will face each other for only the second time in series history on Friday. Both teams last met in 2005 with Elon taking an 8-0 win.
• North Carolina holds a 28-4-1 advantage all-time over Elon, but the Phoenix has won the previous three contests including two at Chapel Hill. Last season, the Phoenix earned a 2-1 victory over the Tar Heels.
 
Quick Hits
• Elon is currently hitting .252 as a team in its five games this season with four players in the regular lineup hitting better than .300.
• Rebecca Murray paces the squad in total hits with seven and carries a .412 average into the weekend. The junior outfielder leads the team in multi-hit games on the year with three.
• Rookie Grace Kiser has a team and Colonial Athletic Association-best six RBI for the Phoenix followed by five from sophomore Megan Grant. Kiser also has a .900 slugging percentage, which is second in the CAA this season.
• Grant leads the CAA in total walks with five and is second in the league in on base percentage at .556.
• In the circle, Kenna Quinn holds a 2-1 record with a 2.80 ERA in her 15.0 innings of action. The Boiling Springs, S.C., native has held opponents to a .259 average this season, which is fifth in the CAA.
• Redshirt junior McKenzie Weber made her Elon debut for the Phoenix this past weekend at Clemson. A transfer from Wichita State, Weber got the start in the circle for Elon on Sunday versus the Tigers and pitched 3.2 innings in the contest.
 
Scouting No. 17 South Carolina
• The Gamecocks (9-2) come into the weekend at No. 17 in the latest NFCA Top-25 Coaches Poll. South Carolina defeated Winthrop, 10-1, in its most recent game on Wednesday, March 3.
• South Carolina is led offensively by freshman Carlie Henderson, who holds a team-best .516 batting average among its regulars. Junior Kassidy Krupit is the main run producer for the Gamecocks with four homers and 21 RBI.
• As a team, the Gamecocks pitching staff has posted an ERA of 1.67 with five players seeing time toeing the rubber for the squad. Senior Kelsey Oh has tossed a team-best 18.0 innings while going 1-1 with a 2.33 ERA.
 
Scouting UConn
• The Huskies (5-5) competed at the Lone Star State Invitational last weekend, going 2-3 at the tournament hosted by Baylor.
• UConn is hitting .248 on the season with senior Reese Guevarra hitting a team-best .342 with 13 hits so far in 2021. Redshirt junior Hollis Wivell is the only other player hitting north of .300 among UConn's regulars with her .304 average.
• Freshman Payton Kinney and sophomore Meghan O'Neill have been the workhorses in the circle for the Huskies in 2021. Kinney has a team-best ERA of 2.90 in her 41.0 innings while O'Neill has posted a 3.91 ERA in 28.2 innings of work.
 
Scouting North Carolina
• The Tar Heels (5-5) are coming off a 1-4 weekend at the Crimson Classic at No. 4 Alabama after starting the season with a 4-1 ledger.
• UNC is hitting .246 on the year with three players batting better than .300 in Kiersten Licea (.364), Kristina Burkhardt (.355) and Brittany Pickett (.304).
• Pickett has also done a great job in the circle as the Tar Heels' ace, posting a 0.63 ERA in her 44.2 innings with 57 strikeouts.
 
On Deck
The Phoenix hosts UNCG in a midweek contest on Wednesday, March 10 at Hunt Softball Park. The opening pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.