Series Notes

GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES (15-2, 0-0)
ELON (11-6, 0-0)
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday-Sunday, March 14-16
Time: 6 p.m., 4 p.m., 1:30 p.m.
Site: Elon, N.C./Latham Park
Rankings: None
Coaches: Ga. Southern - Rodney Hennon (596-382-1), Elon - Mike Kennedy (588-414-3)
TV/Video Stream: elonphoenix.com/showcase
Radio: Georgia Southern Radio Network/GS All-Access
Twitter: @GSAthletics, @GSAthletics_BSB
Facebook: facebook.com/GSAthletics
Live Stats: gseagles.com
Last 10: Ga. Southern 9-1; Elon 5-5
Series Record: Elon leads 21-18

Storylines: Georgia Southern opens Southern Conference play against the defending SoCon Tournament champions Elon. The Phoenix advanced to a NCAA Regional after knocking the Eagles out of the tournament a year ago. GSU is off to a hot start with a 15-2 record, their best start under Head Coach Rodney Hennon and the best since the 1974 team went 34-2 before losing its third game, after wrapping up a 14-game homestand with a 13-1 record. Elon was selected fourth in both the preseason coaches and media polls. The Eagles, who have won a season-best eight straight games, were picked third in the media and fifth in the coaches poll. Aaron Mizell hit two home runs on Tuesday and will take his league best nine-game hitting streak on the road when the two teams open the series at 6 p.m. on Friday.

Series History: Elon holds a three-game edge in the all-time series, 21-18. Georgia Southern took the season series in Statesboro last season and scored 28 runs over the three games. The Phoenix salvaged a game with a 9-1 victory on Sunday and went on to win three-straight against the Eagles after defeating them 11-4, 7-6 in the Southern Conference Tournament. Elon holds a 9-6 edge at Latham Park after sweeping GSU in their last visit in 2012. The Eagles won four-straight games and two season series over the final two games of the 2010 series at Elon and the first two in Statesboro in 2011. This season's meeting will be the last as conference mates. Georgia Southern is headed to the Sun Belt, and Elon is joining the CAA next season.

Team Scope
Ga. Southern: Aaron Mizell hit two home runs as Georgia Southern capped off a 13-1 homestand with a 13-1 win over North Florida on Tuesday. The Eagles are hitting a nation-best .345 after 17 games. Stryker Brown leads the squad with a .403 batting average. Dalton Busby leads the SoCon in hits and is one of five Eagles who rank in the top 10 of the conference with 24 or more hits this season. GSU tallied 10 or more hits in their last four games, including 12 hits in their last outing against UNF. Eight of the nine starters recorded a hit and three tallied multi-hit games. Aaron Mizell went two for five with two home runs and four RBI in the contest. The Eagles have recorded 10 or more hits in seven of their last eight contests and have hit three home runs in their last two games.

Elon: Elon holds three of the SoCon's four Pitcher of the Week awards handed out this season. Jake Stalzer won the award in back-to-back weeks after opening the season with one unearned run through his first three starts. Stalzer is looking to get back on track after allowing six runs - three  earned - over 3.1 innings at Coastal Carolina in his last outing. Lucas Bakker was this week's SoCon award winner after holding Minnesota to two unearned runs over nine innings last week. Michael Elefante, who did not start the season in the rotation, has worked his way into the rotation by going 4-0 with a 1.29 ERA in 21.0 innings this season. The Phoenix hold a 2.79 ERA with two complete games and one shutout.

Who's Hot: Aaron Mizell holds a SoCon-best nine game hit streak after hitting two home runs on Tuesday. Mizell is 5 for 10 with six RBI and three home runs over his last two games. ... Ryan Cooper lifted his batting average 83 points after an eight-game hit streak that ended on Tuesday. Cooper is fifth on the team with a .281 batting average.

On The Bump
Friday, March 14
LHP Sam Howard (3-1, 1.08) vs. RHP Lucas Bakker (2-1, 1.71)
Sam Howard allowed one run over seven innings and struck out eight batters to earn his third victory of the season in a 3-1 victory over Holy Cross. Howard is tied for the conference lead with 30 strike outs and has walked just three batters, none in his last start. Howard is 4-5 with a 6.19 ERA in 13 career appearances and eight starts in SoCon play.

Lucas Bakker earned the SoCon Pitcher of the Week honors after tossing a complete game in a 5-2 victory over Minnesota. Bakker allowed two unearned runs and struck out six batters without walking one in his last outing. Bakker is 2-1 with a 1.71 ERA in four starts this season.

Saturday, March 15
RHP Josh Wirsu (3-1, 3.66) vs. LHP Jake Stalzer  (3-1, 1.03)
Josh Wirsu continues to improve with each outing. Wirsu struck out a season-best eight batters and allowed one run in a 7-1 victory over Holy Cross last Saturday. Wirsu tossed a season-high 6.2 innings en route to his third win of the season. Wirsu has allowed three or less runs and pitched five or more innings in his last three starts.

Jake Stalzer's earned run streak came to an end at 23.1 innings, and he took the loss in a 13-4 loss at Coastal Carolina. Stalzer had allowed just one unearned run through his first three starts and was 3-0 heading into his last start. He was named SoCon Pitcher of the Week twice during that stretch and is 3-1 with a 1.03 ERA.

Sunday, March 16
RHP Will Middour (1-0, 4.82) vs. RHP Michael Elefante (4-0, 1.29)
Will Middour picked up his first victory of the season after allowing three runs over 5.2 innings. Middour will make his third start of the season on Sunday. He allowed four runs and struck out two batters in the victory over Holy Cross.

Michael Elefante allowed one run over seven innings in a 3-1 victory over UMBC on Saturday. Elefante struck out a season-high six batters and allowed no walks to earn his fourth win of the season. Elefante opened the year in the bullpen but is 4-0 with a 1.29 ERA after working his way into the rotation.

ELON SERIES AT A GLANCE
Overall: 18-21
Home: 8-7
Away: 6-9
Neutral: 4-5
Unknown: 0-0
Hennon vs Opponent: 18-21
Streak: L3
First Meeting: 6/1/02, Clemson, S.C., 6-2
Last Meeting: 5/25/13, Greenville, S.C., 7-6
Last 10 Meetings: 4-5

EAGLES OVER THE AIR
Georgia Southern baseball, the first college baseball program to have its complete schedule broadcasted on the radio starting in 1973, can be heard across the Georgia Southern Radio Network and online at gseagles.com. Ryan Chambers and Kris Draper will bring you all the action starting 30 minutes prior to first pitch. Stations carrying this season's games are WBMX 103.7 FM in Metter/Statesboro, WZBX 106.5 FM in Sylvania/Statesboro, WJLG 900 AM in Savannah and WLOP 1370 AM in Jesup.

Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA.