UNCW, Elon Set for Another Tourney Meeting
Hawks and Phoenix met three times in 2019 postseason, once in 2018
No. 2 UNCW (30-20)
vs. No. 3 Elon (22-20)
7 p.m. (FloSports) | Listen | Live Stats | Tourney Central
It’s only right for old friends to catch up over Memorial Day weekend at the beach.
For the third straight postseason, the Seahawks and Phoenix will get together in the CAA Tournament, and if history is any indication, we’re in for a heck of a ballgame on Thursday night at Brooks Field.
When last the programs met in the postseason, Elon forced a winner-take-all championship game that saw late heroics from both teams, an epic pitching performance from Austin Warren and one final league title for Coach Mark Scalf.
Wednesday’s Games: Elon 7, W&M 3; Charleston 6, Towson 5
More recently, the top teams in the South Division split six games this season, with four games decided by one run.
Here’s what to watch for as the Hawks begin their pursuit of a third straight CAA championship.
Starter Strategy
If things go to plan for either of the top seeds, it’s possible to take the title with three wins in three days — exactly like a three-game weekend series.
It’s never that simple, however, and there are also matchup considerations to worry about, like the potential for a meeting with top-seeded Northeastern (32-9, 20-3) on Friday night.
Fortunately for UNCW, Coach Randy Hood and pitching coach Matt Myers have the luxury of three starters they’d be comfortable starting — and have started — in big postseason games.
CAA Pitcher of the Year Landen Roupp (7-4, 2.75 ERA) had a big win over Elon in the 2019 tournament to go along with two more postseason appearances vs. the Phoenix.
Roupp has been lights-out vs. Elon this season, allowing one earned run (three total) on six hits over 15.2 innings with 16 strikeouts and six walks. The Phoenix are hitting just .118 vs. the Hawks’ ace, who brings in a 0.57 ERA and 0.77 WHIP.
Over two starts vs. the Phoenix, Luke Gesell (5-3, 4.37) gave up six earned runs on 11 hits over 15 innings with 13 strikeouts and six walks, with Elon batters hitting .203.
Both have an proven up to the task recently and in the more distant past.
The Elon Eraser
Hits have been tough to come by in this season’s Elon-UNCW series, but Cole Weiss has fared well, hitting .285 (6-21) with a double, two homers, five RBI and six runs scored.
That’s only the beginning of Weiss’ history with the Phoenix, who the fifth-year senior has hit .411 (7-17) with three doubles and four RBI in four career CAA Tournament games.
Weiss usually kicks things up a notch in May, and so far, he’s hitting .276 (13-47) with three doubles and 14 RBI in 12 games, but strangely, no home runs.
In 2018, Weiss was the tournament’s most outstanding player after hitting .473 with a double, a homer and six RBI over five games.
It’s his time.
Missed on Mongero
Despite hitting .307 with 29 RBI and a team-best .402 on-base percentage, shortstop Taber Mongero was omitted from the CAA’s all-conference teams and even the league’s all-rookie team.
Mongero led the Seahawks in sacrifices, routinely moving runners from the No. 9 spot and setting up the top of the order to drive in runs. His defense far outweighed his errors, and there was never a doubt he was going all-out.
Not surprisingly, he was a major part in UNCW’s mid-season turnaround, hitting .323 with 18 RBI, eight walks and just three strikeouts over 22 games since April 16.
Mongero has no need to prove anything to folks who follow the Hawks, but it sure would be enjoyable to watch him stick it to those who left him off their award ballots.
Maximizing the Bullpen
Just like setting up the rotation, there’s a little more thought in which relievers go in, and when.
Ideally for UNCW, Hunter Hodges has made appearances on Fridays and Sundays, and in a perfect world, he’d close out a win on Thursday before putting the bow on a championship on Saturday evening.
But in the event the Hawks are up (or down) several runs late on Thursday, do you hang on to your closer to fight another day? Would you feel great about using him in big spots on Friday and Saturday in that scenario?
That goes for all of the regulars out of the pen, where the Hawks are lucky to have an incredibly deep group with a few guys that can eat up innings and others that could give you a few innings if needed.
The return of Cody Benton provides yet another great addition to an already-strong group.
Dilly Dilly
Dillon Lifrieri quietly put together an excellent debut season in Wilmington, hitting .308 with seven doubles and 24 RBI, but the well-traveled outfielder finally got some well-deserved recognition after absolutely raking in Charlotte.
Thanks to going 8-14 at the plate with two doubles, a homer and four RBI, Lifrieri was named the CAA Rookie of the Week, continuing a hot May, as he’s hitting .363 with eight RBI.
Lifrieri doesn’t show up much on highlight reels, but he almost always shows up in the box score — that’s the best compliment you can give a guy with his approach to the game.
Base Hits
UNCW is 14-11 vs. Elon since 2015, but the Hawks have won 3 of 4 in the CAA Tournament.
Trevor Marsh is hitting .406 with two doubles, two homers, eight RBI, 10 runs, and three stolen bases in May. He’s also walked eight times to go with four strikeouts over the 11 games — three of which he came off the bench.
This is the 14th time Brooks Field has played host to the CAA Tournament, and the first time since Delaware’s victory in 2017.
The Hawks have only won two (2004, 2006) of their six CAA championships at Brooks Field. Three of UNCW’s titles (2012, 2018, 2019) came at James Madison’s Veterans Memorial Park, while it won the 2015 title at Charleston’s park.
Roupp is 3-0 in his past three starts, giving up two earned runs on 19 hits — 16 singles — in 18.1 innings. He’s struck out 24 batters and walked five over that stretch.
There have been seven CAA tournaments at Brooks Field since UNCW’s win in 2007, with the Hawks finishing as runner-up three times.
UNCW’s six CAA titles are second-most all-time behind East Carolina’s seven. The five other teams in this year’s tournament have a combined four titles — William & Mary (2001, 2016), Charleston (2014), Towson (2013).
UNCW coach Randy Hood won a Big South Tournament title as a player in 1990, and has been an assistant coach at UNCW for all six CAA championships.
Six teams that have a combined 21 CAA titles are no longer in the conference: ECU (7), VCU (5), Old Dominion (3), Richmond (3), George Mason (2), Georgia State.
Current CAA members have 13 championships: UNCW (6), James Madison (2), W&M (2), Delaware, Charleston, Towson.