Focus on pitching as Phoenix set to
face Catamounts
Brian Paglia / Reporter
The Elon baseball team begins conference play Friday,
against Western Carolina, after sweeping the visiting Siena
Saints over the weekend.
Conference records are clean slates for now, but Elon goes
into the start of the conference season with the momentum of
taking two of three from Auburn and sweeping Siena, while
Western Carolina looks to find its momentum.
Against Western Carolina, the Phoenix faces a team
they're chasing in the quest for a Southern Conference
championship. Picked to finish third in the conference
one spot ahead of Elon, the Catamounts are currently
5–4 after losing two of three to Charleston Southern.
Western Carolina powered their way to sweep the Phoenix last
year, and many of the same bats return this weekend to Latham
Park. Led by slugger Steven Strausbaug, who leads the
SoCon with six home runs, the Catamounts' lineup boasts
six players hitting over .300 on the year.
Winners in six of their last seven games, the Phoenix hit
seven homers against Siena, three by Chris Vasami, and got
outstanding performances from starters Lance Cole, Ryan
Basham and Matt Chastain.
"I think this weekend was big for us," Vasami
said. "We've got a lot of confidence."
So far, the trio of Cole, Chastain and Basham has been
throwing like confident, dominant starters, something last
year's team lacked from its starting corps. The three
have nine of the team's 10 wins along with a combined
2.24 ERA. But the key has been their ability to throw
deep into games. They average almost seven innings an
outing, while opponents are only hitting .210 against them.
"Our starting pitchers are doing great," Vasami
said. "When they need to they're getting deep
in the game for us. When they get guys on base
they're doing a good job to get some ground balls and get
some double-plays and get us out of there."
Finally, the lineup is starting to heat-up, with Vasami
leading the way after getting the start at first base in
Saturday's night cap. He responded by going
4–6 with three home runs and five RBIs over the final
two games of the series. Paul Bennett hit his second
home run, while Chris Price, Ryan Addison and Grant Rembert
also went deep for the first time this season. Four
Elon hitters have at least 10 RBIs, and the team increased
its average to .284.
Catcher Drew Davis was missing from the lineup in the Siena
series, still nursing a chest injury. So, Coach Mike
Kennedy has been forced to move Rembert from the outfield to
catcher and giving centerfield over to Addison. No
doubt the Phoenix miss Davis' steady production and
all-conference defense, but Rembert has looked reliable
behind the plate.
What Elon could use is a reliable fourth starting
pitcher. Freshmen Steven Hensley has experienced his
share of growing pains thus far amid high expectations for
the Washington Nationals' 44th-round pick.
On the season he is winless with an 8.10 ERA, but the
Phoenix's strength in experience should be more than
enough to compensate.
"The nice thing about this team is that it's an
older team," Vasami said. "We have veterans
and we know what it takes to pick guys up when we need to and
get it done."
The confidence of this veteran team is returning just in
time.
Contact Brian Paglia at pendulum@elon.edu or
278-7247.
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Matt
Gannon / Photo Editor
Matt Gannon / Photo Editor