University of North Carolina Athletics
Softball To Face Elon Wednesday In Midweek Matchup
March 8, 2016 | Softball
Elon, N.C. - The Tar Heels head to Elon on Wednesday, March 9, for a midweek game against the Phoenix scheduled for 5 p.m. A video stream can be found here, and live stats will be provided by StatBroadcast.
Elon enters week sitting at 8-10 on the season, but the Phoenix have taken on some top-notch competition so far this season. The Phoenix played a pair of games at No. 12 Georgia on opening weekend, then took on No. 13 Missouri and No. 1 Florida in Orlando. While Elon has yet to defeat a ranked opponent this season, the Phoenix played an extremely close game against the defending national champion Gators, falling 3-1 to the top-ranked team who remains undefeated at 22-0 to start the year. Elon finished last season in third in the Colonial Athletic Association standings and ranked #74 in the final RPI.
Fighting the Phoenix
The Tar Heels have had tremendous success against in-state opponent Elon, going 30-13-1 all time against Phoenix. UNC has faced Elon at least once every year since 1998, going 27-2-1 during that stretch. The Tar Heels bring a five-game winning streak into Wednesday's matchup, including a pair of six-inning run rule victories in each of the past two season.
Carolina has been successful at Elon, winning 10 of its 14 games on the campus of the Phoenix, including going 10-1-1 since 1999. UNC has not lost to Elon since March 17, 2010, when the Phoenix edged then-No. 20 UNC, 1-0.
Judi Garman Classic
The Tar Heels concluded tournament season with a trip to the Jude Garman Classic in Fullerton, California. UNC took on some of the nation's top opponents, including No. 2 Michigan and three teams that were receiving votes in the poll: Long Beach State, California and Oregon State.
UNC showed fight against Michigan, falling behind early but battling to tie the score at two and again 6-6 in the fifth before falling to the national runner-up Wolverines 11-6.
Carolina held on for a 7-5 victory over Long Beach State with the help of three home runs. The Tar Heels dealt with adversity on the final day, surrendering late leads to Oregon State and Cal State Fullerton to end the weekend 1-4. Kristen Brown broke a 3-3 tie with a home run against CSUF in the top of the seventh, but the Tar Heels lost, 6-5, in walk-off fashion to the hosts to end the weekend.
Feel The Need For Speed
The 2016 Tar Heels have been incredibly aggressive on the basepaths. After stealing just 29 bases in all of 2015, Carolina topped that mark on just the third weekend of play and are now 34-for-39 on the season. Senior Aquilla Mateen, who ranks in the top-10 all time at Carolina in career swipes and freshman speed demon Destiny DeBerry are tied for tops on the team, going 9-for-10 on the year.
On Feb. 27, UNC tied the single-game record by stealing a total of eight bases against IUPUI. DeBerry stole three bases in the game, while Mateen and Taylor Wike both stole twice. The eight swipes matched the all-time record set on Feb. 23, 2011, when Carolina stole eight bases against UNC Wilmington. DeBerry was also the first Tar Heel to steal three bases in a game since that same weekend, as Chelsey Butler stole three against UNC Wilmington and Tisha Mahon swiped three bases two days later against Georgetown.
Downtown Kristen Brown
On April 22, 2015, then-junior Kristen Brown launched her 44th career home run to become Carolina's all-time home run leader. With nine long balls already in 2016, Brown now has 56 home runs and sits in fourth in ACC record book, just nine behind the all-time ACC record of 65 set just last season by NC State's Renada Davis.
Brown knocked down her second career record on Feb. 27, 2016, using a three-run home run to surpass Natalie Anter (1999-02) as Carolina's all-time RBI leader. The slugger is also in seventh all time in the ACC in runs batted in.
On March 6, Brown broke yet another record, using a go-ahead home run in the top of the seventh against Cal State Fullerton to become the all-time total bases leader, a record also held by former Olympian Natalie Anter. The ACC does not have a total bases mark listed in their record book.
The Tar Heel shortstop hit a program-record 24 homers in 2015, and her nine in the first 19 games puts her at an even higher average per game (on pace for 25.6 during the regular season).
| ACC Career Home Run Leaders | ||||
| 1. | 65 | Renada Davis | NC State | 2012-15 |
| 2. | 61 | Whitney Haller | Georgia Tech | 2006-09 |
| 3. | 60 | Hope Rush | Goergia Tech | 2010-13 |
| 4. | 56 | Kristen Brown | UNC | 2013- |
| 5. | 55 | Maddie O'Brien | Florida State | 2012-15 |
| 55 | Kelsi Wesernman | Georgia Tech | 2009-12 | |
| 7. | 54 | Jen Yee | Georgia Tech | 2007, 09-10 |
| ACC Career RBI Leaders | ||||
| 1. | 228 | Whitney Haller | Georgia Tech | 2006-09 |
| 2. | 216 | Maddie O'Brien | Florida State | 2012-15 |
| 3. | 201 | Kelsi Weserman | Georgia Tech | 2009-12 |
| 4. | 194 | Savannah Brown | Georgia Tech | 2005-08 |
| 5. | 181 | Sara Larquier | UVA | 2003-06 |
| 6. | 172 | Kristen Brown | UNC | 2013- |
| 172 | Anne Knobbe | Georgia Tech | 1997-99 | |
The Tar Heel slugger is also among the best in the nation among active players, ranking in the top 50 in seven different career offensive categories, including fifth in home runs, sixth in RBIs and ninth total bases.
Two Tar Heels Earn ACC Weekly Honors
After the first two weeks of the season, Carolina has had a student win a weekly award from ACC every week. Kendra Lynch became the first Tar Heel since 2013 to win ACC Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 15 after tossing a pair of complete-game shutouts on opening weekend. Kristen Brown was then named ACC Player of the Week on Feb. 22 after leading the Big Ten/ACC Challenge with a 1.375 slugging percentage and three home runs.
2016 Schedule
The Tar Heels put together a challenging slate for 2016, featuring 28 games against 16 NCAA Tournament participants, facing four of the 16 Super Regional qualifiers including NCAA Runner-Up Michigan.
Carolina will face seven 2015 conference champions, six of whom also won their conference tournaments.
The Tar Heels have seven opponents that are ranked this week in the NFCA or ESPN.com polls, including No. 2 Michigan, No. 9/8 James Madison, No. 10/12 Georgia and No. 11 Florida State. Additionally, three opponents on the schedule are currently receiving votes.
Carolina faced its first ranked team, No. 2 Michigan, on March 4, but fell 11-6. The Tar Heels defeated Long Beach State but fell to California and Oregon State, who were all receiving votes by the NFCA (OSU was ranked No. 22 in the ESPN.com poll).
UNC surrendered late leads over Texas in both matchups, who entered the poll the week after the pair faced. Additionally, the Tar Heels split with North Dakota State, which was receiving votes that week.
UNC will take on 13 teams that finished 2015 ranked in the top 50 in the RPI, facing eight of those teams on the road.
