Elon baseball is no longer a secret power in the Southern Conference. After setting a school record for wins and making a second appearance in the NCAA tournament, members of the Phoenix have their work cut out for them.

However, this new attention won’t change head coach Mike Kennedy and his team’s goals.
“Our goals don’t change a whole lot,” Kennedy said. “We want to compete for a regular season championship and our second goal is to win the conference.”

The Phoenix has plenty of experience returning from last year’s team, which will be the key factor in the 2007 campaign. The everyday starting lineup could potentially have seven seniors along with a weekend rotation of pitchers that have at least a full season on their resume. Despite losing Matt Chastain and Lance Cole to graduation, Kennedy is confident that this year’s starters can get the job done. Junior lefty Jesse Lewter made two starts in 2006, but was reliable in long relief situations as he logged 42 innings and posted a 5-1 record and 3.43 ERA. He will get the start in the season opener against No. 9 Virginia when the team travels to Coastal Carolina for a weekend tournament.

“Lewter is going to start the first one because he’s earned it,” Kennedy said. “Historically he’s been so good for us out of the bullpen. We have plenty of depth starting pitching wise.”

For now, sophomore Steven Hensley and senior Zach Booker will round out the starting roles. Hensley was 6-0 with a 2.90 ERA in SoCon play. His season was highlighted by a complete game against Wofford in which he recorded 13 strikeouts, no walks and gave up only four hits. Booker was 6-0 in 19 appearances for the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks in 2006.

The biggest question mark is the late inning relief. Chad Tilley and Kevin Regan were two dominant factors that graduated and Kennedy is looking for someone to fill those holes.

The offense took a hit by losing Grant Rembert, Chris Price and Paul Bennett but Robert Rodebaugh is a preseason All-American and joins fellow senior Chris Vasami on Baseball America’s watch list for the SoCon.

Rodebaugh led the squad with a .340 average and was third with 11 home runs. Vasami led the team with 14 long balls and he is ready to make a run at repeating 2006.

“We’re going to try and do what we did last year and try to improve upon it,” Vasami said.

Vasami agrees with coaches that their pitching did suffer losses but this year they have more depth.
Also returning is fifth-year senior Drew Davis, who went down with a wrist injury early in 2006. Davis was selected as the best defensive catcher of the SoCon in the 2006 preseason by Baseball America, but only played in five games before going on the shelf.

“It’s exciting to be back for another year,” Davis said. “It was frustrating last year.”

Davis will be counted on to be a leader for the pitching staff and he considers himself the Crash Davis of Elon, referring to the movie “Bull Durham.”

“I’m the old catcher with these talented pitchers,” Davis joked.

With a good mix of experience and young talent the Phoenix will get their tough schedule started right away with No. 9 Virginia on Friday and then Coastal Carolina and North Florida on Saturday and Sunday. Miami and UNC-Chapel Hill are two more powerhouses that Elon will face before beginning conference contests on March 16 at Appalachian State.

Editor Emeritus: Nathan Rode - 02/08/07