Elon Readies for Eighth-Seeded South Carolina in 2025 NCAA Softball Championship on Friday

5/15/2025 5:00:00 PM

Dylan Smith

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RICHMOND, Va. – On the heels of its first CAA Championship, the Elon softball team (33-19) will begin play in the 2025 NCAA Softball Championship against eighth-seeded South Carolina in the Columbia (S.C.) Regional on Friday.

Making its first appearance in the national postseason slate since 2010, the Phoenix will open play against the Gamecocks on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Game one of the regional will be broadcast live on ESPN+. North Florida and Virginia will join the two programs to round out the four-team, double-elimination regional.

The Phoenix carried out a tough task of needing to earn two wins over Campbell on Championship Saturday to secure its inaugural CAA title. Elon posted a 5-0 shutout victory in game one behind a collaborative pitching performance from Taylor Cherry and Meredith Wells. The duo surrendered just three hits without a walk to force the rubber match.

Elon hoisted the CAA title behind a pair of third-inning homers from Chloe Hatzopoulos and Tournament Most Outstanding Player Kaitlyn Wells to take down the Camels, 6-2, in the winner-take-all matchup. The latter registered a hit in all five contests to go with a tournament-high eight RBIs en route to her individual honor following the CAA Championship.

The Phoenix enter the field of play ranked second in the CAA with 41 home runs. Kaitlyn Wells and Hatzopoulos helped the cause, accounting for 16 and 11 dingers, respectively. Wells also paces the league with 58 RBIs, while ranking second in hits (68) and slugging percentage (.785).

Elon will face the Gamecocks for just the fifth time in program history, meeting for the first time since March 5, 2021. The Phoenix has picked up one win in the series with an 8-1 road win on Feb. 26, 2011. The Phoenix will look to become the first CAA team to earn a Regional victory since James Madison made their Women's College World Series run in 2021.

Against North Florida, Elon and the Atlantic Sun Conference Champions have met just two previous times, splitting a doubleheader on March 24, 1997. Winning three of their last five matchups, the Phoenix will also potentially face Virginia in the four-team field.

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