The Emory Athletics weekly preview for March 3rd through March 9th. This preview is to serve as a weekly snapshot of all upcoming athletic events for the coming week.
Men's Basketball:
For the 11
th time in the last 12 seasons, the Emory men's basketball team is heading to the NCAA Tournament. Not only are the Eagles playing in the Big Dance, but they were selected as a regional host, meaning Emory will not have to travel for the first two rounds. Emory will open the tournament against the Huntingdon Hawks, who earned a spot in the tournament after winning the CCS Tournament this past weekend. Joining the Eagles and Hawks for the Atlanta Regional will be the Guilford Quakers and Berry Vikings, who will face off in the opening round Friday.
The Eagles finished their regular season with a 20-5 record behind a fast-paced offense which averaged 85.7 points per game this season – the 14
th best in Division III. Emory reached new heights during the 2024-25 regular season, earning the No. 1 ranking in d3hoops.com's national poll for the first time in program history. The Eagles finished ranked No. 5 overall in the NCAA's NPI rankings, the top ranking of any team within Region VI.
Emory is battle tested, having played in the UAA, a conference which saw four teams earn berths to the NCAA Tournament. Head Coach
Jason Zimmerman tested his team early on this season as well, playing a very tough non-conference schedule. Emory rattled off wins over then-ranked #17 Guilford, #9 Calvin, and #3 John Carroll in consecutive contests to see the Eagles surge up national polls.
Junior guard
Jair Knight caught the attention of the DIII world at the Great Lakes Invitational when he put up an astounding stat line of 54 points and 17 rebounds across the two wins over John Carroll and Calvin. The two days saw him earn a spot on the d3hoops.com National Team of the Week. Knight has continued to lead the Emory offense with the ability to shoot from beyond the arc and throw down highlight worthy dunks on a nightly basis. Knight finished the regular season averaging 19.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
His classmate,
Ben Pearce, is right behind, averaging 16.8 points per game. Few have seen the court as well as Pearce this season, averaging 5.5 assists per game. Senior
Logan Shanahan is having a career year to close out his time as an Eagle, averaging 13.6 points per game to go with 8.5 boards per game. He's been a force on the defensive end of the floor as well with a whopping 71 blocks this season.
The Hawks bring a high-powered offense to the WoodPEC this weekend, averaging 85.4 points per game. Huntingdon also generates a ton of second chance points, grabbing 16.1 offensive boards per game. As a whole, the Hawks rebound better than any team in the nation, averaging 48.3 boards per game – the most in Division III. However, the Hawks have struggled to take care of the ball this season with an assist to turnover ratio hovering just above 1.0.
BJ Brown leads the Huntingdon offensive attack, averaging 19.3 points per game while averaging 5.3 rebounds. Brown played a key role in the Hawks' CCS Championship Game against Maryville, scoring 25 points with eight assists. He also put up a whopping 31 points and playing all 40 minutes in the semifinal win over Belhaven.
The game against the Hawks will tip at 6:50 PM on Friday, March 7
th at the Woodruff P.E. Center.
Should the Eagles contain Brown and the Hawks, they'll take on the winner of the game between Berry and Guilford, a pair of teams they have already played and beaten this season.
Berry made its way into the tournament by winning the SAA conference tournament under first-year Head Coach Matthew Richter. Richter and the Vikings played their second game of the season against Emory this year, falling 91-71 to the Eagles. Since the loss, the Vikings went on to tear through their conference schedule, going 10-2 against SAA opponents. Braxton Benham leads the Berry offense with 22.2 points per game. The senior had 18 points against Emory in the original meeting.
The Guilford Quakers finished their season 22-6, boasting one of the top defenses in Division III with opponents scoring just 64.4 points per game. The Eagles were able to triumph over the Quakers early this season after opening the game shooting nine-of-nine from beyond the arc. It was an early hole the Quakers could not climb out of, seeing them fall in Atlanta earlier this year. The Quakers went on to win the ODAC with wins over Virginia Wesleyan, Randolph-Macon, and Roanoke.
The game between the Vikings and Quakers will start at 4:20 PM at the WoodPEC. The winners of both games will then meet in the Round of 32 on Saturday at 6:50 PM. For more information regarding the Atlanta Regional, please click HERE. For the full 64-team field, please click
here.
When/Where:
- Friday, March 7th – vs Huntingdon – NCAA Tournament Round of 64 – 6:50 PM – Woodruff P.E. Center (Atlanta, GA)
- Saturday, March 8th – TBD - NCAA Tournament Round of 32 – 6:50 PM – Woodruff P.E. Center (Atlanta, GA)
Coverage:
Softball:
The Emory softball team (4-0) will look to keep the good times rolling, as the program gets set to host the Eagles Elite Invitational. Joining the Eagles in Atlanta will be Pfeiffer University and St. John Fisher University, where each team will play one another twice over the course of two days. Before the Eagles host the round robin, they'll take on Buena Vista University in a doubleheader at home on Thursday, March 6
th.
Emory got its season started a couple of weeks ago with the Emory Classic, welcoming LaGrange and Maryville for a round robin event. The Eagles swept the weekend, winning four games to start the season. Over those four games, the Emory offense was red hot, scoring 8.3 runs per game. The pitching staff held things down as well, as they held their opponents to a combined nine runs over those four games.
Junior
Ashley Chu led the way with eight hits in the opening weekend, setting the table for the heart of the Emory lineup. Chu was crafty on the basepaths as well, stealing five bases in the opening weekend.
Ellie Zerr got her sophomore season off to a hot start, picking up seven hits while driving in six RBI, including hitting the Eagles' first home run of the season. Junior
Ella Hoyle also tallied six RBI over the weekend.
The Buena Vista Beavers will take on a couple of foes from the state of Georgia during their trip, including Covenant and Piedmont before traveling to Atlanta. To date, the Beavers are still searching for their first win as they sit at 0-4 this season. The offense has struggled to get going so far, scoring less than two runs per game thus far with a cumulative batting average hovering just above the Mendoza Line at .210. Senior Kayla Farmer leads the Beavers offense so far, hitting .400 and riding a four-game hit-streak before heading to Georgia. The doubleheader will start at 12:00 PM on Thursday, March 6
th at Cooper Field.
Emory will then take on Pfeiffer the following morning. The Falcons are off to a strong start this season at 6-2, to date. Pfeiffer also brings one of the nation's top pitching staffs through the opening weekends to Atlanta, with an ERA of 0.50 through eight contests. The pitching duo of Peyton Lane and Emma Bullin will be a major test for Emory. Lane's opponents are hitting just .180 against her this season while Bullin has racked up 17 punchouts this year. Although, Bullin has allowed five home runs over 28.2 innings of work, leaving the door open for the Emory lineup.
The Pfeiffer offense isn't far behind, hitting .357 as a collective while scoring nine runs or more in three of their eight games this season. Gracie Griffin has been a dominant force in the Falcons' lineup, with two home runs to go with a slugging percentage of .625 and a team-high 10 RBI. Emily Dickerson has also swatted a pair of home runs this season to go with seven RBI. Emory will take on the Falcons at 10:00 AM on Friday and 2:00 PM on Saturday.
St. John Fisher sits at 4-2 this season but is currently riding a two-game losing streak. The offense has been up and down this season for the Cardinals, averaging 5.3 runs per game. The pitching staff has had a few solid performances as well, but have given up 25 runs over their two-game losing streak. Emily McManus is seeing the ball very well for the Cardinals, slugging 1.071 with three home runs and nine RBI. She also leads the team in walks with five. Emory will take on St. John Fisher at 12:00 PM on Friday and Saturday.
When/Where:
- Thursday, March 6th – vs Buena Vista – 12:00 PM / 2:00 PM (DH) – Cooper Field (Atlanta, GA)
- Friday, March 7th – vs Pfeiffer – 10:00 AM – Cooper Field (Atlanta, GA)
- Friday, March 7th – vs St. John Fisher – 12:00 PM – Cooper Field (Atlanta, GA)
- Saturday, March 8th - vs St. John Fisher – 12:00 PM – Cooper Field (Atlanta, GA)
- Saturday, March 8th – vs Pfieffer – 2:00 PM – Cooper Field (Atlanta, GA)
Coverage:
Baseball:
Coming off a sweep of the Middlebury Panthers, the Emory baseball team (9-4) will continue its season this weekend with a three-game set against Covenant. They'll start with a game on Friday at home before hitting the road for a doubleheader on Saturday.
The Eagles are riding a five-game winning streak into the series against the Scots. The offense has been swinging the bats really well over that stretch, averaging over 12 runs per game over that stretch. In the series opener against the Panthers, Emory chased Middlebury's Opening Day starter off the mound after just 2.2 innings of work. The Eagles drove in eight runs in the opening few frames, leading to a 19-5 route over the Panthers.
One of the stories to watch for Emory is junior
Adam Geller, who has emerged as a very reliable arm for Head Coach
Bobby Perez. The California native has earned the win in three straight starts, working into the sixth inning or further in all three of those appearances. In his most recent appearance, Geller hurled 6.0 innings while giving up just two earned runs and punching out a career-high 10 batters. Through four appearances, the junior is sitting at a 1.25 ERA, the best of any starter in the rotation.
Aidan Conley has had a nice start to his sophomore campaign. Manning the hot corner, Conley is hitting .426 with a team-high slugging percentage of .745. Conley has compiled three triples this season, tied for the second most of any player in the nation, to go along with a pair of home runs. Senior
Jack Halloran has seen the ball well at the plate as well, hitting .395 with a team-high three home runs and 20 RBI.
Covenant is out to a hot start as well with an overall record of 8-1. Winners of six straight, the Scots have swept their past two series with wins over Wooster and Bob Jones University. The Scots scored 41 runs in three games in their most recent series against Bob Jones, with the Scots looking to keep the bats hot coming up. Benjamin Johnson serves as the team's cleanup hitter, slugging .784 with three homers this season. He is hitting .405 and tied for the team-high in hits with 15. The Scots also have a starting rotation with three pitchers who have an ERA of 3.00 or less. The ace of the bunch is Scotty Smith, who has hurled 17.0 innings this year with an ERA of 1.59.
The series opener will take place at Chappell Park in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday, March 7
th at 2:00 PM. They'll wrap up the series with a doubleheader on Covenant's campus in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. The first game of the twin bill is scheduled for a 12:00 PM start.
When/Where:
- Friday, March 7th – vs Covenant – 2:00 PM – Chappell Park (Atlanta, GA)
- Saturday, March 8th – at Covenant – 12:00 PM / 3:00 PM (DH) – Covenant Baseball Field (Lookout Mountain, GA)
Coverage:
- Game 1
- Game 2 (at Covenant)
- Game 3 (at Covenant)
Track and Field:
The Emory track and field programs are coming off solid performances at the UAA Indoor Track and Field Championships where the men's team finished second and the women in third. A contingent of Eagles will travel to the Tufts National Qualifying Meet in Medford, Massachusetts.
The men's second-place finish was led by junior
Henry Brandstadter, who won two UAA Titles as well as an additional All-UAA finish. The junior opened things up with an individual title in the long jump with a distance of 7.26 before winning the 60m dash on the second day of the event. He also took All-UAA distinction in the high jump with a mark of 1.99m. Graduate student
Dawit Dean also set a new UAA and program record in the 800m final with a time of 1:50.97. In the throwing events,
Ari Klasky earned All-UAA distinction in the shot put as well as the weight throw.
The women had a strong second day at the event, notching seven All-UAA finishes. Graduate student
Eva Carchidi continued to dazzle in her first season as an Eagle, winning the 200m with a time of 24.74. She was just .01 seconds off her previous record she had set in prelims.
Nikki Boon, another graduate student, took home two All-UAA honors with the distinctions coming in the 60m hurdles and shot put. Freshman
Amaya Grant earned her first career All-UAA honor, finishing third in the triple jump with a distance of 11.56m.
The Eagles will travel to Massachusetts looking to secure qualifying times for the NCAA Indoor Championships in a couple of weeks.
When/Where:
- Saturday, March 8th – Tufts National Qualifying Meet – All Day – Gantcher Family Sports & Convocation Center (Medford, MA)
Coverage:
Men's Tennis:
The No. 7 ranked Emory men's tennis team will travel to Florida to kick off its Spring Break trip, starting with #18 RPI on Saturday. The two will meet on a neutral site in Orlando at 2:30 PM on Saturday, March 8
th.
The Eagles are now 7-1 this spring and are winners of five straight. Emory added three wins this past weekend, with wins over Covenant, Berry, and #20 Carnegie Mellon. Sunday's win over the Tartans was an impressive one, with the Eagles dropping just one singles match and one doubles match to beat a top-20 team, 6-1.
Freshman
Ruilin Feng has been a welcome addition to the rotation at an undefeated 6-0 in dual match play, primarily playing in the No. 2 singles position. He is also 4-1 in doubles alongside sophomore
Christian Liew. Liew has also built off his dominant freshman season with a 4-1 start in singles matches this spring. Junior
Dean Kamenev was impressive in his matches against Carnegie Mellon as well, winning his singles match in straight sets in just over 30 minutes. Graduate students
Efe Comu and
Charley Force are new faces in the rotation that have contributed as well. Comu is 2-3 this year in singles play out of the No. 1 position while Force is 4-2.
The match against RPI will kickoff the first of three matches in Florida for the Eagles. They'll start at 2:30 PM on Saturday, March 8
th.
When/Where:
- Saturday, March 8th – vs #18 RPI – 2:30 PM – Orlando, Florida
Coverage:
Women's Golf:
The No. 1 ranked Emory women's golf team will play its second event of the spring season this weekend when they get set to head west for the Westbrook Village Invitational in Peoria, Arizona.
The Eagles opened their spring in Florida, competing in the Columbia Classic alongside NCAA Division I competition. With a strong push in the final round of the event, the Eagles finished sixth of 12 teams. Freshman
Zimo Li continued her torrid rookie year, finishing tied for fifth in the loaded field with a three-round score of 216 (E). Senior
Sharon Mun and sophomore
Carys Code were also in the top half of all golfers at the event, with Mun tied for 24
th with a 227 (+11) and Code tied for 31
st with a 228 (+12).
The field in Peoria will consist of Division III opponents this time around, including the hosts #5 George Fox, #10 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, #14 Centre, #16 Washington and Lee, #17 Trinity, #19 Illinois Wesleyan, #21 Christopher Newport, #23 Redlands, and UC Santa Cruz.
The event will consist of 54 holes and span two days from Saturday, March 8
th through Sunday, March 9
th. The event is being held at the Westbrook Village Golf Club's course.
When/Where:
- Saturday, March 8th-Sunday, March 9th – Westbrook Village Invitational – Westbrook Village Golf Club (Peoria, AZ)
Coverage:
Men's Golf:
After opening the season at the Savannah Invitational early this week, the No. 4 ranked Emory men's golf team will head to Pinehurst, North Carolina to compete in the Tiger Invitational hosted by Hampden-Sydney. It is a crowded field heading to North Carolina, including #2 Methodist, #3 Washington and Lee, and #5 Sewanee among others.
The Eagles saw four individuals ranked in the top-50 of all Division III golfers as well, with junior
Brian Hanson leading the way at No. 9 overall. Joining Hanson in the rankings are
Michael Burry at 21
st,
Tony Li at 37
th, and
Brady Lagendyk at 49
th. The Eagles opened up their spring season this week, currently competing at the Savannah Invitational. Burry had a very strong start, finding himself in the top-10 of all individuals after the first round. Hanson is just a couple of strokes behind heading into the third round of the event.
The Eagles also bring an exciting new rookie into the fold this year in freshman
Zach Pelzar. He had his top performance of the year at the Gate City Invitational when he finished 17
th of 96 golfers with a score of -4. He enters the spring ranked as the 119
th best golfer in Division III.
The Tiger Invitational will be a 36-hole event, with one round being played on Sunday, March 9
th and another being played on Monday, March 10
th with tee times to be announced later this week.
When/Where:
- Sunday, March 9th – Tiger Invitational – All Day – Forest Creek Golf Club (Pinehurst, NC)
Coverage:
Women's Tennis:
The No. 5 ranked Emory women's tennis team (7-1) will get its Spring Break Trip to California started this weekend with a match against #2 Pomona-Pitzer this Sunday. The match will be Emory's second consecutive match against the Sagehens, with the Eagles taking them down in the ITA Indoor Championship Third-Place Match last weekend.
The Eagles made a solid run in the ITA Indoor Tournament, upsetting fourth-seeded Wesleyan in the opening round before battling with top-ranked Chicago in the semifinals. The Eagles stole two points from the Maroons but lost 5-2 to the eventual Indoor National Champions. Emory took bronze, though, with a 4-0 sweep of the Sagehens.
Junior
Emily Kantrovitz has been dominant in the top position for the Eagles, going 6-1 in dual match play this season. Juniors
Izzy Antanavicius and
Iris Berman have been a strong doubles tandem for the Eagles, playing to a 7-0 record in dual match play and have since been bumped up from the No. 2 to the top doubles pot. Antanavicius and Berman are both 5-2 in dual match play this spring, Antanavicius in the No. 2 position and Berman in the No. 3 spot.
The match with the Sagehens will be the first of three matches they play in California. The meeting with Pomona-Pitzer is slated for a 1:00 PM ET / 10:00 AM PT start in Claremont, California.
When/Where:
- Sunday, March 9th – at #2 Pomona-Pitzer – 1:00 PM ET / 10:00 AM PT – Pauley Tennis Complex (Claremont, CA)
Coverage:
