The Elon University baseball team was scheduled to play more home games this year than any other year since joining the Division I ranks.

The Phoenix played 30, going 19-11 in them. Elon was 4-0 in neutral site games as well.

But on the road, Elon has just three wins in 14 tries.

Elon players struggled to find a reason for their road woes.

“I want to say the dirt, maybe, I don’t know,” junior outfielder Casey Jones said. “I have no idea. It hasn’t been good to us.”

Elon’s only road wins came at Samford University April 4 and at Wofford College April 11-12. Since those wins at Wofford, Elon has lost its last six road games

“We really have nothing to blame but ourselves,” freshman third baseman Nick Zammarelli said.

The Phoenix has lost eight of its last 10, and will now conclude its season with four games on the road. Elon travels to Furman May 9-11 to end Southern Conference play before playing at Liberty University May 13 in nonconference action.

“We know what’s at stake,” Zammarelli said. “We know if we start slow, they’re going to put it to us and we’ll have another tough weekend. We can’t afford that.

Gomez gone

Elon senior second baseman Sebastian Gomez wasn’t in the lineup against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill May 7 for just the second time all season.

Early reports said he was out because of a violation of team rules. Elon coach Mike Kennedy said following the game that Gomez is no longer on the team.

“He broke an athletic rule and a school rule,” Kennedy said. “Violation of team policy, I’ll just leave it at that. It’s unfortunate.”

Gomez was hitting .282 with seven doubles and 26 RBIs. His absence leaves Elon with no senior position players.

(Here’s a feature from the Burlington Times-News on Gomez that ran days before it was announced he’s not on the team.)

Some Moore updates

Junior shortstop Andy Moore is out indefinitely with a concussion suffered May 2 against Davidson College. Kennedy said the team is waiting to hear back, and that he’ll play when he passes the test.

Freshman pitcher Dimitri Lettas returned to the mound against UNC for the first time since taking a line drive to the face at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington April 22.

He returned in style, striking out all three batters in the eighth inning. Lettas stayed in for one-third of the ninth and was charged with a run that scored after he was taken out.

“He was really, really good,” Kennedy said. “He made some pitches, he didn’t show any ill effects of that. That was great to see.”

Weekend probables

Friday: Elon’s Lucas Bakker (6-2, 3.09 ERA) vs. Furman’s Matt Solter (1-5, 4.19 ERA)

Saturday: Elon’s Matt Harris (3-1, 3.56 ERA) vs. Furman’s Jacques de Gruy (2-3, 4.96 ERA)

Sunday: TBA for Elon vs. Furman’s Tyler Wood (5-2, 5.17 ERA)