The crack of bats. The thwack of gloves. The overcast chill in the air? The date on the calendar?

September seems like an odd time for college baseball since the season does not start until February. But Elon University baseball head coach Mike Kennedy already has his players on the field, on the mound and in the batting cages.

"I've got a lot of (friends) who play at different schools, so we compare notes, and I'd say that Coach Kennedy definitely is the first, if not in the very top tier, of preparation in the fall," junior outfielder Niko Fraser said.

This includes three-hour practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with time at the plate and time on the field.

"The biggest thing is to try to make it as game-like as possible," sophomore pitcher Grant Fisher said. "Coach Kennedy always preaches we try to take the fall as serious as possible. It's our best gauge to see where we're at and where we need to get to for the spring."

Kennedy returns seven of his nine starters to the 2012 squad, including sophomore second baseman Sebastian Gomez who led the team in batting average at .305 in 2011, and Fraser, who was second with a .300 batting average.

Kennedy said he is always open to a non-starter proving himself worthy of a spot.

"Last year is last year. It's a new year and our guys tend to know that," Kennedy said. "We base everything on effort and performance. You have guys who have experience and success rightfully coming in with an edge, but if they're out performed they're not a starter."

One of the positions the coaching staff is trying to fill is at shortstop. Second-team All-Southern Conference shortstop Neal Pritchard graduated and signed a free agent contract with the St. Louis Cardinals in June. Kennedy points to shortstop and the closing pitcher role as the two important positions to fill.

"We've got some guys battling out for that right now," he said. "(Chris) Bresnahan looks a lot better than he was (last year). Joey Tomko's going to be a good player for us. We have three or four guys in the mix for that position."

But Kennedy said he is more concerned with the closer position.

"If I had to say right now that would be the biggest one for us," Kennedy said. "We had two guys last year: Mitch Conner and John Brebbia. Nobody on this team has closed and that will be an issue for us."

Along with the bullpen, the leadership role is important for the Phoenix, Kennedy said. With only two seniors on the roster, the coach is looking for younger players to step up.

"You learn a lot about how much talent can take you," Fraser said. "You have to pick up on the small things. There's a lot of really talented guys and if you want to be successful at this level or the next, you really need to be good at the small things. You can't rely on your talent like you used to."

Kennedy and his players hope working on the little things will lead to another SoCon title this spring. But for now, they will keep hitting balls, fielding grounders and preparing themselves for the season ahead.