Appalachian State University baseball looks to win its fourth-consecutive Southern Conference series this weekend when it travels to Elon for a three-game Easter weekend set. Game times are slated for 6:30 p.m. Friday, 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Elon's Latham Park.

The Appalachian IMG Sports Network tandem of David Jackson and Patrick Phelan will call all of the action for Friday's series opener. The broadcast can be heard live on WATA 1450 AM in Boone and online by clicking HERE.

Appalachian State (13-21, 7-4 SoCon) enters the weekend in the thick of the SoCon championship race, just one game behind first-place Davidson (23-10, 13-3 SoCon) in the loss column. The third-place Mountaineers have won their last three SoCon series — sweeping a weather-shortened two-game set from UNCG (March 28-29) and taking 2-of-3 games from both Wofford (April 4-6) and The Citadel (April 11-13).

Elon (23-14, 9-6 SoCon) is also very much in the mix for the SoCon title, coming into the weekend in fourth place in the conference standings. The Phoenix benefit from playing this weekend's pivotal series at home, where it is 16-7 this season. Appalachian is just 5-18 away from home this year, including a 3-14 mark in true road games. However, all three of the Mountaineers' road wins have come in SoCon play — at Georgia Southern on March 22 and at Wofford on April 4 and 5.

This weekend's matchup features two of the SoCon's most impressive pitching staffs.

Buoyed by its weekend rotation of Lucas Bakker (fourth in SoCon with 2.54 ERA), Michael Elefante (tied for third in SoCon with six wins) and Jake Stalzer (eighth in SoCon with 3.02 ERA), Elon boasts the conference's best team ERA (3.31) and opponents' batting average (.236).

Appalachian's weekend rotation of Jamie Nunn, Tyler Moore and Jeffrey Springs has compiled a sterling 3.21 ERA since Feb. 28, allowing just 46 earned runs over their last 19 combined starts.  Moore has been the anchor of the trio and one of the nation's best pitchers over the last month-and-a-half, going 7-0 with a 2.62 ERA in his last seven starts. The sixth-year senior has surrendered only 16 earned runs and 11 extra-base hits in his last 56 innings of work.

The Mountaineers and Phoenix are playing their 11th and final regular-season SoCon series, as both teams are joining new conferences next season (the Sun Belt for Appalachian State and the Colonial Athletic Association for Elon). The teams have combined to win four of the last six SoCon regular-season championships and earn five NCAA Regional berths since 2008. However, Appalachian is just 5-25 against Elon since the Phoenix joined the SoCon in 2004.