By: KSU Sports Information Department
KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State will put its five-game winning streak on the line this weekend as the Memphis Tigers come to town for the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Live audio for the game will be available five minutes before first pitch by clicking
here.
Kennesaw State (5-0) and Memphis will begin their three-game set on Friday afternoon with a 4:00 p.m. start as the Black and Gold will look for its fifth best start in the program’s history.
The Owls are enjoying their best start in eight years and have won games in a myriad of ways this season. In the Owls most recent win, the Black and Gold rallied from a 6-2 deficit in the seventh inning to defeat Jacksonville State, 9-6, on Wednesday evening. The Owls culminated the comeback with a four-run ninth inning, highlighted by a two-run, bases-loaded double by Aaron Dobbs. The win marked the second come-from-behind win of the season for the Owls. They rallied from a 9-2 deficit in Saturday’s 17-9 win over Ball State.
Josh Carr (0-0, 0.00) will get the start for the Owls and will look for a repeat performance of his Opening Day start against Ball State in which he allowed just one-hit in five innings of work in the Owls, 3-2, win. He will be opposed by Memphis, right-hander, Dan Langfield (1-0, 3.60), who is making his second start of the season. Langfield pitched five innings in his season debut, allowing a pair of runs on four hits as the Tigers defeated Evansville, 13-9, in their season opener.
After opening up the season with a three game sweep of Evansville in which they scored 38 runs, Memphis (3-1) dropped a 4-2 decision to Ole Miss on Tuesday night in Oxford, Miss. as they conclude their four-game road trip at Stillwell Stadium. The Tigers enter the weekend hitting a blistering .401 as a team as they are averaging nearly 14 hits a game.
Memphis enters the series with seven starters hitting over .375, led by Phillip Chapman who is hitting .615 with an 8-for-13 start to the season. Chapman, who hit .314 last year as a junior, began this season with back-to-back three-hit games and was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles on Tuesday against Ole Miss. The Tigers have 22 doubles already this season and 28 extra-base hits.
Ronnie Freeman leads the Owls into the weekend on the heels of his 34-game hitting streak, the longest active streak in the nation. The Brookwood High School graduate extended his streak with in a double in Wednesday night’s win and is now ahead of Old Dominion’s Chris Baker, who has a 33-game active streak.
This weekend’s series can be followed via live stats at www.ksuowls.com with the series first pitch scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Friday.
Memphis Tigers (3-1) at Kennesaw State Owls (5-0)
Stillwell Stadium | Kennesaw, Ga.
First-ever meeting between the teams
Weekend Starters
Friday 4:00 p.m. - Dan Langfield (1-0, 3.60 ERA) vs Josh Carr (0-0, 0.00)
Saturday 1:00 p.m. - Ryan Holland (1-0, 5.68 ERA) vs. Bryan Blough (0-0, 0.00)
Sunday 1:00 p.m. - Clayton Gant (0-0, 6.00 ERA) vs. Zak Griffith (1-0, 3.86)
