By: KSU Sports Information
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Kennesaw State will try to snap its three game losing streak on Tuesday night as the Owls conclude their four game road trip against UAB at Young Memorial Field.
Kennesaw State (19-15) enters the game after being swept at No. 25 Stetson over the weekend. The Blazers (18-13), who have won six of their last nine games, begin a five-game homestand at Young Field where they have won 13 of 15 games this year.
The Owls and the Blazers will be meeting for the second and final time this season. Kennesaw State won the first meeting, 3-1, on Feb. 22 at Stillwell Stadium as a foursome of KSU pitchers held UAB to just one run on five hits. Travis Dean won his first collegiate game as he held the Blazers to a run on two hits over four innings.
Sean Fream (1-2, 6.14) gets the start for the Owls after three straight relief appearances in which he allowed just three earned runs in six and one-third innings. The right-hander has fared well in his four starts this year as he increased the amount of innings pitched in each of his starts.
Fream threw four innings in his first start of the year at Jacksonville State and then tossed 5.2 innings at then No. 2-ranked Vanderbilt. He pitched six innings in a win over Georgia and then had the longest outing of his career when allowed two earned runs in seven innings against Georgia State.
The Blazers will counter with left-hander David Hayes (0-1, 5.34) who will make his sixth start of the year, and his second against the Owls. Hayes, who began his collegiate career at Mississippi State, pitched three innings and allowed a run on two hits against the Black and Gold.
With eight runs over their last three games, the Owls need to jump start an offense which is averaging just over six hits per game during that same stretch. Kennesaw State hit just .202 this past weekend and its top two hitters, Ronnie Freeman and Andy Chriscaden, are both struggling, hitting a combined .161 during the past week.
Ray Anderson has been a spark for the Owls as he has returned to the starting lineup. The redshirt sophomore is batting .298 and carries a seven-game hitting streak into Tuesday night’s game. Anderson has raised his average .106 points since the Owls fourth-longest hitting streak of the year began on Mar. 29 against Savannah State.
Ethan Herron and Jordan Craft are both playing well and enjoyed solid weekends at Stetson. The pair each had three hits; Herron had a pair of doubles on Saturday afternoon while Craft hit his third home run of the year on Sunday and worked out three walks during Saturday’s game.
The UAB offense hasn’t fared much better this season as they come into the game with a .261 team average and have only one starter, Jamal Austin, bating over .300 thus far this season. Austin, a local product from Kennesaw’s Harrison High School, is hitting .368 and also leads the Blazers with 17 stolen bases.
First-pitch between Kennesaw State and UAB is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET and can be followed via
live stats. Live audio of the game is available beginning with the pregame show at 7:25 p.m. ET.
