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KENNESAW, Ga. - The Kennesaw State Owls will officially open up Bailey Park for the 2012 season on
Saturday, when they host the Georgia State Panthers in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
The Owls (14-11) lead the all-time series against the Panthers (19-6), 14-8, and are 7-5 against them all-time at Bailey Park, in a series that dates all the way back to 1991, the Owls first season as a fast-pitch outfit. They lost the season series to GSU in 2011, 2-1, defeating them at their home in Panthersville, 3-2, on
Apr. 13 after being swept by them in Kennesaw on
Mar. 18. It was the now-graduated Lyndsay McCurry, then a senior, who came through with a two-out, two-run triple in the top of the seventh inning to give the Owls the comeback victory in the road contest. Sharon Swanson
had three hits, including her 12
th home run of the season, in the winning effort.
Though this is officially the 2012 home opener for the Owls, Kennesaw State has played a game at Bailey Park this season, defeating Alabama State, 6-1, in the Buzz Classic on
Mar. 3. The event, hosted by Georgia Tech, was moved to several sites around the Atlanta area that day due to severe weather the night before.
Three Dollar Tickets For All, Seat Cushions For Many: Tickets to Saturday’s game will be three dollars for all who attend, with current KSU students receiving free admission to all Owls home athletic events. In addition, the first 500 fans to arrive on Saturday will receive Owls seat cushions.
Watch, Listen Live: Free, live audio of all the action will be available Saturday on KSU All Access, at
www.KSUOwls.com/Showcase. Ben Poplin and Jenna Closner will be behind the mic, with coverage beginning at 12:55. Subscribers to ASun.tv, the video streaming service of the Atlantic Sun Conference, will be able to view live video of Saturday’s doubleheader.
About the Panthers:
The Panthers (19-6) return 17 letterwinners from the 2011 Colonial Athletic Association championship squad that made a trip to the NCAA Tournament. They have won six of their last seven contests, and defeated No. 25-ranked Georgia Tech, 2-1, on Feb. 28. They are 2-1 against Atlantic Sun Conference teams this season, having taken down East Tennessee State, 11-2, on Feb. 11, before splitting a home doubleheader with Mercer on Mar. 11.
Their two major run producers thus far in 2012 have been freshman Callie Alford and junior Paige Nowacki, who lead the team with 16 and 15 RBI, respectively. The trio of Kaitlyn Medlam, McCall Langford and Alana Thomas have handled most of the duties in the pitcher’s circle, with Medlam coming into Saturday with a 7-1 record and team-leading 2.26 ERA. They are a team that can be dangerous on the base paths, having already stolen 29 bases this season.
The Owls vs. Georgia State Since 2006 (Owls Division I era, 7-5)
2/19/06: L, 9-1 (Kennesaw)
2/28/07: W, 2-0 (Kennesaw)
2/28/07: W, 6-0 (Kennesaw)
3/2/08: L, 2-0 (Panthersville)
3/2/08: W, 8-0 (Panthersville)
4/15/09: L, 6-0 (Panthersville)
4/15/09: W, 6-3 (Panthersville)
2/27/10: W, 2-0 (Kennesaw)
3/24/10: W, 6-1 (Kennesaw)
3/18/11: L, 1-0 (Kennesaw)
3/18/11: L, 3-1 (Kennesaw)
4/13/11: W, 3-2 (Panthersville)
Swanson Hard to Contain: Owls sophomore Sharon Swanson has showed that her Atlantic Sun Conference-leading 14 home runs in 2011 was no fluke. The Canton, Ga., native leads the league again in long balls with nine so far this season, which currently puts her in a tie for 9th in that category nationally. She also enters Saturday leading the A-Sun with an. 863 slugging percentage and is fifth with a .397 batting average.
Owls Go 4-3 in Week-Long Trip to Florida: The Owls spent last week in the Sunshine State, where they started off by splitting a doubleheader with Florida Gulf Coast in their first Atlantic Sun Conference contests of 2012, before heading to Clearwater for the USF Under Armour Showcase. The Black and Gold topped Long Island, 1-0 and Fordham, 8-2, on Friday before besting Miami Ohio, 7-4 on Saturday. They would drop Saturday’s nightcap to No. 23-ranked Syracuse, 8-1, before wrapping up the trip Sunday morning with a 7-4 defeat to Toledo.
Cross Is Still The Boss In the Circle: Owls senior Jessica Cross has been productive in the pitcher’s circle over the past two weeks, having allowed just three earned runs in 20 innings during her last four appearances. She allowed just one unearned run over five and third in the Owls, 3-1, win over FGCU on 3/7 before tossing a four-hit shutout over Long Island on 3/9, her third shutout of the season.
Underclassmen Provide Stability: Three Owl newcomers, sophomore Carly Van Auken and freshmen Natalie Rhodes and Kaylee Williams, have started in at least 24 of the Owls first 25 games, with Van Auken having started in each of them at shortstop. Van Auken and fellow sophomore Bianca Durant (right field) are the only two Owls this season who have started every game at the same position.
Henderson Thrives in All Roles: Owls sophomore pitcher Amanda Henderson has been dangerous in the circle whether she is starting or pitching in relief. The Covington, Ga., native leads the Owls in both complete games (6) and saves (3), entering Saturday.
