By: KSU Sports Information
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DeLAND, Fla. – The Kennesaw State Owls look to further solidify themselves at the top of the Atlantic Sun Conference standings on Saturday afternoon, when they visit the Stetson Hatters at Patricia Wilson Field, beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Entering Friday, Kennesaw State (23-20, 7-3 A-Sun) holds a 7-3 record in the Atlantic Sun Conference, percentage points ahead of USC Upstate (4-2) for first place, while their seven conference victories puts them one ahead of Stetson (21-14, 6-4 A-Sun) in the win column. The fast start for Scott Whitlock’s club ties them for their best start in league play since they joined the A-Sun in 2006. They began with the same mark in 2006 and 2007.
Listen Live: Saturday’s doubleheader can be listened to live, free-of-charge, on KSU All Access, at
www.KSUOwls.com/Showcase. Fans can also watch Saturday's action through Hatter Vision, Stetson's subscription-based video-streaming service.
All-Time Series: Stetson leads, 7-6
Owls Record vs. Stetson in DeLand, Fla.: 0-5
All-Time Match-ups:
4/2/11- W, 4-3; L, 0-4 (Kennesaw, Ga.)
5/13/10- L, 3-4 (DeLand, Fla.- Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament)
4/24/10- L, 3-7; L, 1-2 (DeLand, Fla.)
4/3/09- W, 2-1; W, 3-1 (Kennesaw, Ga.)
4/6-7/08- L, 0-2; L, 0-4 (DeLand, Fla.)
4/6/07- W, 2-0; W, 6-3 (Kennesaw, Ga.)
4/15/06- L, 5-6; W, 8-0 (Kennesaw, Ga.)
Last time They Met: The Black and Gold split a doubleheader with the Hatters on Apr. 2 last year at Bailey Park. In the opener, the Owls trailed, 3-0, heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, but scored a run in the sixth on a Brittany Moore double and then mounted a one-out rally in the seventh that included three straight hits from Jensen Hackett, Sara Sikes and Bianca Durant, scoring a run on Durant’s double, another on a throwing error by the Hatters and the game-winner by Jessica Cross on a bases-loaded single.
The Owls would struggle at the plate in the second game, mustering just four hits as the Hatters broke a scoreless tie in the fifth with three runs to eventually salvage a split with the Black and Gold, 4-0.
Leads Don’t Mean A Lot In This Series: Prior to the Hatters, 4-0, win in the second game of last year’s doubleheader with the Owls in Kennesaw, each of the last four games between the two clubs were won by teams who came from behind, three times with the winning club trailing heading into the bottom of the sixth inning or later. The Owls scored three runs in the seventh in last year’s opener to win it, 4-3, while in the 2010 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament, Kennesaw State led 3-0 heading into the seventh heading against the hosting Hatters before allowing four runs in the final inning to fall in defeat. During their doubleheader on Apr. 24, 2010 in DeLand, the Hatters scored a run in the sixth to tie things up and then score four in the seventh to win it, 7-3, in the opener. The Owls jumped out to a, 1-0, lead over the hosts in the second game before eventually falling, 2-1.
About Stetson: The Hatters went 2-2 this last weekend in A-Sun play, going to Nashville
and being swept by Belmont, 6-2 and 2-1, before bouncing back to sweep Lipscomb, 1-0 and 5-3. They then used that momentum to extend their conference winning streak for four with a home sweep of Mercer on Thursday, 6-3 and 6-4 to move into second place in the win column behind only the Owls with a 6-4 A-Sun mark. They hold an impressive, 19-9 mark at home this season. Sophomore Meredith Owen is the definitive leader of the squad all the way around, leading the team at the plate with a .308 batting average and 20 RBI while also getting it done in the pitcher’s circle to the tune of a 12-8 record and 2.13 earned run average.
It’s All Home From Here: Saturday’s twin bill will be the final Atlantic Sun Conference road games the Owls will play this season, with their final six games against A-Sun foes slated to be held at Bailey Park. They hold a, 4-2 conference mark on the road in 2012, having split at Florida Gulf Coast on Mar. 7 and USC Upstate on Mar. 31, while sweeping East Tennessee State on Mar. 30. Their only road game remaining on the regular season schedule is at Georgia on Wednesday, Apr. 25.
Owls Continue National Ascent: Kennesaw State is ranked No. 85 in the NCAA’s latest RPI rankings, which were released on Monday. They jumped 19 spots, as they were 104 in Apr. 3, and were 117 in the first rankings released on Mar. 26.
Teamwork Happening in the Pitcher’s Circle: The Owls hold a commanding lead in the save category among their A-Sun counterparts, having recorded thus far in 2012, with second place Florida Gulf Coast having just four. Sophomore Amanda Henderson, who leads the Owls with 10 complete game, also leads the league with four saves, while junior Abbey Mixon is tied for second in the conference with three. Senior Jessica Cross picked up her first save of the season on Tuesday evening in the Owls, 1-0, win over Troy.
That Save For Cross Was Also Historic: Cross’ appearance in the pitcher’s circle on Tuesday evening was the 105
th of her career, tying her with Brittany Matthews for the most of any Owl during the program’s Division I era.
Tuesday Lineup Shuffle Ends Van Auken’s Reign at Short: Heading into this past Tuesday’s doubleheader at Troy, every inning of the Owls 2012 campaign had seen sophomore Carly Van Auken manning the shortstop position for the Black and Gold. That held steady in the opener, but Van Auken would start the second game of the twin bill at second base, with Sharon Swanson, who usually plays first base, manning shortstop. Jamie Saunders got the nod at first base, while Jessica Cross would make her first start of 2012 at third base.
Swanson, Henderson Among the Nation’s Best: In the latest NCAA statistical update, which was released on Monday, Owls sophomore Amanda Henderson found herself fifth in the country in strikeouts per seven innings with a sterling rate of 10.1. Junior Sharon Swanson has hit 12 home runs this season, which was good enough to put her in a tie for 18th in the nation in that category.
Cross Is Still the Boss: Despite an 0-for-6 outing at the plate in the Owls doubleheader at Troy on Tuesday, Owls senior Jessica Cross enters Friday sixth in the A-Sun with a team-best .375 batting average, while her slugging pct. of .603 is also sixth. She has also outpaced just about everybody in the hits department, having hit safely in 32 out of 43 games this season, with her 51 total hits being the second most in the league entering Friday.
