KENNESAW STATE VS USC UPSTATE
GAMES 49-51 |
MAY 10-12, 2013
KENNESAW, Ga. |
STILLWELL STADIUM (1,200)
LIVE STATS |
LIVE VIDEO |
LIVE AUDIO |
TICKETS
THE SERIES:
The Kennesaw State baseball team makes its last appearance on its home turf this weekend, hosting USC Upstate in Atlantic Sun Conference action starting on Friday, May 10 at 6 p.m. ET.
The Owls hold a 23-25 mark on the year after a thrilling, 6-5 win over cross-town rival Georgia State on Wednesday night and bring a 10-11 record in the league standings into the crucial conference weekend. The Spartans sit above .500 overall at 25-22, but are two games behind KSU in the A-Sun at 8-13.
Saturday’s first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET with Senior Day presentations taking place 15 minutes prior to start time. Game two of the series will also serve as Admissions Day with all newly accepted students invited to the contest.
In Sunday’s home finale, fans can enjoy Baseball Bingo while celebrating Mother’s Day at the ballpark with a 1 p.m. ET game time.
THE COVERAGE
AUDIO: Play-by-play will be available from KSUOwls.com with Nathan McCreary narrating the action from Stillwell Stadium.
LIVE VIDEO: A-SunTV will have the broadcast of Friday and Saturday’s contest starting at first pitch.
LIVE STATS: Statistical updates will be available from KSUOwls.com at the start of the game.
THE OPPONENT
The Spartans come into Kennesaw, Ga. having lost three out of their last four games including being swept by No. 24 Mercer this past weekend.
Throughout the season, Upstate has been able to produce runs, having put across the third most in the A-Sun at 296.
Individually, Brandon Patterson leads offensively with a .341 batting average and 42 RBI.
THE SERIES
KSU currently leads the all-time series over Upstate, 8-6, after the two teams split a pair of games in the 2012 regular season.
LAST OUTING
The Kennesaw State baseball team got the better of its cross-town rival on Wednesday night, taking a 6-5 win over Georgia State thanks in large part to a 4-for-5 day from junior center fielder
Bo Way.
Way (Brunswick, Ga./Glynn Academy) belted the Panthers for two singles, one double and his second home run of the season, falling a triple short of the cycle while bringing the Owls up to 23-25 on the year and dropping Georgia State to 32-18, handing GSU its sixth loss of the season on its home field in the process.
Way led both teams with his four hits while
Andy Almonte (Moca, Puerto Rico/Gordon College) had a 3-for-5 afternoon, both players racking up three RBI during the win.
Freshman pitcher
Travis Bergen (McDonough, Ga./Union Grove HS) earned the first win of his career, throwing one inning allowing just one hit and earning a strikeout before
James Connell (Roswell, Ga./Georgia Perimeter College) came on in the ninth for the save.
KSU once again proved steady in the field, turning three double plays while committing just a single error compared to the three committed by the Panthers.
NEXT UP
The Owls wrap-up the regular season next weekend, traveling to Nashville, Tenn. to take on Lipscomb in a three-game series starting on Thursday, May 16 at 7 p.m. ET.
NEWS AND NOTES
Janas on the Mound
Junior right-handed pitcher
Stephen Janas (Marietta, Ga./Lassiter HS) continues his reign atop the A-Sun in terms of ERA with a 0.75 mark. The average also puts the junior at No. 3 nationally after making it back-to-back complete game wins, putting Janas at 7-0 on the year and 6-0 in his last six outings.
Way vs. Georgia State
Bo Way fell a triple short of the cycle during the 6-5 win over Georgia State, belting his second homerun of the year and picking up three RBI in the process. With the productive outing, Way retook the team lead in batting average with a .328 mark and got himself a tie of the team RBI lead with 26.
Offense Ramping Up
KSU now has six batters hitting over .300 on the year in,
Bo Way (.328),
Dylan Ivey (.314),
Jacob Bruce (.310),
Max Pentecost (.310),
Kal Simmons (.309) and #Andy Almonte (.306). As a team, the Owls are belting .278, putting them in the top half in the conference in that category.
Peyton Hart Laying Down Bunts
Senior third baseman
Peyton Hart now ranks in the Top 25 nationally in sacrifice bunts with his team-best 12. As a team, the Owls have dropped 46 total sac bunts.
Top Freshmen
Alex Liquori has taken 11 of the 47 stolen bases for head coach
Mike Sansing, the best on the team, while fellow freshman
Kal Simmons continues to lead the squad in RBI with 26.
McGowan’s Good Eye
Chris McGowan has one of the best eyes in the A-Sun, drawing 29 walks in 151 at bats, giving him an on-base percentage of .388.
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State baseball news follow the team on Twitter
@KSUOwlNation and
@KSUOwlsBaseball or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.
Kennesaw State University is celebrating 30 years of intercollegiate athletics during the 2012-13 academic year.
