KENNESAW STATE VS ALABAMA
GAME 59 | MAY 30 | 12 P.M. ET
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. | DICK HOWSER STADIUM

POSTSEASON GUIDE | GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | BRACKET | TICKETS

THE SERIES:
The Kennesaw State baseball team is back at it this weekend as the Owls take the nation's hottest team to Tallahassee, Florida, for the NCAA Regionals, facing Alabama to open things up at noon ET on Friday, May 30.
 
KSU is coming off of its first ever Atlantic Sun Conference tournament championship and has now won 23 of its last 24 games, bringing in a 37-21 overall record as well as the A-Sun Player of the Year in Max Pentecost.
 
The regional pool for the three seed KSU will bring in stiff competition, with No. 5 Florida State the No. 1 seed followed by No. 2 seeded Alabama and No. 4 seeded Georgia Southern.
 
The Owls have put together a 2-2 record vs. SEC opponents this season and have defeated Georgia Southern twice in 2014. KSU is also 5-0 in neutral site games this season.

THE COVERAGE:
LIVE STATS: Statistical updates will be available from KSUOwls.com at the start of the game.
LIVE VIDEO: A live video broadcast will be available starting 15 minutes prior to first pitch on Friday on ESPN3.
TWITTER: Follow the Kennesaw State baseball team on Twitter @KSUOwlsBaseball to receive updates throughout the game.
 
VS REGIONAL OPPONENTS:
8-7 overall
0-0 vs Alabama
0-0 vs Florida State
8-7 vs Georgia Southern

THE OPPONENT:
Alabama arrives at 34-22 overall and 15-14 in the SEC, posting a team batting average of .278 while holding opponents to just a .228 mark from the mound. The pitching staff holds a team ERA just over three as well, making the Crimson Tide one of the most well-rounded teams in the NCAA.
 
SERIES BREAKDOWN
Series tied, 0-0
Last 5 meetings  
N/A  
N/A  
N/A  
N/A  
N/A  
 
Last Kennesaw State Win
N/A
Last Alabama Win             
N/A
 
LAST OUTING:
The Kennesaw State baseball team defeated Lipscomb 7-1 to claim their first Atlantic Sun Conference tournament title on Sunday, May 25, thanks in part to Brennan Morgan's Tournament MVP performance.
 
NEXT UP:
KSU will play either Florida State or Georgia Southern on Saturday, May 31. Game time will be either noon or 6 p.m. ET depending on the outcome of game one.

NEWS AND NOTES:
30-Win Season
KSU has won 37 games for the sixth time in program history since joining the NCAA Division I level. It also marks the second consecutive season that the Owls have reached the 30-win plateau.
 
NCAA Play
The Kennesaw State baseball team heads into NCAA Regional play for the first time in program history after taking its first ever Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament title and 23 of its last 24 games.
 
Pentecost at the Plate
Max Pentecost, the newly anointed A-Sun Player of the Year, heads into the weekend at No. 1 in the nation in total hits with 104 and No. 2 in batting average at .423. The catcher also held the longest active hit streak in the NCAA at 36 games.

Nationally Ranked
The Owls are nationally ranked for the first time in program history, coming in at No. 27 in the latest release from Collegiate Baseball. KSU is the only ranked A-Sun team and the highest to come out of the state of Georgia.
 
KSU Offensively
With 625 total hits, KSU arrives at No. 9 in the nation in that category. The .301 team batting average is also good enough for a top 25 ranking as do the 358 runs scored. As a team the Owls have now played 36 games with double-digit team hits.
 
Sansing Through the Years
Head coach Mike Sansing, now in his 23rd season at KSU, has taken the team to an NAIA and NCAA Division II national title. The skipper is now bringing KSU to its first ever Division I Regional appearance.
 
Simmons in Regional Action
Assistant coach Derek Simmons has the unique perspective of having played in, and now coached in a regional. The hitting coach played for Georgia State when the Panthers made it to their first ever tournament appearance and will now coach the Owls as they make theirs.
 
McCalvin in for the Close
Closer Justin McCalvin set the new standard for saves in the KSU record book, earning his 14th of the season to set the new single-season high.
 
Starting Pitching
Starting pitchers Travis Bergen and Jordan Hillyer continue to rank in the top five in the A-Sun in strikeouts, both recording over 70 K's this season.
 
Postseason Recognition
KSU earned a plethora of postseason awards from the A-Sun including Pentecost becoming the first KSU Player of the Year and All-First Team selection along with McCalvin.
  
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.
  



 

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