KENNESAW STATE (26-14, 7-5) AT NORTHERN KENTUCKY (5-23, 1-8)
GAMES 41-43 | APRIL 11-12, 2015
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. | FRANK IGNATIUS GREIN SOFTBALL FIELD (500)
 
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | TWITTER
 
THE GAME:
The Kennesaw State softball team heads north to Highland Heights, Ky., for a three-game Atlantic Sun Conference series at Northern Kentucky with a doubleheader on Saturday (April 11), followed by a single game on Sunday (April 12). First pitch for both days is set for 12 p.m. ET at the Frank Ignatius Grein Softball Field.
 
THE COVERAGE:
LIVE STATS: Statistical updates will be available from KSUOwls.com for all three softball games against Northern Kentucky.
TWITTER: Follow the Kennesaw State softball team on Twitter @KSUOwlsSB to receive updates throughout the game.
 
SERIES BREAKDOWN:
Kennesaw State leads, 7-1
Last 5 meetings    
3/16/14        KSU 10-0 (5)
3/15/14        KSU 9-1 (5)
3/15/14        KSU 17-7
3/24/13        KSU 3-0
3/23/13        KSU 2-1
 
Last Kennesaw State Win         
3/16/14, 10-0, at Northern Kentucky
Last Northern Kentucky Win                                 
2/26/05, 5-0, at Kennesaw State
 
LAST TIME OUT:
The Kennesaw State softball team suffered just its fifth loss in the last 16 contests as the Owls fell to crosstown rival Georgia State, 12-4, in a nonconference midweek clash on Wednesday (April 8) afternoon at Bailey Park. Sophomore Taylor Denton led the Owls with a 3-of-4 effort with two runs and an RBI, with redshirt-sophomore Courtney Sutter and juniors Megan Veringa and Rachel Dennis also registering two hits each.
 
NEXT UP:
The Owls will return to Kennesaw to close out their home schedule at Bailey Park as KSU host Florida Gulf Coast in a three-game Atlantic Sun Conference series, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday (April 18), before finishing up the series with a single game on Sunday (April 19). First pitch is set for 1 p.m. ET for both days. Saturday will also serve as Senior Day 2015 as the Owls will honor seniors Natalie Rhodes and Paige Mathews prior to game one of the doubleheader.
 
NEWS AND NOTES:
Owls in the RPI
In the latest NCAA softball RPI rankings, the Owls came in as No. 62 and are the second-highest team from the Atlantic Sun Conference after USC Upstate at No. 42.
 
Winning Ways
The Owls have won 11 of their last 16 games and five-straight in league play, while also earning five series victories out of the last six - including three-straight in A-Sun action - with wins over Furman, North Florida, Troy, Jacksonville and Stetson. 
 
Owls Leading the Way
As a team, the Owls lead the conference with 14 triples, eight saves and fielding double plays with 19. KSU also ranks 12th in the nation with 0.36 triples per game and 21st in double plays per game at 0.49.
 
KSU in the A-Sun Rankings
The Owls rank second in the league with 26 wins, 489 total bases and 48 doubles, while ranking third with .298 batting average, a .455 slugging percentage, 206 runs scored, 320 hits and 185 RBIs. KSU has also allowed the third-lowest number of walks with 81 on the season and owns the third-most strike outs looking with 62 in 2015.
 
Triples
Senior Natalie Rhodes leads the league and ranks second nationally with seven triples on the year, with her 0.18 triples per game also ranking sixth in the NCAA.
 
Toughest to Strikeout
Rhodes is the 19th toughest player to strikeout in the NCAA as the senior has struck out only four times in 133 at-bats in 2015.
 
Super Senior, Part I
Rhodes also ranks in the top 10 in several other categories in the A-Sun, including hits (second, 51), runs scored (sixth, 31), total bases (seventh, 73) and  batting average (seventh, .383).
 
Dynamic Duo
Junior Megan Veringa sits in a tie for fourth in the conference with 34 RBIs and has had nine multiple RBI games this season, while classmate Hillary Kartman is tied for 10th with 31 RBIs on the year and owns 11 multiple RBI games this season.
 
Swapping the Bases
Four Owls have registered 10 or more stolen bases this season with junior Kara Chambers ranking sixth in the A-Sun with 13-of 16 stolen bases this season. Rhodes is second on the team with a 12-of-17 mark, while sophomore Taylor Denton is 11-of-13 on stolen base attempts and classmate Lauren Bennett is 10-of-12 on the year.
 
Homers
Nine Owls have gone yard on the season, with Kartman leading the way with nine home runs, which sits in a tie for fifth in the A-Sun. Veringa (six), Chambers (five), redshirt-sophomore Courtney Sutter (four), junior Emily Bishop (two) and freshman Noelle Winkles (two) have also posted multiple homers on the season.
 
Making Sacrifices
Redshirt-sophomore Courtney Sutter owns three sacrifice flies on the season to rank in a tie for fourth in the league and is 37th in the nation, while junior Missy Perkowski is tied for third in the A-Sun with six sacrifice bunts on the year.
 
Denton in A-Sun Action
Denton has been red-hot in league action and ranks in a tie for second with a .500 batting average and is tied for fifth with 16 hits in A-Sun contests.
 
Saving Paige
Senior Paige Mathews leads the league and ranks seventh in the nation with four saves on the year, while also pacing the Owls in the circle with a 3.32 ERA.
 
Super Senior, Part II
Mathews also ranks in a tie for second with 30 appearances this season and sits fifth with 10 wins and 84 strikeouts on the season, seventh with 24 strikeouts looking, eighth with 103.1 innings pitched and 10th with a .271 opposing batting average.
 
Talking the Talk, Not Walking the Walk
Sophomore Logan Viers has given up just 14 walks on the season to lead the A-Sun, while allowing the second-lowest number of runs (40) and earned runs (33) on the season.
 
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State softball news follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsSB or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.