KENNESAW STATE BASEBALL UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Tues, April 28	vs. Savannah State	Stillwell Stadium, Kennesaw, Ga	6 p.m. ET	Live Stats	Live Audio
Wed, April 29	at Auburn	Plainsman Park, Auburn, Ala.	7 p.m. ET	Live Stats	Live Audio

In The Hole
• The Kennesaw State baseball team will enter its two midweek games with an overall record of 24-20 after finishing last week with a 3-2 record. The Owls split their pair of midweek games, defeating crosstown rival Georgia Tech, 11-6, before dropping Wednesday's affair to visiting Troy 6-2.
• The Owls will play two midweek games this week on April 28-29 before having their off weekend due to exams. KSU will take on Savannah State in the 10th all-time meeting before taking on SEC foe Auburn on SEC Network and Watch ESPN APP Wednesday night.
 
On Deck
• The Owls' win on the road at Georgia Tech Tuesday (April 21) night, it marked the first time in program's history KSU defeated the Yellow Jackets in back-to-back seasons on the road. Kennesaw State defeated GT last year at Russ Chandler for the first time since 1989.
• KSU took 2-of-3 from Atlantic Sun Conference foe Lipscomb on the road on April 24-26, defeating the Bisons in a regular-season series for the first time since 2011. In fact, the Owls defeated Lipscomb in a series on the road for the first time since 2006.
 
Leading Off
• Kennesaw State and Savannah State meeting for the fifth consecutive season as the Tigers defeated the Owls for the first time in program's history in 2014. But, KSU still holds a dominant 8-1 all-time record against SSU, taking previous eight meetings.
• The two teams date back to 1998, where the Owls took the first two meetings and followed with a two-game sweep in 1999. The Tigers and Owls didn't meet again until 2007 and then have played one time in every season since 2011.
• Kennesaw State then will trek to Auburn, Alabama, taking on SEC foe Auburn on SEC Network. The Owls will look to snap a three-game losing skid against the Tigers. The Owls took the first game of the all-time series on Feb. 26, 2013, winning by a final score of 9-2.
• Auburn, however, has taken the last three games on March 12, 2013 and then sweeping KSU in a home-and-home series in 2014.
* The Owls' lone win in the series came on the road, which KSU will return to Plainsman Park Wednesday (April 29) night. 
 
Play Ball
•  The Owls remained aggressive at the plate throughout the early stages of a game, outscoring opponents 80-58 over the first three innings. That includes a +9 margin in the first inning and a +10 margin in the second frame. Kennesaw State is 18-4 this season when scoring the game's first run.
• Kennesaw State enters the week with an 11-10 road record, but the Owls have been playing extremely well away from Stillwell Stadium over their past eight road games.
• The Owls are 7-1 over their last eight road games, batting .305 as a team, outscoring their opponents 63-33 during the stretch.
• KSU has totaled 19 doubles, nine homers and 60 RBI in its last eight road games. Kennesaw State has compiled a slugging percentage of .467 and an on-base percentage of .407.
• Alex Liquori and Colin Bennett each have totaled a batting average .400 or better over the last eight road games. The two have combined for 15 hits, two doubles and a home run, batting in 20 RBI.
* The Owls' bullpen during the stretch has totaled a 3.38 ERA, with relievers Will Lowman (three saves) and Mason Ward (0.00 ERA) leading the backend of the pen.
• Kennesaw State will play host to Savannah State Tuesday, entering the game with a 13-10 overall record in front of the Owl faithful. KSU has gone 5-4 over its past nine home games, batting .301 as a team.
• Kennesaw State has compiled 12 doubles, one triple and five home runs, outscoring opponents 50-38 in that span.

Splash Brothers
• Kal Simmons and Chris McGowan each hit a solo home run in the Owls' series-clinching 12-5 win over Lipscomb Sunday (April 26) afternoon. Simmons and McGowan each hit a home run into the right field pond beyond the wall for their 10th and fourth home runs, respectively, on the season.
• Simmons is leading the Owls with 10 home runs, while McGowan has brought his batting average up an incredible 109 points over the last 28 games.
• The junior shortstop, Simmons, is batting .269 in 43 starts. He has compiled 45 hits, six doubles and 10 homers for a team-high 33 RBI.
• McGowan, a senior first baseman, is batting .295 with 43 hits in 39 starts entering the week. He has totaled a team-high 11 doubles, and has added one triple and four homers.
 
Liquori's Big Week
 • Alex Liquori currently holds the longest hitting streak for the Owls, which sits at five games.
• Thanks in large part to Liquori's best week of the season, batting .529 (9-for-17) with nine RBI while totaling at least one hit in each game he played.
* Liquori's best game at the plate offensively came on Sunday (April 26) afternoon, going 4-for-5 tying his career-best four RBI mark. The junior outfielder batted .615 (8-for-13) with six RBI over the three-game stretch against Lipscomb, helping the Owls take 2-of-3 from the Bisons for the first time in the regular season since 2011.
 
Two-Way Shop
• Chris Erwin has played a major factor for the Owls this season, playing in the outfield and serving as one of the most used pitchers on the staff.
• The left-handed two-way player is batting a team-high .327 (52-for-159) in 38 starts this season, while he is tied for the most appearances (13) for the Owls' pitching staff.
• Erwin has reached base safely in 12 straight games, batting an impressive .356 (16-for-45) with five doubles and two home runs during the span.
• The lefthander has also made five starts on the mound (13 appearances), totaling a record of 4-2 and an ERA of 4.29.
 
1-2 Punch
• Jordan Hillyer (4-3, 2.50 ERA) and Travis Bergen (5-3, 2.52 ERA) have combined for nine of the Owls' 24 wins this season. The two have served as the catalysts at the top of the rotation throughout the entire season, combining for 151 strikeouts –which is the most combined between two pitchers on the same team in the A-Sun.
• The strong duo also rank second and third in the league in ERA's, with Hillyer (2.50) coming in at second and Bergen (2.52) sitting in third. Ian Martinez-McGraw owns an Atlantic Sun Conference best 2.24 ERA.
* The two have been named Atlantic Sun Conference Pitcher of the Week a combined five times this season.
 
Up Next
• The Owls will take on Georgia State on May 6 before hosting A-Sun foe Jacksonville University at Stillwell Stadium on May 8-10, concluding KSU's home schedule.
• Kennesaw State will wrap the season up with four road games, including a crucial A-Sun series against North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida on May 14-16 to conclude the regular season.


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Season tickets are currently on sale for the full 29-game home schedule at $39 per ticket. Single-game tickets are also available at $6 for adults and $4 for youth (ages 3-12). Group tickets for 10 or more people are available for advanced purchase, excluding the Georgia (Feb. 17), Georgia Tech (Mar. 17) and Georgia Southern (Mar. 24) games when individual tickets will be $10 for adults and $6 for youth. To order season tickets click here, or contact the KSU Athletic Ticket Office at 470-578-OWLS (6957).

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