A-Sun Conference Tournament
May 11 vs. Lipscomb | Fort Myers, Fla.
Twitter: @KSUOwlsSB | Game Notes
Date	Time	Opponent	Live Video	Live Stats
May 11	5:30 p.m.	Lipscomb	ESPN3	Live Stats

TOP OF THE ORDER
• Coming off a series win last weekend, the Kennesaw State softball team now has its sights set on a conference championship as it readies to open play in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament that opens Wednesday (May 11) on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers.
 
The Owls (27-26, 8-10) will take on Lipscomb (26-27, 8-10) at 5:30 p.m. in a game that can be viewed live on ESPN3 with Robert Harper handling the play-by-play and Tom Speakman providing analysis.
 
• FAMILIAR FOES: Kennesaw State and Lipscomb are very familiar with each other, having just completed a three-game series last weekend in Kennesaw. After falling 2-1 in the opener, the Owls rebounded to win the final two games by scores of 1-0 and 4-3.
 
• KENNESAW STATE IN THE A-SUN TOURNAMENT: The Owls are making their seventh consecutive and overall tournament appearance. KSU has compiled an overall tournament record of 5-12, including a 1-2 mark last year. The Owls and Bisons will meeting in postseason play for the fourth time, and Lipscomb holds a 2-1 advantage. The two teams last met in the A-Sun Conference tournament in 2013 and Lipscomb recorded a 5-4 win in Nashville, Tenn.
 
• LIPSCOMB: The Bisons are 26-27 overall and finished A-Sun Conference play with an 8-10 record. Lipscomb is batting .263 as a team and have three players batting .300 or better. Senior Brittany Elmore leads the club with a .369 average, while freshman Sarah Higgins tops the Bisons with nine home runs and is second with a .356 average. Lipscomb has recorded a 2.81 team ERA and is led in the circle by senior Kelly Young, who has posted a 13-11 mark, 3.04 ERA and struck out 216 in 161 1/3 innings. 
 
• SERIES VERSUS LIPSCOMB: Kennesaw State and Lipscomb have met 28 times and the Bisons lead the all-time series, 15-13. The Owls captured their first series win over Lipscomb since 2013 this past weekend after winning two of three games in Kennesaw. 
 
• A-SUN CONFERENCE ALL-CONFERENCE: Kennesaw State had four players named to the all-conference team as senior Kara Chambers, Taylor Denton, Courtney Sutter and Logan Viers earned second-team honors. Chambers was named to the team as an infielder, Denton was selected a utility player, Sutter at catcher and Viers as one of two pitchers named to the second team. Chambers and Sutter are all-conference honorees for the second time in their careers, having earned second and first team accolades in 2014 and 2015, respectively, while Denton is a three-time second team selection.
 
• DENTON EARNS A-SUN CONFERENCE ALL-ACADEMIC HONORS: Junior Taylor Denton was one of 10 individuals named to the 2016 Atlantic Sun Conference All-Academic Softball Team that was announced on Monday (May 9). Denton becomes Kennesaw State's first two-time A-Sun Conference all-academic selection and third individual to be honored. She was named to the all-academic team as a sophomore in 2015. A native of Grayson, Ga., Denton is having an outstanding season and has continued to excel in the classroom, compiling a 3.72 grade-point average while majoring in integrative studies.
 
• DENTON EARNS NSCA ALL-AMERICAN HONORS: Junior Taylor Denton, who tied the Kennesaw State career stolen base record with her 60th steal last Saturday (April 30), was named an All-American earlier this week by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). The Grayson, Ga. native is having an outstanding junior campaign, leading the Owls with a .315 average and a KSU single-season record 30 steals in 32 attempts.
 
• MORE DENTON HONORS: Denton's success on the field is a byproduct of her work in the weight room as she was voted Kennesaw State's Female Iron Owl Award winner at KSU's annual student-athlete banquet on May 1. The award is presented annually to a male and female athlete who works the hardest in the weight room.
 
• A WISE OWL: Senior Emily Bishop was presented with the Wise Owl Award at last Sunday's annual student-athlete banquet. The honor is bestowed upon the hardest-working male and female student-athlete in the classroom. Bishop has excelled academically while majoring in exercise science.
 
 
• A-SUN CONFERENCE WEEKLY HONORS: Kennesaw State has had two players recognized by the A-Sun Conference with weekly honors. Senior third baseman Kara Chambers was named the A-Sun Conference Player of the week on March 14 after posting a .429 average (6-for-14) with four runs scored, a double, triple, four RBIs, and was 9-for-9 in stolen bases in six games.
 
• Logan Viers earned A-Sun Conference Co-Pitcher for the week honors for the week of Feb. 29. She concluded the weekend 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA. In 17 2/3 innings, she allowed 11 hits, seven runs (five earned), walked two and struck out 23 to help the Owls post a 4-0 record at the Dr. Bobbie Bailey Memorial Tournament. Viers capped the tournament by tossing a six-inning perfect game against Alabama A&M.
 
• ACHIEVING PERFECTION: Junior right-hander Logan Viers achieved perfection in on Feb. 28 when she needed just 64 pitches to dispatch Alabama A&M as she struck out six in six innings.
 
• MORE RECOGNITION FOR VIERS: In addition to being named A-Sun Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week, Viers also was tabbed the HERO National Pitcher of the Week (Mar. 7) following a week of online voting. The junior right-hander received 56 percent of the votes.
 
• Three opponents on the Owls 2016 schedule opened the year nationally ranked or were receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Coaches and ESPN3.Com/USA Softball preseason polls. No. 8/9 Tennessee (Apr. 5), No. 12/14 Georgia (Mar. 16) and No. 25/RV South Alabama (Apr. 30) received Top 25 national rankings. KSU is also scheduled to travel to Atlantic Sun Conference rival USC Upstate Apr. 23-24 for a three-game series in Spartanburg. The Spartans were among teams receiving votes.
 
NOTES
• Kennesaw State continues to be one of top base stealing teams in the country as it ranks sixth nationally, averaging 2.44 stolen bases per game. Marist leads the nation with 3.06 steals per game.
 
• The Owls have established a single-season school record for stolen bases. Through 53 games, Kennesaw State has totaled 126 stolen bases in 149 attempts. The previous was record was 74 accomplished in 90 attempts in 2015.
 
• Junior Taylor Denton and senior Kara Chambers have led the running game while establishing single-season career-highs. Denton is 31-for-33, while Chambers is 24-for-30. Denton ranks No. 1 all-time on KSU's career list with 61, while Chambers is third with 54.  
 
• Denton and Chambers are nearing 100 career runs scored for their careers as they come into the A-Sun Conference tournament with 99.
 
• With 19 career home runs, senior Megan Veringa is one shy of moving into Kennesaw State's career top 10 list.
 
• Sutter is currently tied with Shannon Ross (1996-99) for ninth place on KSU's all-time career home run list with 21.
 
• Junior Logan Viers and senior Morgan Sikes have established single-season career-highs for strikeouts. Viers has struck out 110 batters in 147 innings while Sikes has fanned 64 in 112 2/3 innings.
 
• Viers is currently second in the A-Sun Conference with a 1.76 ERA, while Sikes is third with a 1.93 ERA.
 
• Sikes is currently tied for fifth on KSU's single-season saves list with five and tied for fourth in the program's career saves chart with seven.
 
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.