FLORIDA GULF COAST AT KENNESAW STATE April 22-23 | 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 1 p.m. | Bailey Park Game 1: Watch | Live Stats Game 2: Watch | Live Stats Game 3: Watch | Live Stats Twitter: @KSUOwlsSB

KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State softball team returns to Bailey Park this weekend to play its final ASUN Conference home series of the season when it hosts Florida Gulf Coast beginning Saturday. The two teams will open with a 1 p.m. doubleheader before playing the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
Saturday will also mark a special day as the Kennesaw State softball program will recognize its five seniors during a pregame ceremony prior to game one, and between games add two members to its Circle of Honor.
 
Taylor Denton, Abigail Green, Chandler Griffin, Courtney Sutter and Logan Viers will conclude their collegiate careers this spring, while Jessica Cross (2008-12) and Jolene Morris (1985-88) will join the KSU Circle of Honor.
 
The Owls (31-14, 7-5) enter the weekend tied with Lipscomb (33-13, 7-5) for second place, two games behind conference leader USC Upstate (36-10, 9-3). The Spartans are at Jacksonville this weekend, while the Bisons have a bye.
 
Kennesaw State was last in action on Wednesday and fell 7-3 at No. 7 Auburn.
 
FLORIDA GULF COAST
The Eagles begin the weekend 21-23 overall and 3-6 in ASUN Conference play. FGCU has lost seven in a row and is coming off a sweep at the hands of FIU, falling 3-1 and 4-1 during a doubleheader on Wednesday. The Eagles are batting .265 as a team and have three players batting .300 or better. Junior outfielder Kelsey Huff tops the club with a .401 average, while sophomore Racquel Fournet leads FGCU with 13 doubles, four home runs and 36 RBIs, while posting a .333 average. The Eagles have produced a 3.08 ERA in the circle and are led by sophomore left-hander Riley Randolph, who has posted a 12-7 record and 2.40 ERA in 22 appearances.
 
THE SERIES
The first game of Saturday's doubleheader will mark 27th meeting between Kennesaw State and Florida Gulf Coast, and the Eagles lead the all-time series, 18-8. The two teams met five times last season and FGCU went 4-1, including two wins in the ASUN Conference Tournament.
 
TAMEWITZ NAMED TOP 25 FINALIST FOR NFCA NATIONAL FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Outfielder Olivia Tamewitz was named as one of 25 finalists for the Schutt Sports / NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Award, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) announced on Thursday (April 20). The group includes nine infielders, six outfielders, four pitchers, four utility players and two catchers. The list will be pared from 25 to 10 on May 11, to three on May 24, and the National Freshman of the Year announcement is May 30. Tamewitz has started 44 games and is batting .377 with 31 runs scored, 55 hits (nine doubles, seven triples and two home runs) and 26 RBIs, while recording a .575 slugging percentage, .399 on-base percentage and 17 stolen bases in 19 attempts.
 
THOMASON TABBED ASUN CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore outfielder Hannah Thomason was named ASUN Conference Player of the Week on Monday following her performance last week against Georgia State and Jacksonville. The Fayetteville, Ga. native sparked the Owls to a 3-1 record that included a series win over Jacksonville. The igniter at the top of the lineup, Thomason batted .533 (8-for-15) with six runs scored, two RBIs, and was 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts. She produced three multiple-hit games and scored a run in all four games, while recording a .533 slugging percentage and .563 on-base percentage. During a three game series versus Jacksonville, she batted .455 (5-for-11) with four runs scored, two RBIs and four stolen bases.

2017 KENNESAW STATE HONORS
 
ASUN Pitcher of the Week
Alley Cutting (March 6)
Alley Cutting (March 27)
Logan Viers (April 3)
 
ASUN Player of the Week
Courtney Sutter (Feb. 27)
Courtney Sutter (March 13)
Taylor Denton (April 3)
Hannah Thomason (April 17)
 
Fastpitch News NCAA Division I Top Performer of the Week
Olivia Tamewitz (March 7)
 
NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Top 25 Finalist
Olivia Tamewitz
 
BATTED BALLS

• Kennesaw State continues to lead the ASUN Conference in several offensive categories, including batting average (.318), slugging percentage (.477), hits (401), triples (15), home runs (33) and total bases (602). The Owls entered the week ranked among the top 20 nationally in batting average (20th), doubles per game (17th), stolen bases per game (15th) and triples per game (14th).
• With 33 home runs on the season, KSU has surpassed its home run total from a year ago when the Owls hit 18 in 58 games. The total currently ranks 10th on Kennesaw State's single-season home run list and is three shy of tying of the 2002 team's total of 36 that ranks ninth.
• KSU has four players – Noelle Winkles (.382, 3rd), Courtney Sutter (.381, 4th), Hannah Thomason (.378, 5th), and Olivia Tamewitz (.377, 6th) – ranked among the ASUN's top 10 in hitting.
• Sutter (.716) leads the ASUN Conference in slugging percentage, home runs (11) and RBIs (41). The Owls' senior has established single-season career highs in home runs, RBIs and runs scored (32).
• Sophomore Hannah Thomason has had a breakout season in 2017. Her .378 average is a career best, and she has established single-season career highs in runs (42), hits (56), and stolen bases (29). Her stolen base total ranks second on Kennesaw State's single-season list and is three shy of equaling teammate Taylor Denton for the single-season record of 32 set in 2016. She also is second in the ASUN Conference in runs scored and stolen bases.
• Thomason's 50 career stolen bases (in 55 attempts) rank fourth on KSU's all-time list. Denton is currently the Owls' all-time leader with 78.
• Winkles tops the Owls with 19 multiple-hit and 11 multi-RBI games, while her 18 doubles lead the country.
• Olivia Tamewitz is putting together a stellar freshman campaign as she has posted a .377 average, scored 31 runs, and collected 55 hits, including nine doubles, seven triples and two home runs, while totaling 26 RBIs. She has a .575 slugging percentage, .399 on-base percentage and is 17-for-19 in stolen base attempts. She is third in the nation in triples, and ranks among the ASUN Conference's leaders in batting average, slugging percentage, hits and total bases.
• Five different Owls have had hitting streaks of at least 10 games this season. Sutter and Tamewitz each have had 11-game streaks, while Beth McCulley, Taylor Denton and Hannah Thomason have produced streaks of 10 games.
• Katey Lynch and Courtney Sutter have been KSU's top hitters in ASUN Conference play, posting .367 and .333 averages, respectively. Lynch is 11-for-30, while Sutter is 14-for-42. Lynch ranks fifth in the ASUN, while Sutter is tied for eighth.
• With 32 home runs, Sutter is one away from tying Keri McKee (2004-2007) for sixth place on Kennesaw State's all-time career home run list. McKee totaled 33.

QUICK PITCHES

• Kennesaw State is third in the ASUN Conference with a 2.54 earned-run average and its 1.69 ERA in conference play ranks third.
• Freshman Alley Cutting is fifth in the ASUN in ERA (2.38), third in strikeouts (146), fourth in wins (15), opponents' average (.224) and innings pitched (147.1).
• Senior Logan Viers ranks sixth in ERA (2.38), seventh in opponents' batting average (.255), tied for fifth in wins (12) and ninth in strikeouts (66). During ASUN Conference play, the Owls' right-hander is fourth in ERA (1.85), sixth in innings pitched (34.0) and seventh in opponents' batting average (.261). 

ON DECK
Following Sunday's series finale versus Florida Gulf Coast, Kennesaw State will host Georgia Tech in the annual Lexi's Day game on Tuesday (April 25). First pitch is 6 p.m. (ET). For more information, and to contribute, click here.
 
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. 
   
 

Related Videos

Now Playing:

• Play Video