GEORGIA TECH AT KENNESAW STATE April 25 | 6 p.m. | Bailey Park Watch | Live Stats | Twitter: @KSUOwlsSB

KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State softball team closes out its regular-season home schedule this week when it hosts Georgia Tech in the annual Lexi's Day Game Tuesday at Bailey Park. First pitched is scheduled for 6 p.m.
 
The annual game partners the Kennesaw State Softball program with the Alexis Kaiser Foundation in an effort to assist local young people who suffer with a neuromuscular disease.

Each year the Owls and the Alexis Kaiser Foundation attempt to enrich the life of a local youth (and their family) by raising both funds and awareness for the scores of children that live with neuromuscular ailments.
 
A pre-game reception will begin at 5 p.m. in the Teasley Suite of the Bobbie Bailey Building, and meals provided by Marietta Fish Market will be limited to the first 150 fans who make a minimum $10 contribution. An on-field pregame ceremony will start at 5:50 p.m.
 
Tickets will be available at the gates or can be purchased in advance by coming by the KSU Department of Athletics office located in the KSU Convocation Center. Fans can also purchase their meal and contribute online here.
 
The Owls enter the week 32-15 overall and 8-6 in ASUN Conference play after splitting a doubleheader with Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday. Sunday's series finale was called after four innings due to rain.
 
GEORGIA TECH
The Yellow Jackets begin play 14-33 overall and 6-15 in ACC play after being swept in a three-game series at Boston College over the weekend. Georgia Tech is batting .249 as a team and is led by senior infielder Jessica Kowalewicz, who tops the club with a .324 average. Senior outfielder Samantha Pierannunzi leads the Yellow Jackets with 10 home runs, while senior infielder Kelsey Chisholm has a team-leading 37 RBIs. Georgia Tech has a 5.23 team ERA and is led in the circle by junior Emily Anderson, who is 6-13 with a 4.52 ERA.
 
THE SERIES
Tuesday's game will mark the 23rd meeting between Kennesaw State and Georgia Tech, and the Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series, 15-7. Georgia Tech has won three in a row, including a 4-0 victory at Bailey Park in 2016.
 
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.
 
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 (.317), slugging percentage (.471), hits (417), triples (15), home runs (33) and total bases (619). The Owls are ranked among the top 20 nationally in batting average (18th), doubles per game (18th), stolen bases per game (12th) and triples per game (11th).
• 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 – Courtney Sutter (383, 5th), Olivia Tamewitz (.377, T6th), Hannah Thomason (.377, T6th) and Noelle Winkles (.368, 8th) – ranked among the ASUN's top 10 in hitting.
• Sutter (.702) leads the ASUN Conference in slugging percentage, home runs (11) and RBIs (42). 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 .377 average is a career best, and she has established single-season career highs in runs (43), hits (57), and stolen bases (30). Her stolen base total ranks second on Kennesaw State's single-season list and is two shy of equaling teammate Taylor Denton for the single-season record of 32 set in 2016. She also is among the ASUN Conference leaders in runs scored and stolen bases.
• Thomason's 51 career stolen bases (in 56 attempts) rank fourth on KSU's all-time list. Denton is currently the Owls' all-time leader with 80.
• Winkles tops the Owls with 19 multiple-hit and 11 multi-RBI games, while her 18 doubles rank third in the country.
• Olivia Tamewitz is putting together a stellar freshman campaign as she has posted a .377 average, scored 32 runs, and collected 57 hits, including nine doubles, seven triples and two home runs, while totaling 27 RBIs. She has a .570 slugging percentage, .403 on-base percentage and is 18-for-21 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 .371 and .347 averages, respectively. Lynch is 13-for-35, while Sutter is 17-for-49. Lynch ranks sixth in the ASUN, while Sutter is 10th.
• 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 2.55 earned-run average and its 1.85 ERA in conference play ranks third.
• Freshman Alley Cutting is eighth in the ASUN in ERA (2.48), third in strikeouts (147), fourth in wins (15), opponents' average (.229) and innings pitched (149.1).
• Senior Logan Viers ranks sixth in ERA (2.42), seventh in opponents' batting average (.255), tied for sixth in wins (12) and ninth in strikeouts (71). During ASUN Conference play, the Owls' right-hander is eighth in ERA (2.05), seventh in innings pitched (41.0) and opponents' batting average (.255). 

ON DECK
Following Tuesday's game with Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State will conclude its regular-season schedule when it travels to Nashville to visit Lipscomb in a three-game series beginning Saturday. Game one of the doubleheader starts at 5 p.m. (ET).
 
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. 
   
 

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