Kennesaw State (15-8) at USC Upstate (18-5)
Dates: March 17-18
Location: Spartanburg, S.C. (Cyrill Softball Stadium)
Time: Saturday: 1 p.m./3 p.m. Sunday: 1 p.m.
Saturday: Game 1: ESPN3 | Game 2: ESPN3 | Sunday: Facebook Live
Game 1: Live Stats | Game 2: Live Stats | Game 3: Live Stats

LEADING OFF
* The Kennesaw State softball team (15-8) opens ASUN Conference play this weekend when it travels to Spartanburg, S.C. to take on defending conference champion USC Upstate. The series opens with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. and concludes with a 1 p.m. contest on Sunday. Saturday's games will be broadcast on ESPN3, while Sunday's series finale will be available at https://www.facebook.com/UpstateAthletics/.
* The Owls enter the weekend on a season-high nine-game winning streak, and are coming off an 8-0 victory over Georgia State Wednesday at Bailey Park.
* Kennesaw State wrapped up a 13-game home stand in which it posted an 11-2 record. The Owls' last road game was Feb. 28 at Georgia Tech.  

THIS WEEKEND'S SCHEDULE

Saturday, March 17
1 p.m.	Kennesaw State at USC Upstate	Watch	Live Stats
3 p.m.	Kennesaw State at USC Upstate	Watch	Live Stats
Sunday, March 18
1 p.m.	Kennesaw State at USC Upstate	Watch	Live Stats

 
SCOUTING USC UPSTATE
The Spartans opened their season with 18 straight wins before traveling to Tucson, Ariz. where the lost five in a row during the Wings Etc. Classic hosted by the University of Arizona. USC Upstate fell to Wisconsin, South Dakota, San Diego, and twice to No. 9 Arizona. The Spartans enter ASUN Conference play leading the league in batting (.329) and slugging percentage (.494), while ranking second in on-base percentage (.383), runs scored (132), hits (191), doubles (34) and home runs (18). Freshman infielder Logan Morris leads USC Upstate and is second in the ASUN with a .469 average. The Spartans are third in the ASUN with a 1.82 ERA and are led by Erin Hill (5-1, 1.30 ERA) and Christina Biggerstaff (8-2, 1.44 ERA). Biggerstaff leads the conference with 103 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings.

SERIES VERSUS USC UPSTATE
Kennesaw State and USC Upstate have met 55 previous times and the Owls lead the all-time series, 36-19. The two teams faced each other four times a year ago with KSU taking two of three during the regular season and the Spartans posting a 5-4 victory in the ASUN Championship.
 
WINKLES NAMED ASUN CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior Noelle Winkles garnered her first career ASUN Player of the Week honor on Monday. She batted .500 (8-for-16) with six runs scored and 13 RBIs, while posting a .529 on-base percentage and posting a 1.062 slugging percentage in helping the Owls to a 5-0 record. Winkles hit safely in all five contests, had three multiple RBI games, scored at least one run and homered in three of five games. Winkles' weekend was highlighted by a 3-for-3 day versus Belmont in which she scored three runs, clubbed a career-high two home runs and collected a Kennesaw State single-game record eight RBIs. In game two of a doubleheader versus UAB, Winkles hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning that capped an 11-3 walk-off win.
 
THE STREAK
* Kennesaw State has won a season-high nine straight games.
* During the streak, the Owls are batting .362 with 33 extra base hits, including 19 doubles and 12 home runs. KSU has a .613 slugging percentage and .432 on-base percentage, while hitting at least one home run in seven of the nine contests.
* The Owls hit a season-high three home runs during an 8-0 win over Georgia State on Wednesday.
* Sophomore Olivia Tamewitz (16-for-32) and freshman Patricia Awald (13-for-26) have been KSU's hottest hitters during the streak, posting a .500 average. Tamewitz also has four doubles and nine runs scored, while Awald has scored a team-high 14 runs, hit three home runs and totaled 10 RBIs.
* Senior Noelle Winkles has also been hot, recording a .481 average (13-for-27) with 10 runs scored, four home runs and a team-high 16 RBIs. She has also hit safely in all nine games.
* In the circle, the Owls have recorded a 1.60 ERA and five complete games, while limiting opposing batters to a .205 average. KSU pitching has struck out 61 batters in 57 innings.
* Sophomore Alley Cutting has returned to the form that earned her 2017 Freshman of the Year honors. She has made five appearances (three starts), recorded a 4-0 record, 0.00 ERA, three complete games and one save. In 21 2/3 innings, the Owls' right-hander has struck out 23 and walked two.
 
IN THE BATTER'S BOX
* The Owls are batting .311 as a team, averaging 5.39 runs a game and are tied with Stetson for second in the ASUN Conference in hitting. KSU, which has totaled 64 extra base hits, leads the ASUN with 19 home runs and 40 doubles.
* Freshman Patricia Awald ranks second in the ASUN with a .787 slugging percentage and is tied for second with five home runs. She is also fourth with a team-best .459 average.
* Awald is tied with Noelle Winkles for the team lead in home runs and RBIs (22), while topping the club with 23 runs scored and a .514 on-base percentage.
* Sophomore Olivia Tamewitz ranks fifth in the ASUN with a .442 average, third in hits (34), tied for third in doubles (7) and tied for eighth in runs scored (17).
* Tamewitz is currently in the midst of a career-high 16-game hitting streak, during which time she is batting .464 (26-for-56) with 14 runs scored, six RBIs, 10-for-12 in stolen bases and produced seven multiple-hit games.
 
IN THE CIRCLE
* The Owls have a 2.48 team ERA, are yielding a .241 opponents' batting average and have 14 complete games.
* Cutting has a 5-4 record team-best 1.33 ERA while making a team-high 11 appearances, including eight starts. She also has six complete games and one save. Cutting has struck out 44 in 52 2/3 innings while allowing 10 earned runs.  
* Senior Abigail Green is 5-3 with a 3.91 ERA in nine appearances. She has made seven starts and posted four complete games. Green, who has a pair of 10 strikeout performances, has struck out a team-high 51 in 43 innings.
 
ASUN PRESEASON COACHES POLL
Following a 40-win season that included a postseason berth plus a solid nucleus returning, Kennesaw State was picked to finish first in the 2018 ASUN Conference Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll that was released on Jan. 17. The Owls, who received four first-place votes and totaled 46 points to finish ahead of defending conference champion USC Upstate (43 points, 2 first-place votes), garnered the top spot in the poll for the first time since joining the ASUN Conference prior to the 2006 season. KSU was ranked second in the preseason coaches' poll on three different occasions (2007, 2008, 2013).
 
ASUN Preseason Rankings

Rank	Team (First Place Votes)	Votes
1.	Kennesaw State (4)	46
2.	USC Upstate (2)	43
3.	Florida Gulf Coast (1)	31
4.	Lipscomb	29
5.	North Florida	23
6.	Jacksonville	13
7.	Stetson	11

2017 REVIEW
* Under first-year head coach Pete D'Amour, who took the reins on Sept. 16, 2016, Kennesaw State posted a 40-20 record and advanced to the postseason in 2017. The Owls finished second in the ASUN Conference and made their first postseason showing at the NCAA Division I level, finishing third in the inaugural National Invitational Softball Championship. KSU was ranked No. 47 nationally in the final RPI rankings.

CUTTING TABBED ASUN PRESEASON CO-PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Sophomore Alley Cutting was named ASUN Preseason Co-Pitcher of the Year, along with Lipscomb's Mandy Jordan, and selected to the all-conference team. She was also named the ASUN's Preseason Pitcher of the Year in a vote by the fans. The Owls right-hander posted a 20-10 record, 2.19 ERA, 16 complete games and two saves while making 38 appearances, including 31 starts. She worked 201 1/3 innings, allowed 63 earned runs, walked 49 and struck out 186 batters en route to earning ASUN Freshman of The Year and first team all-conference honors.
 
SOLID NUCLEUS RETURNS IN 2018
Including Alley Cutting, the Owls return five players who earned ASUN Conference accolades in 2017. Senior Noelle Winkles (.360, 8 HR, 41 RBI), junior Hannah Thomason (.354, 47 R, 33 SB) and sophomore Olivia Tamewitz (.342, 31 RBI, 19 SB), who earned second team All-ASUN Conference recognition a year ago, are back to form a talented outfield, while sophomore utility player Katey Lynch (.285, 4 HR, 28 RBI) also returns after garnering all-freshman team honors.
 
HEAD COACH PETE D'AMOUR
* Head coach Pete D'Amour enters his second season as Kennesaw State head coach after spending the prior 10 seasons at the University of Missouri.
* In his first season guiding the Owls, D'Amour led KSU to 40-20 overall record National Invitational Softball Championship Region 5 title and a No. 47 ranking in the final RPI rankings.
* While at Mizzou, D'Amour helped the Tigers post a 453-154 (.746) record, advance to three Women's College World Series (2009, 2010, 2011), reach eight NCAA Division I Super Regionals, and participate in 10 NCAA Regionals.
* During D'Amour's tenure, Missouri won two Big 12 Conference championships and earned 10 straight Top 20 national rankings.
* Primarily responsible for working with the pitchers and catchers, D'Amour watched Tigers pitcher throw 11 no-hitters, while mentoring 11 All-Americans, two SEC Freshen of the Year, three conference Pitchers of the Year, a national earned-run average leader, and a Defensive Player of the Year. 
 
UP NEXT
Following Sunday's game, the Owls return home to Bailey Park to host Liberty in a doubleheader on Wednesday beginning at 4 p.m.

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. You can also follow head coach Pete D'Amour at @KSUSBCoach.
 
To learn more about The Owls Fund visit www.ksuowls.com/theowlsfund.
   
 

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