Kennesaw State (17-9) vs. Liberty (20-7)
Dates: March 21
Location: Kennesaw, Ga. (Bailey Park)
Time: 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2

LEADING OFF
* The Kennesaw State softball team (17-9) is back in action on Wednesday when it hosts Liberty (20-7) in a non-conference doubleheader at Bailey Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
* The Owls, who have won 11 of their last 12 games, are coming off an ASUN Conference-opening series win at defending conference champion USC Upstate over the weekend. KSU took the opener, 2-1, and after falling 1-0 in game two, came back on Sunday to record a 1-0 victory.  
* Kennesaw State has enjoyed the familiar surroundings of Bailey Park, registering a 13-4 record, including an 11-2 mark in its last 13 home games. They Owls have won nine in a row at Bailey Park.  

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

Wednesday, March 21
4 p.m. & 6 p.m.	Kennesaw State vs. Liberty (DH)
Friday, March 23
10 a.m.	Kennesaw State vs. Niagara
12:15 p.m.	Kennesaw State vs. Marist
Saturday, March 24
12:15 p.m.	Kennesaw State at North Carolina State
TBD	Kennesaw State vs. TBD
Sunday, March 25
TBD	Kennesaw State vs. TBD

 
SCOUTING LIBERTY
The Flames, who are 20-7, have won four in a row, including a three-game series sweep of Campbell to open Big South Conference play. Prior to facing Kennesaw State, Liberty will travel to Greensboro, N.C. to take on North Carolina A&T Tuesday at 3 p.m. The Flames are batting .298 as a team and have six players batting .300 or better. Senior Tori Zavodny leads the club with a .363 average, while sophomore Amber Bishop is hitting .326 with a team-leading three home runs and 20 RBIs. Liberty has a 2.98 team ERA and is led by junior Julia DiMartino, who has recorded a 13-4 record, 2.33 ERA and three saves. In 21 appearances, including 13 starts, she has struck out 100 batters in 99 innings.

SERIES VERSUS LIBERTY
Kennesaw State and Liberty have met five previous times, and the Flames hold a slim 3-2 series edge. The two programs last met last season in the inaugural National Invitational Softball Championship and Liberty recorded a 13-5 victory in Lynchburg, Va.
 
KENNESAW STATE SWEEPS ASUN WEEKLY HONORS
Freshman Patricia Awald was named ASUN Conference Player of the Week, while sophomore Alley Cutting was tabbed Pitcher of the Week, the conference announced on Monday. Awald was honored for the first team, while Cutting received her third career weekly accolade.
 
Alley Cutting
Cutting had a strong week in the circle, making four appearances, including three starts, and posting a 3-0 record, 0.33 ERA, three complete games and one save while helping the Owls to a 5-1 record, including a series win over defending ASUN Conference champion USC Upstate. She logged 21 innings, scattered 17 hits, one earned run, walked just one and struck out 20. The Grand Island, N.Y. native set the tempo during the Owls' ASUN Conference opener at USC Upstate as she held the Spartans to seven hits and one run while striking out four. She concluded the weekend with a three-inning relief appearance on Sunday and held the hosts to three hits while striking out five to earn a save, and secure the series victory.
 
Patricia Awald
Awald continued her impressive rookie campaign while playing an instrumental role in helping the Owls to a 5-1 record. The KSU first baseman batted .500 (7-for-14) with seven runs scored, three RBIs, a double and home run. She posted a .786 slugging percentage and .611 on-base percentage. Awald also hit safely in all seven games and scored at least one run in five contests, while producing three multiple-hit games and a multiple-RBI game. The Marietta native went 3-for-6 with two runs scored, a home run and RBI during a three-game series at USC Upstate. She also walked three times during the series and reached base in six of nine plate appearances.
 
IN THE BATTER'S BOX
* The Owls are batting .293 as a team, averaging 4.9 runs a game and are third in the ASUN Conference in hitting. KSU ranks first in the ASUN in doubles (40) and home runs (20), second in slugging percentage (.456) and total bases (307), and third in on-base percentage (.364), runs scored (127), RBIs (115) and triples (5).
* Freshman Patricia Awald leads KSU with a .463 average, 25 runs scored, six home runs, 23 RBIs, .806 slugging percentage and .532 on-base percentage. She ranks among the ASUN Conference leaders in eight offensive categories.
* Awald is first in the ASUN in slugging percentage, second in on-base percentage and home runs, and third in batting average, runs scored and RBIs. She has reached base in a team-high 19 consecutive games and is currently working on a seven-game hitting streak.
* Sophomore Olivia Tamewitz ranks second on the club with a .409 average and 18 runs scored, while topping the Owls in hits (36), doubles (7) and stolen bases (12). She is among the ASUN leaders in average (No. 6), slugging percentage (9), on-base percentage (9), runs scored (T8), hits (3), doubles (T3), total bases (5) and stolen bases (7).
* Tamewitz leads the Owls with 10 multiple-hit games.
 
IN THE CIRCLE
* The Owls have a 2.22 team ERA, are yielding a .226 opponents' batting average and have 16 complete games.
* Sophomore Alley Cutting has a 6-4 record and team-best 1.23 ERA while making a team-high 13 appearances, including nine starts. She also has seven complete games and two saves. Cutting has struck out 53 batters in 62 2/3 innings while allowing 11 earned runs.
  * Over her last seven appearances, Cutting has posted a 5-0 record, 0.22 ERA, four complete games and two saves. In 31 2/3 innings, she has allowed one earned run, walked two and struck out 32, while limiting opposing batters to a .182 average.
* Senior Abigail Green is 6-4 with a 3.30 ERA in 11 appearances. She has made nine starts and posted five complete games. Green, who has a pair of 10 strikeout performances, has struck out a team-high 59 in 53 innings.
* Over her last five appearances, Green has registered a 4-1 record, 1.81 ERA and two complete games. In 27 innings of work, she has allowed seven earned runs and struck out 30.
 
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 Wednesday's doubleheader with Liberty, the Owls return to action on Friday when they open play at the Homewood Suites by Hilton RDU/RTP Challenge. Kennesaw State will play a pair of games on Friday, facing Niagara at 10 a.m. before taking on Marist at 12:15 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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