Kennesaw State (28-13) vs. Georgia Tech (21-17)
Dates April 11 | Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Kennesaw, Ga. (Bailey Park)
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LEADING OFF
* The Kennesaw State softball team (28-13) concludes its regular-season non-conference home schedule on Wednesday when it hosts Georgia Tech in the annual Lexi's Day game at Bailey Park. First pitch 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.
* Fans attending the game will have the opportunity to support Lexi's Day by purchasing a $10 meal provided by the Marietta Fish Market.  Cash, as well as checks made out to the Kennesaw State Athletic Association, will be accepted.
* Meals will be available beginning at 5 p.m. in the Teasley Suite of the Bobbie Bailey Building, and will be limited to the first 150 people who make a minimum $10 contribution. An on-field pregame ceremony will start at 5:50 p.m.
* The Owls enter their mid-week game against the Yellow Jackets on a three-game winning streak, and winners of eight of their last 10 and 10 of 13.
* Kennesaw State is coming off a series sweep of visiting Stetson in a three-game ASUN Conference series last weekend at Bailey Park.

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

Wednesday, April 11
6 p.m.	Kennesaw State vs. Georgia Tech
Saturday, April 14
1 p.m. & 3 p.m.	Kennesaw State at Florida Gulf Coast
Sunday, April 15
1 p.m.	Kennesaw State at Florida Gulf Coast

SCOUTING GEORGIA TECH
The Yellow Jackets are 21-17 after winning two of three at Duke over the weekend. Georgia Tech is batting .242 as a team and has two players batting .300 or better. Freshman outfielder Cameron Stanford leads the club with a .330 average, 26 runs scored and 10 doubles. Georgia Tech has compiled a 2.79 ERA and is paced by senior right-hander Emily Anderson, who is 14-10 with a 2.12 ERA. She has appeared in 29 games, starting 25, and has struck out 145 batters in 165 1/2 3 innings.

SERIES VERSUS GEORGIA TECH
Wednesday's game will mark the 25th meeting between the two programs, with Georgia Tech leading the all-time series, 17-7. The Yellow Jackets have won five in a row, including a 9-0 victory in Atlanta earlier this season.

2018 HONORS
ASUN Player of the Week
Noelle Winkles (March 12)
Patricia Awald (March 19)
Kira Czyrklis (April 2)

ASUN Pitcher of the Week
Alley Cutting (March 19)

IN THE BATTER'S BOX
* The Owls lead the ASUN Conference with a .297 average, and top the league in slugging percentage (.458), runs scored (205), hits (310), doubles (63), home runs (30) and total bases (479).
* Freshman Patricia Awald leads the club with a .398 average, 10 doubles, 34 runs scored, 11 home runs, 36 RBIs, .796 slugging percentage and .484 on-base percentage. Her home run total and slugging percentage rank sixth and ninth, respectively, in the country among freshmen.
* Awald is first in the ASUN in slugging percentage, runs scored and RBIs, and second in home runs and total bases (86). She also has 13 multiple-hit, eight multiple-RBI and three multiple-home run games.
* Junior Maddie Roth ranks second on the Owls with a .382 average and is tied for second with nine doubles. She has been KSU's hottest hitter over the team's last 10 games, batting .414 (12-for-29) with eight runs scored, a double, two home runs and 11 RBIs, while posting a .655 slugging percentage and .452 on-base percentage. Her 13 multiple-hit games tie for second on the team.
* Sophomore Olivia Tamewitz is third on the club with a .380 average, while her 52 hits and 17 stolen bases lead the team. She ranks in the ASUN's top 10 in average (6), on-base percentage (10), runs scored (T4), hits (2), doubles (T6), total bases (7) and stolen bases (T7). Her 15 multiple-hit games also top the Owls.

IN THE CIRCLE
* The Owls have a 2.14 team ERA, are yielding a .224 opponents' batting average and have 26 complete games. The staff's 270 strikeouts lead the ASUN.
* Sophomore Alley Cutting has an 9-7 record and team-best 1.70 ERA while making a team-high 23 appearances, including 17 starts. She also has 12 complete games and three saves. Cutting has struck out 113 batters in 115 1/3 innings while allowing 28 earned runs.
* Senior Abigail Green is 13-4 with a 2.45 ERA in 18 appearances. She has made 15 starts and posted 10 complete games. Green, who has struck out 10 or more batters in a game four times, has fanned a team and career-high 115 in 88 2/3 innings.
* The KSU right-hander has established single-season career highs for wins (13), games started (15), complete games (10), shutouts (4) and innings pitched (88.2).  
* Over her last 13 appearances, Green has registered a 12-1 record, 1.41 ERA and seven complete games. In 64 2/3 innings of work, she has allowed 13 earned runs and struck out 89, including a career-high 13 versus Marist on March 23.

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 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 game, the Owls return to ASUN Conference play on Saturday when they open a three-game series at Florida Gulf Coast. The two teams will play a doubleheader beginning at noon before closing the weekend with a 1 p.m. contest on Sunday.

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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