KENNESAW STATE (17-17) at AUBURN (28-5)
Date: March 26
Time: 7 p.m. (ET)
Location: Auburn, Ala.
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KSU Notes

LEADING OFF 
» The Kennesaw State softball team closes out the month of March with a busy schedule as it travels to nationally-ranked Auburn for a non-conference contest on Wednesday before returning home to Bailey Park for an ASUN Conference weekend series versus Jacksonville.
» The Owls (17-17, 2-4) will face their first nationally-ranked opponent of the season when they match up against the Tigers (28-5, 5-1) Wednesday beginning at 6 p.m. (ET). Live stats will be available through KSUOwls.com. 
 
GAME DAY STORYLINES         
» The Owls are looking to get back into the win column after losing four straight, including a three-game ASUN Conference series to Florida Gulf Coast over the weekend. After falling 4-3 in nine innings in the opener, Kennesaw State dropped a pair of 5-2 decisions to FGCU at Bailey Park.
» Kennesaw State has won 10 of its last 12 non-conference games dating back to March 1 when it took the second game of a doubleheader versus Hofstra. During that stretch, the Owls are batting .320 and have posted a 1.79 ERA.
» Wednesday's match-up with Auburn will mark the first meeting between the two programs since they met in the opening game of the 2018 NCAA Tallahassee Regional when the Tigers posted a 5-2 victory.
» Kennesaw State is in a stretch of playing 18 of 23 games at Bailey Park during the month of March. 
» Kennesaw State is in its first season under the direction of first-year head coach Tripp MacKay. MacKay took over the reign from Pete D'Amour who left to take the head coaching position at Virginia Tech. The Owls' rookie head coach comes to Kennesaw after spending the previous two seasons at the University of Texas where he helped the Longhorns to a 66-52 record and a pair of NCAA Regional appearances.
» Prior to his stint in Austin, MacKay served nine seasons at the University of Oklahoma and was instrumental in helping the Sooners advance to postseason play each year and make three Women's College World Series appearances.
» The Owls reached new heights in 2018 season as they posted a 39-17 overall record, including a 14-3 mark in ASUN Conference play. KSU captured the outright regular-season and conference tournament titles and advanced to NCAA Division I Regional play for the first time in program history.
» For the first time since moving to the NCAA Division I level in 2006, the Owls appeared in the national rankings. Kennesaw State received 21 votes in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll to finish the year ranked No. 27.
 
» Kennesaw State also had a strong show in the RPI Rankings, finishing the year at No. 43.
 
THOMASON ASUN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior Hannah Thomason was named ASUN Conference Player of the Week on March 11. She was honored for the second time in her career. Thomason was a catalyst at the top of the lineup in helping the Owls to a 7-0 record during the week. She batted .421 (8-for-19) with nine runs scored, a double, triple and two RBIs while posting a .579 slugging percentage and .577 on-base percentage. Combined with seven walks, Thomason reached base in 15 of 26 plate appearances. She also stole four bases, hit safely in six of seven games and reached base and scored a run in each game.
 
THE ROSTER
The Owls return 16 letter winners, including five starters from a year ago and have added seven newcomers to the roster. Highlighting the list of returners are seniors Maddie Roth (NFCA Third Team All-American), Kira Czyrklis (First Team All-ASUN), junior Olivia Gocke (Second Team All-ASUN) and sophomore Lexi Solorzano (ASUN All-Freshman).
 
AUBURN SCOUTING REPORT
The Tigers begin the week 28-5, 5-1 in SEC play and ranked No. 12 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. Auburn has won two in a row after taking the final two games of its series at Mississippi State over the weekend. The Tigers are batting .342 as a team and has a collective 1.79 ERA. Auburn has seven regulars batting .300 or better and are led by Casey McCrackin, who is batting .412 and leads the club with 31 runs scored, 42 hits and 10 doubles. Kendall Veach is batting .367 and tops the team with 15 home runs and 38 RBIs. Makayla Martin paces the pitching staff with an 11-2 record, 1.31 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 80 innings pitched.
 
SERIES VERSUS AUBURN
Auburn and Kennesaw State have met three previous times and the Tigers lead the series, 3-0. The two teams squared off twice in 2018 and Auburn posted a 2-1 regular-season victory before defeating the Owls 5-2 in the opening game of the NCAA Tallahassee Regional.
 
OFFENISVE OUTPUT
» The Owls entered the week leading the ASUN Conference in runs scored (160), hits (253), home runs (26), RBIs (144), on-base percentage (.376), slugging percentage (.441), and is second in average (.284).
» Sophomore catcher Lexi Solorzano tops the ASUN Conference with a career-high eight home runs and is fourth with a team-leading 22 RBIs.
» Roth tops the Owls with nine multiple-hit and six-multiple RBI games.
» Roth leads the ASUN Conference with 11 doubles, is tied for third with 37 hits, second in runs scored (27), fourth in on-base percentage (.453) and fifth in RBIs (20).  She also ranks among the conference's top 10 in average (10th) and slugging percentage (7th).
» Junior Hannah Thomason has been the Owls' hottest hitter over the last 10 games, batting .412 (14-for-34) with six runs scored and six stolen bases
» Thomason has also been hot in ASUN Conference play, posting a .450 average (9-for-20) with three runs scored and four stolen bases. 
 
IN THE CIRCLE
» Senior Hailey Andrews leads the Owls with nine wins, 19 appearances, 13 complete games, 112 2/3 innings pitched and 122 strikeouts. 
» Andrews enters the week among the ASUN Conference's top 10 in innings pitched (2nd), strikeouts (3rd), wins (T-3rd) and appearances (T-3rd). 
 
CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS
» Redshirt junior Hannah Thomason is nearing the Kennesaw State NCAA Division I record for career stolen bases. She has 12 stolen bases and ranks second all-time with 75 stolen bases. Taylor Denton (2014-17) is the career record-holder with 80.
» Junior Olivia Gocke is also making a run up the career stolen base list. She is 5-for-6 this season ranks eighth all-time with 43 career thefts.
 
SENIOR JESSIE MULLEN HONORED
Senior shortstop Jessie Mullen was honored on Feb. 15 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida as the 2019 All Sports Association of Northwest Florida Female Collegiate Athlete of the Year. Mullen prepped at Niceville High School in Niceville, Florida.
 
KSU PICKED THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL
Kennesaw State, which begins the season as the reigning ASUN Conference regular-season and conference tournament champion, was voted to finish third by the league's coaches after receiving one first-place vote and 47 points. ASUN newcomer Liberty earned the poll's top spot, garnering five first-place votes and 61 points. FGCU was picked second after receiving two first-place votes and 56 points.
 
ASUN Preseason Rankings

Rank	Team (First Place Votes)	Votes
1.	Liberty (5)	61
2.	FGCU (2)	56
3.	Kennesaw State (1)	47
4.	Lipscomb	44
5.	North Florida	24
6.	Jacksonville	22
7.	North Alabama	20
8.	Stetson	14

THREE OWLS EARN PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
The Kennesaw State softball team had three individuals named to the 2019 ASUN Conference Preseason All-Conference team following a vote of the conference coaches.
 
Seniors Kira Czyrklis and Maddie Roth were selected at the outfield and utility positions, respectively, while sophomore catcher Lexi Solorzano was a unanimous pick.
 
ALL-AMERICAN STATUS
Junior utility Maddie Roth became the first Kennesaw State Division I softball player to earn garner All-American honors when she was named to the third team by the NFCA. Roth, who also was also an NFCA All-South Region first team selection, concluded the year with a .377 average, 13 doubles, eight home runs and 36 RBI.
 
OWLS RETURN FOUR ASUN CONFERENCE HONOREES
Kennesaw State returns four players who earned ASUN Conference honors following the 2018 season.
 
Seniors Kira Czyrklis (OF, First Team) and Maddie Roth (UT, Second Team), junior Olivia Gocke (OF, Second) and sophomore Lexi Solorzano (C, Freshman Team) highlight the cast of returning players.
 
Roth (Most Valuable Player), Czyrklis and Solorzano were also named the ASUN Championship All-Tournament team.
 
A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE
The Owls' 55-game schedule includes 29 opponents, 20 of which finished the 2018 season with winning records, and 15 clubs that won 30 or game games.
 
The Kennesaw State home schedule includes 28 games, including visits from Ohio (Feb. 9), Hofstra (Mar. 1), Fordham (Mar. 3), Liberty (Mar. 15-16) and North Alabama (Apr. 19-20). All five teams advanced to NCAA postseason play last season, with North Alabama advancing at the NCAA Division II level.
 

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