JACKSONVILLE (13-19, 1-2) at KENNESAW STATE (17-18, 2-4)
Date: March 30-31
Time: Saturday: 1 p.m. & 3 p.m.; Sunday: 1 p.m.
Location: Bailey Park
Game 1: Live Stats | Watch
Game 2: Live Stats | Watch 
Game 3: Live Stats | Watch
KSU Notes

LEADING OFF 
» The Kennesaw State softball team closes out the month of March this weekend with a three-game ASUN Conference series versus Jacksonville at Bailey Park. The series opens Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at noon and closes with a 1 p.m. contest Sunday.
» Prior to Saturday's doubleheader, the softball program will induct four individuals into the Circle of Honor. This year's class of honorees include sisters Jennifer (1995-1998), Kelly (2002-2003) and Lisa Lamb (2004-2005), and longtime Owls softball public address announcer Grant Case.
» Live stats and live streams for all three games will be available through KSUOwls.com. Saturday's doubleheader will be streamed on Facebook Live, while Sunday's series finale will air on ESPN+ with Allen Perez and Scott Whitlock describing the action. Fans can purchase the ESPN digital platform for $4.99 a month or $49.99 for a year's subscription that provides access to all events broadcast on the network.
 
GAME DAY STORYLINES        
» The Owls (17-18, 2-4) will look to end the month on a winning note after falling 4-2 at No. 12 Auburn on Wednesday.
» Kennesaw State enters the weekend seeking its second conference series win three attempts after opening ASUN Conference play by taking two of three versus Liberty before being swept in a three-game series last weekend at Bailey Park.
» Wednesday's match-up with Jacksonville (13-19, 1-2) will mark the first meeting between the two programs since they met in the opening round of the 2018 ASUN Championship when the Owls posted an 8-4 victory en route to winning the conference championship.
» Kennesaw State is concluding a stretch of playing 16 of 23 games at Bailey Park during the month of March. The Owls have posted an 11-5 home record while batting .303 and posting 3.03 ERA. Junior outfielder Hannah Thomason has led the offense, recording a .400 average (18-for-45) with 15 runs scored, three doubles, a triple, three RBIs and stealing eight bases.
» Senior right-hander Hailey Andrews has registered a 6-2 record and 1.57 ERA with seven complete games in her last eight appearances at Bailey Park. In 58 innings, Andrews has allowed 41 hits, 16 earned runs and struck out 72 batters.   
» 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).
 
JACKSONVILLE SCOUTING REPORT
The Dolphins begin the weekend with a 13-19 overall record and a 1-2 mark in ASUN Conference play. Jacksonville opened conference play last weekend and lost two of three to Stetson. The Dolphins are batting .261 as a team and have a collective 3.65 ERA. Junior outfielder leads the club with a .400 average. Junior Alyssa Bilodeau tops the pitching staff with a 7-8 record and 2.67 ERA.
 
SERIES VERSUS JACKSONVILLE
The first game of Saturday's doubleheader will mark the 27th meeting between Jacksonville and Kennesaw State, and the Owls lead the series, 23-13. KSU has won three in a row, including an 8-4 victory over the Dolphins in last season's ASUN Championship.
 
OFFENISVE OUTPUT
» The Owls entered the week leading the ASUN Conference in runs scored, hits, home runs, RBIs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and is second in average.
» Sophomore catcher Lexi Solorzano began the week leading the ASUN Conference with a career-high eight home runs and is fourth with a team-leading 22 RBIs.
» Roth entered the week pacing the Owls with nine multiple-hit and six-multiple RBI games.
» Roth also led the ASUN Conference with 11 doubles, tied for third with 37 hits, second in runs scored (27), fourth in on-base percentage (.453) and fifth in RBIs (20).  She ranked 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 .400 (14-for-35) with five 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, 20 appearances, 14 complete games, 118 2/3 innings pitched and 130 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.

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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