Kennesaw State (8-11) at Georgia State (2-17)
Date: March 6
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
Live Stats | Watch | KSU Notes

LEADING OFF 
» The Kennesaw State softball team resumes non-conference action this week when it travels to Atlanta to take on Georgia State Wednesday at the Robert E. Hack Softball Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
» Wednesday's contest marks the beginning of a busy week for the Owls (8-11), who will play six games in five days. Following its match-up with the Panthers (2-17), KSU returns to Bailey Park on Friday to host the Bobbie Bailey Memorial Tournament.
» Live stats for Wednesday's game versus Georgia State will be available through KSUOwls.com. For a subscription fee, fans can watch a live stream of the game on PanthersVision.  
 
GAME DAY STORYLINES         
» The Owls have won three in a row after posting a 3-1 mark during the I-75 Challenge last weekend, splitting a doubleheader with Hofstra (L, 10-3, W, 2-1) and sweeping a twin bill versus Western Carolina (7-1, 10-2).
» During its three-game winning streak, KSU is batting .333 as a team and has posted a 1.11 ERA. Junior Jade Lee has led the offense, posting a .556 average (5-for-9) with three runs scored, a double, home run and five RBIs. She has posted a 1.000 slugging percentage and .600 on-base percentage.
» In her last two starts, senior Hailey Andrews is 2-0 record with a 0.00 ERA and one complete game. In 14 innings, she has allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out 19.
» Kennesaw State is in a stretch of playing 18 of 23 games at Bailey Park during the month of March. The Owls will not leave the state of Georgia and will be at home every weekend during the month.
» 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.
 
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).
 
GEORGIA STATE SCOUTING REPORT
The Panthers begin the week 2-17 following a 1-4 record in the I-75 Challenge. Georgia State went 0-2 versus Western Carolina, split a pair with Fordham and fell 10-8 in eight innings to Hofstra. The Panthers are batting .224 as a team and have a collective ERA of 6.02. Baylee Sexton leads the team with a .339 average while Remmington Hasty is hitting .321 with a team-leading two home runs and 12 RBIs. 
 
SERIES VERSUS GEORGIA STATE
Wednesday's contest will mark the 40th meeting between Kennesaw State and Georgia State and the Owls lead the all-time series, 21-8. KSU was five in a row, including both meetings a year ago.
 
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.
 
OFFENISVE OUTPUT
» The Owls lead the ASUN Conference in home runs (16), walks (72), RBIs (82) and on-base percentage (.383.).
» Sophomore Lexi Solorzano leads the ASUN Conference with a career-high six home runs and is tied for second with a team-leading 12 RBIs. She also leads the Owls with three multiple RBI games.
» Senior Maddie Roth is second in the ASUN Conference with a .581 on-base percentage, tied for second in runs scored (16), tied for third with 21 hits and eighth in batting average (.362).
» Despite missing seven games with an injury, junior Jade Lee has put impressive early-season numbers. She is batting .469 with five runs scored, 15 hits, four doubles, a home run and 10 RBIs, while posting a .688 slugging percentage and .514 on-base percentage.
» Lee is tied for sixth in doubles and home runs in the ASUN Conference.
 
IN THE CIRCLE
» Junior Abby Deane and senior Hailey Andrews each have four wins
» Andrews leads the Owls innings pitched (59), strikeouts (58) and complete games (6).
» Andrews is tied for second in the ASUN in complete games, and second in innings pitched and strikeouts.
 
CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS
» Redshirt junior Hannah Thomason is nearing the Kennesaw State NCAA Division I record for career stolen bases. She has three stolen bases and ranks second all-time with 65 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.
 
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.
 
KSU VERSUS TOP 75 RPI TEAMS
Kennesaw State, which held a Top 50 RPI ranking for most of the 2018 season, fared well against teams appearing in the RPI's top 75. The Owls recorded an 11-9 mark against nine teams - No. 8 Georgia (0-1), No. 18 Hofstra (0-1), No. 20 Auburn (0-2), No. 29 Liberty (1-1), No. 39 FGCU (3-1), No. 54 Lipscomb (2-0), No. 61 USC Upstate (3-1), No. 62 DePaul (0-2) and No. 65 Georgia State (2-0).
 
ASUN NO. 6 IN RPI RANKINGS
The ASUN Conference was one of the top conferences in the country during the 2018 season, ranking sixth in the final 2018 RPI rankings. The ASUN ranked behind only the SEC, Pac-12, Big 12, American Athletic Conference and ACC.
 
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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