Bobbie Bailey Memorial Tournament
Date: March 8-10
Location: Kennesaw, Ga.
Stadium: Bailey Park
Tournament Schedule | KSU Notes

LEADING OFF 
» The Kennesaw State softball team will host Saint Louis, Western Kentucky and Wright State this weekend in the Bobbie Bailey Memorial Tournament that opens Friday.
» Play commences Friday with the Owls (9-11) facing Western Kentucky (2 p.m.) and Saint Louis (7 p.m.) and will continue with games on Saturday and Sunday.
» Live stats for all games will be available through KSUOwls.com and those contests involving Kennesaw State will be live streamed on Facebook on Friday and Saturday, and You Tube on Sunday.  
 
GAME DAY STORYLINES        
» The Owls have won four in a row and eight of their last 12, including a 9-0 victory at Georgia State on Wednesday.
» During its three-game winning streak, KSU is batting .319 as a team and has posted a 0.88 ERA, allowing three earned runs in 24 innings.
» Junior Jade Lee and freshman Katie Greep have led the offense, posting .500 averages. Lee is 6-for-12 with five runs scored, three extra base hits, including a home run, and five RBIs while recording a .917 slugging percentage and .538 on-base percentage.
» Greep has gone 5-for-10 with three runs scored, two home runs and seven RBIs while posting a 1.100 slugging percentage and .538 on-base percentage.
» In her last three starts, senior Hailey Andrews is 3-0 record with a 0.00 ERA and one complete game. In 17.2 innings, she has allowed nine hits, walked two and struck out 25.
» 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).
 
WESTERN KENTUCKY SCOUTING REPORT
The Hilltoppers begin the weekend 13-2 and have won eight in a row, including a 3-0 mark at Samford Tournament last weekend. Western Kentucky is batting .298 as a team and has a collective team ERA of 2.37. The Hilltoppers have four players batting .300 or better and are led by Kendall Smith who is hitting .390 with a team-high four home runs and is tied for the club lead with 11 RBIs and four doubles. Shelby Nunn (3-0, 1.94 ERA) and Kennedy Sullivan (9-0, 2.04) lead WKU in the circle.
 
SERIES VERSUS WESTERN KENTUCKY
Friday's contest will mark the third meeting between Kennesaw State and Western Kentucky and the series is tied, 1-1. The two teams last met in the 2017 National Invitational Softball Championship and the Owls recorded a 2-1 victory. 
 
SAINT LOUIS SCOUTING REPORT
The Billikens are 2-10 on the season and are coming off an 0-3 performance at the Coach B Classic in Chattanooga, Tennessee last weekend. Saint Louis is batting .225 as a team and has a 6.69 team ERA. The Billikens have two players batting .300 or better and are led by Kat Lane, who is hitting .357. Kallen Loveless has made seven appearances, including five starts, has both of Saint Louis' wins.
 
SERIES VERSUS SAINT LOUIS
Friday's game will mark the fourth meeting between Kennesaw State and Saint Louis, and the Billikens lead the series, 2-1. The two programs last met during the 2017 season and the Owls posted a 4-0 victory.
 
WRIGHT STATE SCOUTING REPORT
The Raiders are 6-9 on the season and enter the weekend on a three-game losing streak. Wright State is batting .279 as a team and has 4.49 team ERA. The Raiders have four players batting .300 or better and are paced by Rebekah Lenos, who is hitting .440. Madison Whitaker is batting .409 with a team-leading three home runs and 17 RBIs. Makenna Durieux leads Wright State with 23 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings.
 
SERIES VERSUS WRIGHT STATE
Saturday's game between Kennesaw State and Wright State will mark the second meeting between the two programs and Wright State has the only victory, defeating the Owls 1-0 in 2009.
 
OFFENISVE OUTPUT
» The Owls lead the ASUN Conference in home runs (19), walks (76), RBIs (90) and on-base percentage (.383).
» Sophomore Lexi Solorzano leads the ASUN Conference with a career-high seven home runs and is second with a team-leading 14 RBIs. She also leads the Owls with four multiple RBI games.
» Senior Maddie Roth is fourth in the ASUN Conference with a .459 on-base percentage, second in runs scored (17), fourth with 22 hits, tied for fifth in RBIs (11) and eighth in batting average (.355).
» Despite missing seven games with an injury, junior Jade Lee has put up impressive early-season numbers. She is batting .457 with seven runs scored, 16 hits, five doubles, a home run and 10 RBIs, while posting a .686 slugging percentage and .500 on-base percentage.
» Lee is tied for third in three ASUN with five doubles.
 
IN THE CIRCLE
» Senior Hailey Andrews leads the Owls with five wins, 12 appearances, six complete games, 62 2/3 innings pitched and 64 strikeouts. 
» Andrews ranks among the ASUN Conference's top 10 in wins (3rd), innings pitched (2nd), strikeouts (2nd) and complete games (T2nd).
 
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.
 
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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