KENNESAW STATE (20-18, 5-4) at NORTH FLORIDA (20-12, 3-3)
Date: April 6-7
Time: Saturday: 1 p.m. & 3 p.m.; Sunday: 1 p.m.
Location: UNF Softball Complex
Game 1: Live Stats |
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Game 2: Live Stats |
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Game 3:
Live Stats |
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KSU Notes
LEADING OFF
» The Kennesaw State softball team hits the road for just the second time in nearly a month this weekend, squaring off against North Florida for its first conference road series of the season. The Owls and Ospreys open the three-game series with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday followed by a Sunday matinee at 1 p.m.
» Live stats and live streams for all three games will be available through unfospreys.com. All three games will be streamed on North Florida's Facebook page (North Florida Ospreys).
» The Owls and Ospreys have a long history against one another, with UNF being the Owls most common opponent in program history. KSU and UNF have squared off 67 total times with the Owls holding a 48-19 series record over the Ospreys.
GAME DAY STORYLINES
» The Owls (20-18, 5-4) look to continue their momentum into Florida after recording their first series sweep of the year in their last outing against Jacksonville this past weekend. With its three wins over the Dolphins, KSU jumped into second in the ASUN with a 5-4 conference record, one game behind league-leading Liberty.
» This weekend's slate marks the first weekend road series for the Owls since participating in the Houston Challenge Tournament at the end of February. In the past month, KSU has played 20 of its 24 games on its home field of Bailey Park. Of their 14 games outside of Kennesaw this season, the Owls maintain a 2-6 record for true road games and a 3-3 record on neutral grounds.
» One of the Owls most storied opponents, KSU has won the previous five meetings against UNF, sweeping last year's series and winning the two squads' ASUN Tournament opener in 2017.
» Senior right-hander
Hailey Andrews closed out the month of March in spectacular fashion, earning all three wins over Jacksonville. Andrews registered 25 total strikeouts over the three-game series, including a career-high 15 Ks in the series-opener. She finished the slate with a 0.93 ERA, allowing only two runs on her way to earning her first career ASUN Pitcher of the Week honor.
»
Maddie Roth had another dominant series against Jacksonville, finishing 5-of-10 at the plate with two doubles and four RBIs. Roth currently ranks among the ASUN's top-10 for doubles (T-1st), hits (3rd), RBIs (4th) and batting average (10th).
» The Owls are the most powerful hitters in the ASUN, leading the league with a .439 slugging percentage. KSU holds the top spot with 26 homeruns on the year and is second in the conference with 64 doubles.
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
» 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 as an assistant 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.
NORTH FLORIDA SCOUTING REPORT
» The Ospreys head into the weekend with a 20-12 record while going 3-3 in ASUN play. UNF dropped its most recent series to Lipscomb this past weekend.
» UNF is ranked third in the league with a .284 batting average, thanks in large part to senior Dominica Cocuzza. The outfielder leads the conference with a .424 batting average, recording eight homeruns, seven doubles and 30 RBIs.
» On the mound, Sydney Matzko and Morgan Blourne split time for the Ospreys. Matzko leads the team with nine wins and two saves, recording a 2.55 ERA and 65 strikeouts. Blourne is next in line with eight wins and 45 strikeouts while logging a 3.14 ERA.
OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
» The Owls enter the weekend series leading the league in batting average, total hits, homeruns, slugging percentage and RBIs while ranked second for doubles and runs scored.
» Senior
Maddie Roth is a major factor in KSU's production, ranked third in the conference for total hits with 42. Roth is also tied for first in the league, 10th in the NCAA, with 13 doubles while ranked fourth for RBIs (24), third for runs scored (29) and 10th for batting average (.347).
» Sophomore catcher
Lexi Solorzano is tied for first in the conference with a career-high eight home runs while tied for fifth with 23 RBIs.
» Roth, Solorzano and
Jade Lee all rank among the league's top-10 for RBIs, three of the 10 players in the conference to register over 20 RBIs so far this year.
» After recording two multi-hit games against JU, Roth enters the weekend pacing the Owls with 11 multiple-hit and seven-multiple RBI games.
» After registering only two hits in her first 11 appearances, redshirt-freshman
Christen Florence has been on fire recording at least one hit in 10 straight games, including six multi-hit games. Florence is coming off a career-high performance in KSU's last game against JU, logging a career-high three hits and two doubles while tying her career marks with two runs scored and two RBIs, including the game-clinching RBI in the bottom of the sixth.
» Junior
Hannah Thomason is the only other Owl, apart from Roth and Florence, to record at least 10 hits over the last 10 games, going 10-of-32 for a .313 batting average. Thomason has also drawn six walks in that span, currently ranked second in the league for walks (26) and eighth for on-base percentage (.428).
» Once on-base, Thomason has put opposing pitchers on edge as she and
Brea Dickey are tied for fifth in the ASUN with 13 stolen bases.
IN THE CIRCLE
» Senior
Hailey Andrews is tied for first in the ASUN with 12 wins on the year, after going 3-0 this past weekend against Jacksonville. She also leads the league in complete games with 16.
» Andrews 155 strikeouts on the year ranks second in the conference and 15th in the NCAA. She has logged double-digit Ks in five games this year, including a career-high 15 in the series-opener against Jacksonville.
» The Bridgeville, Del., native has recorded three shutouts and one save on the year. Andrews heads into the weekend among the ASUN's top-10 in innings pitched (1st), games started (1st), strikeouts per seven innings (3rd) and ERA (7th).
CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS
» Redshirt junior
Hannah Thomason is nearing the Kennesaw State NCAA Division I record for career stolen bases. She has 13 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 6-for-7 this season and ranks tied for sixth all-time with 44 career thefts.
PLAYING THE FIELD
»
Hailey Andrews,
Kira Czyrklis and
Olivia Gocke all have a perfect fielding percentage on the year, with Czyrklis being the only player in the ASUN to log over 100 putouts and have a perfect fielding percentage.
» Shortstop
Jessie Mullen is tied for fourth in the league with 63 total assists while tied with
Maddie Roth for sixth, turning eight of KSU's nine double plays on the year.
» As a team, the Owls lead the league with nine runners caught stealing, holding the top-spot in the conference with a .214 runners caught stealing percentage.
A WEEK TO REMEMBER
» Senior
Hailey Andrews earned her first career ASUN Pitcher of the Week award on April 1. Andrews posted a 3-1 record, 2.00 ERA and three complete games. She struck out 33 batters in 21 innings of work, including a career-high 15 in the series opener versus Jacksonville. The Kennesaw State senior, who averaged 11.0 strikeouts per seven innings pitched, opened the week with eight strikeouts in six innings versus No. 12 Auburn on Wednesday. In three games versus Jacksonville, Andrews worked 15 innings, allowed nine hits, two runs, walked three and struck out 25, finishing the weekend with a 3-0 record and 0.93 ERA.
» Junior
Hannah Thomason is the only other Owl to earn a weekly award so far this year after being named the ASUN 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 a .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.
KSU PICKED THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL
» Kennesaw State, which began the 2019 season as the reigning ASUN regular-season and conference tournament champions, 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.
ALL-AMERICAN STATUS
» Junior utility
Maddie Roth became the first Kennesaw State Division I softball player to 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.
Elevating The Standard
» The Owls reached new heights in the 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 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.
LOOKING AHEAD
» Following this weekend's series, the Owls will return to Bailey Park for a mid-week matchup with Georgia Tech Wednesday (Apr. 10) at 6 p.m.
» The Wednesday night tilt marks the annual Lexi's Day game in which KSU honors local children who are afflicted with neuromuscular ailments. This year holds a special meaning as the Owls will hold a Sweet 16 celebration for the game's namesake Lexi Kaiser.
