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ALABAMA - Kennesaw State puts its undefeated record to the test with a game at No. 23 Auburn Thursday and at the Troy Invitational Friday through Sunday.
Thursday's contest will be available on SECN+ and Friday's 4 p.m. game against Troy will air on Facebook Live. Links to both contests and live stats are available on KSUOwls.com.
Storylines
• The Kennesaw State University softball team has high expectations under year two of Head Coach Tripp MacKay's tenure with strong returners and key newcomers already seeing action.
• By sweeping the Phyllis Rafter Memorial Tournament, KSU started a season 4-0 for the first time since 2016 when the Owls went 30-28. Coincidentally, the first Saturday games were also canceled that season.
• Cheyanne Sales made her presence known early. The freshman garnered ASUN Player of the Week honors after an incredible weekend with a .600 clip, three doubles, a homer, eight RBI, and caught all four games.
• The KSU pitching staff allowed a combined zero earned runs over the weekend. Amazingly, the first three starters were all freshmen.
• The team finished its 2019 season with a record of 26-29, finishing fifth in the conference, and was predicted to finish in the same spot for the 2020 season according to the ASUN Conference Coaches Poll. The 2020 conference tournament will be held at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.
• The Owls return 13 players, including a pair of ASUN All-Freshmen, Christen Florence and Katie Greep. Preseason ASUN All-Conference Team honoree, Jade Lee, bolsters the lineup from her utility position.
• Kennesaw State has a challenging non-conference slate and will compete against a handful of Power Five Conference School such as Auburn, Iowa State, Penn State, Oklahoma State, Clemson, and Georgia Tech.
Scouting the Opposition
• Auburn faced strong competition at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. last weekend and won three of five.
• Led by Mickey Dean, the No. 23 Tigers have 13 newcomers attempting to replace five NPF draft selections from 2019.
• The SEMO Redhawks are the defending Ohio Valley Conference champions and are picked to win it again.
• Rachel Anderson paves the way and was ranked as Softball America's #54 player in the nation.
• Eastern Illinois won four of five in Birmingham on opening weekend in Birmingham against Akron, Samford, and Winthrop.
• The Owls look for revenge after EIU won twice at the '19 Phyllis Rafter Memorial Tournament.
• Purdue Fort Wayne's Germaine Fairchild returns for her fifth season as head coach of the Mastodons. She has 17 years NCAA coaching experience with seven postseason appearances and four championship appearances.
• KSU silenced the Mastodons over two games on opening weekend and just five hits.
• The Troy Trojans picked up three wins on opening weekend, including two against ASUN competition in a 2-0 decision against Lipscomb and a 3-0 victory against UNF.
• Beth Mullins begins her sixth year at the helm and led Troy to a program-best 19 conference wins a season ago and is aided by the return of Leanna Johnson to the circle after earning the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year.
