By: Richard Martin
WATCH | LIVE STATS
ATLANTA Ga. – Kennesaw State looks to win its second straight game over a Power Five team with a matchup against Georgia Tech on Wednesday.
The game will be streamed on ACC Network Extra at 5:00 PM. Links to the broadcast and stats are available at KSUOwls.com.
Storylines
- KSU is off to its best start ever in the D1 era with a record of 13-1. This is also the team's best start since 2004 when the Owls began the season 38-0
- The Owls swept last weekend's Bobbie Bailey Memorial Tournament for the second year in a row. KSU has won 12 straight at the tournament, the last loss being to Rutgers in 2018
- KSU broke the single game D1 record for triples against Marshall with three on Saturday night against the Thundering Herd
Offense sells tickets…
- Through 14 games this season, the Owls rank third in the nation in batting average, hitting an impressive .375 as a team
- The Owls have been flying around the base paths, as the team ranks eighth nationally in doubles with 29 and fourth in triples with eight
- Patience at the plate has been key for KSU, leading to an on-base percentage of .449, ranked 10th in the nation
- The Owls outscored opponents at the Bobbie Bailey Memorial Tournament 42-10 last weekend. The Owls are ninth in the nation in runs scored per game, scoring 7.86 runs per contest
- So far this season, the Owls have outscored their opponents 110-24
…defense wins championships
- KSU have allowed just 1.8 runs per game this season. The most runs allowed this season was in the team's only loss, a 9-2 decision to Troy
- Lindsey Kyte has burst onto the scene in her first year, as she ranks fifth in the nation in hits allowed per seven innings, allowing just 2.21 a game
- Melanie Bennett is also having a solid freshman season, ranking 25th in the nation in walks per seven innings, walking just 0.77 batters a game
- The pitching staff has been lights out this year shutting out four teams. Last year, the Owls shut out five teams all season
Remember the Name
- Cheyanne Sales has been the surprise of the season in the ASUN. The freshman is second on the team in batting average at .462 and has hit two home runs
- Sales ranks seventh in the nation in doubles with seven so far this season
- Sales 18 RBI rank 27th in the nation
Owls are Soaring
- Hannah Thomason is tied for eighth in the nation in stolen bases with nine
- Brea Dickey is tied for fourth in the nation in triples with three. Dickey had just two triples all of last year
Feel the Power
Wednesday's game will be the second of the season against a Power Five team for the Owls. KSU is currently 1-0 against P5s after knocking off Auburn on the road earlier in the season. KSU will have seven more games against six Power Five teams, including a rematch with Georgia Tech for the annual Lexi's Day game on April 15. KSU will face Iowa State, Penn State, Purdue, Oklahoma State and Clemson this season.
Series History
- Georgia Tech leads 18-5
- Georgia Tech swept last year's series, with a 6-3 win in Atlanta and a 7-0 win in Kennesaw
- KSU's last win was in 2018, a 1-0 win in 10 innings in Kennesaw. KSU's last win in Atlanta was a 9-8 decision in 2013
Scouting the Jackets
- Georgia Tech is currently 5-8 after finishing 2-3 at the Samford Tournament in Birmingham, Ala.
- Georgia Tech has faced two Top 25 teams this season, going 1-3. The Jackets defeated #11/13 Kentucky 7-1 last Saturday
- Cameron Stanford leads the Ramblin' Wreck in batting average at .343. Stanford has hit five doubles, a home run and has eight RBI
- Patricia Awald ranks 20th in the nation with six doubles
- Head Coach Aileen Morales is now in her third season at Georgia Tech. Morales played for the Yellow Jackets from 2005-2008 and also played for the Puerto Rico National Team
NEXT UP
The Owls return home for the three day I-75 Challenge, hosting Rider in a double header on Friday, Iowa State in a doubleheader on Saturday, and hosting Penn State in a one game contest on Sunday.
