By: Matteen Zibanejadrad
UP NEXT TO PLATE
After a 3-1 start to the season thanks to a winning series against Saint Louis University, the Kennesaw State baseball team prepares to trek to Conway, S.C. for the CCU Baseball Tournament hosted by Coastal Carolina University. The invitational will pit the Owls against hosts Coastal Carolina, as well as fellow invitees West Virginia and Bryant University. Only games involving Coastal Carolina will be streamed on ESPN+; live stats will be all that's available for Friday's game against WVU and Sunday's game against Bryant.
Coastal Carolina University Baseball Tournament
Game 1: vs. No. 23 West Virginia
Date: Friday, Feb. 26
Time: 10:30 a.m. EST
Location: Springs Brooks Stadium
Starting Pitching: KSU - Luke Torbert (0-0, 6.54 ERA), WVU - Jackson Wolf (0-0, 1.80 ERA)
Live Stats
Game 2: vs. Bryant
Date: Saturday, Feb. 27
Time: 11:00 a.m. EST
Location: Springs Brooks Stadium
Starting Pitching: KSU - Jake Rice (1-0, 0.00 ERA), BU - Vito Morgese (0-0, 13.50 ERA)
Live Stats
Game 3: at Coastal Carolina
Date: Sunday, Feb. 28
Time: 3:00 p.m. EST
Location: Springs Brooks Stadium
Starting Pitching: KSU - Ryan Kennedy (1-0, 1.80 ERA), CCU - TBA
Live Stats | Watch
FEVER PITCHING
The Kennesaw State pitching staff has gotten off to a superb start to the 2021 season. The average earned-run-average for a KSU pitcher is 3.94 and opponents are only hitting for a .242 average. Much of this is to do with the fantastic job the Owls' starting pitchers have done. The four pitchers to start a game for Kennesaw State have allowed a combined four runs, with Makenzie Stills and game two starter Jake Rice both sporting a perfect 0.00 ERA.
TERRIFIC TYLER
Catcher Tyler Tolve is on a tear through the first four games. The sophomore's five RBIs contribute to nearly a third of the team's 16 runs-batted-in. The Marietta, Ga. native scored the team's first run on opening day against Saint Louis, blasting a ball over the right-side fence of the Stillwell Stadium. In the first win of last Saturday's doubleheader, Tolve drove in three runs when he cleared the bases with a triple; Tolve is one of only four ASUN batters to hit for a triple early on in the season. The Sprayberry High School graduate is tied for the ASUN lead in RBIs and his .429 batting average is the sixth-best rate in the conference. Tolve is racking up the bases, as he also leads the ASUN in slugging percentage with .786.
CAN'T BREAK THE NORM
Terence Norman has joined his teammate Tolve by proving their ASUN Preseason All-Conference team selections right. The hometown hero's patience at the plate has been rewarded in the early stages of the 2021 season, with his six hits and three walks contributing to the third-best on-base percentage in the league: .563. The right fielder was unlucky to not hit a home run in the 2020 season with his considerable power, but Norman put a quick end to that drought in the 2021 season after hitting a solo shot in his first game back in KSU colors.
SURE THING SHERRILL
Joining the Owls with his former head coach Travis McClanahan from Gordon State College, middle infielder Jesse Sherrill has been a welcome addition to the lineup. His ability to convert baserunners into runs and speedy baserunning are nothing to shrug at, but it's his glove that has impressed the Owls' faithful. The Floridian's 1.000 fielding percentage is astounding for a second baseman, even if it's just a span of four games. He's tied for the conference lead in double plays, turning two thrice in the weekend series against the Billikens. The sophomore is also tied for fourth in assists, turning nine ground balls into putouts.
