By: Matteen Zibanejadrad
UP NEXT TO PLATE
The Kennesaw State baseball team (7-4) continues their road trip with a faceoff against the Catamounts of Western Carolina (7-4) on Wednesday, March 10 at 4:00 p.m. in Cullowhee, N.C. The Owls are coming off of a series against UAB in Birmingham, Ala. where the team went 2-1 on the weekend.
Opponent: Western Carolina Catamounts
Location: Cullowhee, N.C. | E.J. Whitmire Stadium
Date: Wednesday, March 9
Time: 4 p.m. EST
Starting Pitching:
KSU: Nathan Holler (0-0, 2.80 ERA)
WCU: Dawson Elder (0-1, 18.00 ERA)
Watch | Live Stats
CRAZY CARBALLO
Alex Carballo had an amazing week through the UGA and UAB games. The center fielder started off his week with a huge 6-4 win against then-ranked No. 5 Georgia. Floridian got the KSU offense going with a three-run bomb over the right-field wall to give his team the 3-2 lead. He had another big hit later in the game when he tied the game at 4 with a double to left field. He also crossed home plate for the winning run off of Tyler Simon's triple. In his four plate appearances against the Bulldogs, Carballo made it on base every time.
The Owls also picked up a pair of wins in Birmingham, Ala. against UAB, where Carballo added a trio of hits, runs and RBIs to his weekly total. The Owls won three total games while Carballo hit for .357 average, a .500 on-base percentage and a .643 slugging percentage in the four games this week.
RISE OF RICE
Jake Rice could not be touched in his first three starts of the season. The graduate pitcher holds a perfect 0.00 ERA with a 3-0 win-loss record and a .125 opposing batting average.
The Birmingham, Ala. native returned home for a dominant win against UAB, where Rice pitched seven innings of shutout ball while striking out six. The six-foot-one leftie currently shares the league lead in ERA and wins; his season tally of 20 strikeouts is currently the third best in the ASUN.
SHERRILL'S A SURE THING
Jesse Sherrill has thoroughly impressed the KSU faithful in his first games as an Owl, securing his spot as the team's starting second baseman. His .350 batting average is the best on the squad and is ranked eighth in the conference.
The Gordon State transfer went five-for-12 last week, sporting a .417 average over the four games. His keen eye makes him a safe bet to make it on base, as the sophomore walked seven times in the contests against UGA and UAB.
While he's been dangerous with the bat, Sherrill has also been remarkable with the glove. The Floridian has only made one error for a .985 fielding percentage at second base. He made an amazing diving play in the bottom of the fifth on Sunday, saving a run to keep the Owls in the game.
