By: Michael Pitts
2023 Schedule
Kennesaw State (9-18, 1-2 ASUN) at No. 17/16 Georgia (24-6, 5-1 SEC)
Location: Turner Softball Stadium – Athens, Ga.
Wednesday, Mar. 22 at 7:00 p.m.Â
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Leading Off
Another road contest against a ranked SEC opponent is on deck for the Kennesaw State softball team in the form of the No. 17/16 Georgia Bulldogs Wednesday at Turner Softball Stadium.
This marks the Owls' third road game against a ranked SEC opponent this season. KSU upset No. 7/6 Alabama on Feb. 26 in a 5-3 victory in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Entering this contest, infielder Taylor Cates has started in 163 consecutive games and is tied with Jessica Cross for the longest-such streak in KSU DI history.
Cates surpassed Cross for most consecutive games played in KSU DI history (164) Sunday at Austin Peay.
Pitcher Melanie Bennett currently has 49 wins in her Kennesaw State career, one shy of becoming the third Owl pitcher in KSU's DI history to achieve 50 victories.
The midweek game is the first meeting between the two schools since 2021.
UGA is coming off a road sweep of No. 24/21 Texas A&M this past weekend. The Bulldogs were ranked as high as No. 9 in the D1 Softball top 25 this week.
Fans can catch the action on the SEC Network.
A Familiar Foe
The Bulldogs lead the all-time series against the Owls, 8-0. The two teams last met on Apr. 7, 2021 in a 3-1 win for Georgia.
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Circle of Gems
The final week of February was highlighted by incredible performances in the circle from Kennesaw State pitchers. On Feb. 24 vs. Indiana State, freshman Kenley Hilleary took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning and finished with 10.0 innings pitched, five hits and one earned run allowed with a career-high 11 strikeouts.
Hilleary struck again on Feb. 26 at No. 11/7 Alabama with a complete-game four-hitter allowing only three earned runs as KSU upset the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Ala. It marked the Owls' first win over a ranked opponent since Feb. 14, 2015 vs. No. 5/6 Kentucky. Between the two games, Hilleary threw 302 pitches and collected both ASUN Pitcher of the Week honors and a national "Selected Top Performances" mention by the NFCA.
On Feb. 28 vs. Samford, Bennett pitched 9.0 innings of shutout ball with 13 strikeouts and only one earned run as KSU defeated Samford, 1-0. It marked the senior's 50th career complete game, becoming only the second Owl in KSU's DI history to achieve the mark (Brittany Matthews, 2006-08).
KSU's pitching clinics continued Mar. 7 at Georgia Southern when Hilleary pitched 5.0 innings with 10 strikeouts allowing only four hits and zero earned runs in the Owls' 5-0 win. Bennett pitched the final two innings, getting three strikeouts of her own and earning the save – the first Owl to collect a save in 2023.
A New Staff
MacKay added two new assistants to his staff over the summer, Peejay Brun and Brea Dickey. Brun brings over 20 years of collegiate coaching experience to Kennesaw State, having most recently been the head coach of UT Arlington. Dickey makes her return to KSU as one of the most decorated softball players in program history as a career .364 hitter with 135 hits and a .953 OPS. They join MacKay and volunteer assistant/pitching coach Crystal Hampton.
Shining in the ASUN
Cates was the only member of the team to be named to the ASUN Preseason All-Conference team this season. A season ago, she finished tied for the conference lead in homers (19) and slugging percentage (.857), as well as second in average (.390) and seventh in RBI (48).
The Owls were picked to finish third in the conference behind 2022 champion Liberty and Central Arkansas. KSU travels to Lynchburg, Va. for a three-game set with the Flames March 31-Apr. 2.
On Deck
Kennesaw State returns home Friday, Mar. 24 for game one of a three-game set against Eastern Kentucky. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m. on the KSU Owl Network.
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State softball news follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsSB or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.
