By: Michael Pitts
Kennesaw State (6-13, 0-0 ASUN) at the UCF Round Robin
Location: UCF Softball Complex – Orlando, Fla.
Friday, Mar. 10 at 3:00 p.m. – vs. North Dakota
Saturday, Mar. 11 at 12:30 p.m. – vs. North Dakota
Saturday, Mar. 11 at 5:30 p.m. – at UCF
Sunday, Mar. 12 at 11:00 a.m. – vs. Toledo
Sunday, Mar. 12 at 1:00 p.m. – at UCF
Leading Off
Kennesaw State softball's road trip continues for its final tournament of the 2023 regular season on Friday, Mar. 10 through Sunday, Mar. 12 at the UCF Round Robin.
The Owls are set to face North Dakota (1-18) Mar. 10 at 3:00 p.m. and Mar. 11 at 12:30 p.m. followed by a contest against the hosting UCF Knights (10-13) at 5:30 p.m. KSU meets Toledo (4-9) at 11:00 a.m. on Mar. 12 in game one of a doubleheader capped off with a rematch against UCF at 1:00 p.m.
Head coach Tripp MacKay's Owls enter the tournament after blanking Georgia Southern 5-0 Tuesday. Freshman pitcher Kenley Hilleary notched 5.0 innings of work with 10 strikeouts allowing only four hits en route to her second career win. Taylor Cates launched a three-run homer in the seventh for her first of the 2023 campaign.
Hilleary and Melanie Bennett have accrued 44 strikeouts in KSU's last five games in just 32 innings pitched combined.
At the plate, Brinaya Bailey leads the Owls with a .286 average on the season and .333 in the last five games with a .400 slugging percentage.
Both games against UCF this weekend will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Familiar Foes
North Dakota: KSU's two games against the Fighting Hawks mark the first meetings between the programs.
UCF: The Knights lead the all-time series, 3-2 including winning the last meeting 8-1 on Mar. 7, 2021 in Orlando. UCF eliminated the Owls from the 2021 NCAA Tallahassee Regional after KSU earned its first NCAA Division I postseason win over Auburn.
Toledo: KSU has never defeated the Rockets, trailing 6-0 in the series. The last meeting saw a 4-3 win for Toledo on Feb. 15, 2019 in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Â
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
After the trip to Orlando, the Owls begin conference play against the Austin Peay Governors for a three-day series beginning on Friday, Mar. 17 in Clarksville, Tenn.
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.
