By: Michael Goss
KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State baseball travels to the University of Georgia for its second of four-straight midweek games against Power Five opponents. The Owls enter the contest after sweeping Jacksonville last weekend and compiling 37 runs on 42 hits.
The Rundown
Matchup: Kennesaw State Owls (22-20, 12-9 ASUN) vs. Georgia Bulldogs (24-20, 8-13 SEC)
Date: May 2
Site: Foley Field; Athens, Ga.
TV: SEC Network +
Game Notes: KSU |
UGA
2023 Schedule: Click Here
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Tuesday vs. Georgia
First Pitch: 6:00 p.m.
Probable Starters:
KSU: TBA
Georgia: TBA
Live Stats |
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THE SERIES
The Owls and Bulldogs have met 30 times in series history. Georgia leads the all-time series 19-11, with KSU's last win coming in a 6-4 victory in 2021.
THE LAST MATCHUP
Kennesaw State fell to Georgia 6-4 earlier this season in front of the third-largest crowd in Stillwell Stadium history. The Bulldogs scored all six runs in the first two innings before
Luke Cooper and
Agyei Quinichett combined to throw 7.2 innings of scoreless relief. The duo limited Georgia to only two hits.
FIVE OWLS NEAR THE TOP OF THE ASUN
Several Owls are leading the charge at the top of the ASUN Conference in multiple categories. Senior
Nick Colina leads the ASUN in three categories. The Dallas, Ga. native leads the ASUN in triples (5), OBP (.534) and walks (45). Freshman
Jackson Chirello's 13 doubles are tied for eighth.
Donovan Cash is 11th with 44 RBIs.
Blake Wehunt is 9th in the league with 64 strikeouts and
Nick Zegna is 16th with 58 punchouts.
HANSON'S HOT STREAK
Spencer Hanson has been on a tear over his last seven games. The KSU designated hitter has homered six times while collecting six multi-hit performances and 19 RBI over that span. Hanson recorded 11 RBI in the three-game series with Jacksonville and was named the ASUN Conference Player of the Week for the first time in his career.
THE BABY OWLS
During Opening Weekend, Kennesaw State baseball played 14 student-athletes who were either freshmen or sophomores. The underclassmen consisted of eight position players and six pitchers that took the field during the three-game series. Of the 14, seven were true freshmen.
EIDSON DOES IT ALL
Junior
Brayden Eidson has shown that he can do it all through the first part of the new season. The Owls' utility player leads the team in batting average (.331) and has also pitched quality innings on the mound. In the midweek versus Clemson (Mar. 22), Eidson tossed a season-high six innings and set a new career-high with six strikeouts. To top it all off, he homered at the plate and was only a triple shy of the cycle.
CASH MONEY
Donovan Cash put together an incredible weekend against LIU (Feb. 24-26). The KSU first baseman homered in all three games and finished the series 8-for-14 with 10 RBI to earn ASUN Conference Player of the Week honors.
FRESHMAN PHENOMS
Coach Coe and his staff focused on recruiting high school talent during their first, full, recruiting cycle at Kennesaw State. The class features 13 true freshmen and were ranked as the No. 57 class out of 302 Division I programs by Perfect Game USA. Two of these players,
Jackson Chirello and
Tanner Franklin, were also named to the Perfect Game Top 100 Freshmen List prior to the season.
DIAMOND DEBUTS
The Owls feature many new faces on the diamond in the 2023 campaign. 21 out of the 37 players on this year's squad are in their first season with KSU baseball. This accounts for 57% of the team's roster.
ON DECK
The Owls travel to Nashville this weekend for a three-game series with Lipscomb set to begin on Friday night. The Bisons enter as the conference's No. 2 team while KSU sits in fifth place. First pitch is slated for 7:00 p.m. inside Dugan Field.
To keep up with the latest on the Kennesaw State baseball team, follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsBaseball or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook and Instagram.
