Kennesaw State (14-36, 6-15 Atlantic Sun)
Location: Kennesaw, Ga. - Bailey Park
Friday, May 3 @ 2 p.m. ET – @ FGCU
Friday, May 3 @ 4:30 p.m. ET – @ FGCU
Saturday, May 4 @ 1 p.m. ET – @ FGCU
Follow the Action: @KSUOwlsSB on Twitter
The Owls (14-36) have one more series on the regular season slate as they square off versus FGCU (32-17) on the road with an ASUN Postseason bid on the line.
ASUN Championship Spot on the Line
The Owls seek to burst into the top eight spots as they currently sit tied for eighth with Austin Peay as the Governors hold the tiebreaker as of today. The initial tiebreaker is head-to-head records, which neither team has against each other. The next tiebreaker goes to RPI, where the Govs sit at 167 and the Owls are at 240. Five schools are fighting for the the lone final spot in the "play-in" round. The ASUN Championship takes place in Oxford, Ala. starting May 7.
Milestone Weekend
Kennesaw State upperclassmen have been soaring past major career marks all season long but last weekend versus UCA was remarkable. It was a picture perfect situation for
Kiera Cooper to earn her 100th career hit as she was the lone senior recognized for senior weekend. The following day,
Melanie Bennett pitched her 700th career inning for the Owls. She also surpassed 3,000 career batters faced the weekend prior as well as appearing in the most games as a pitcher earlier this season.
Precision Pitching
The pitching staff has thrived this year in finding the strike zone and not allowing the free pass. The highest national rank the Black and Gold have is their strikeout-to-walk ratio with 2.11. It's not only second in the ASUN but it's 66th in the country. Not a single Owls pitcher has surrendered more than 33 walks this year.
Initiating Takeover Mode
Freshman
Ava Guzowski shined in the spotlight versus Georgia Tech as she recorded the most single game RBI by an Owl this year with four. It's also her career high as she hammered a solo home run and sent through a bases clearing double, scoring three runs and giving the Owls the lead versus the ACC foe. She leads the team in RBI with 24 as she sits as the only player that has surpassed 20 on the season.
Taking Them to the Brink
When it comes to power five competition, Kennesaw State has often brought its A game. The Black and Gold secured two leads over Georgia Tech in Wednesday's game while also scoring the most runs (7) the Owls have versus the Yellowjackets since 2014. The lead signified the second time this year they have had a lead over a team that had a top 25 ranking in the season. The Owls also took an early lead over #22 South Carolina. Overall, KSU has had three leads over power five programs (GT, SC & Pitt).
Kyte Continues to Carve
In her most recent start versus Central Arkansas, Fifth year senior
Lindsey Kyte tossed four perfect innings. In the fifth innings, a few runs crossed but none were marked as earned. Prior to the UCA series, Kyte bolstered the Lions offense down when it was needed most to help secure the 5-0 win for the Owls in game three. She tossed her first complete game shutout of the season marking the third time she has reached seven innings in a start. She carved out six strikeouts which also tied her season high. She allowed just three hits to the fourth ranked offense in the ASUN in North Alabama. Over he last nine innings, she has no allowed an earned run while tallying nine strikeouts.
Only Getting Better
Sophomore
Stella Henry continues to blaze the base paths this year as she recorded three stolen bags in the UNA series. That puts her total at 23 on the year which stands at second in the ASUN, just five away from first place. She totaled just 16 stolen bases last year but her improvements don't stop there. She has already beat last year's run total, triples, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. She is just one hit away from last year's total along with being tied for nine RBI from year one to year two.
Server...Check Please
The pitching staff continues to be a strength of the Owls and it was no more apparent than versus Bellarmine. Over 21 innings, the staff collected 19 strikeouts while only allowing two earned runs.
Kenley Hilleary,
Melanie Bennett and
Lindsey Kyte all tossed complete games, the first time they've accrued three consecutive CG's this season. The series ERA registered at .86.
Found Spaces in the Armor
In the Bellarmine series, Kennesaw State grew leaps and bounds in the ASUN standings, jumping four spots. The Owls have now earned their first series sweep of the year along with their second three-game winning streak of the year. They are just one of three teams currently riding a winning streak. The combined conference record of the Owls future ASUN opponents stands at 28-17.
Freshman in the Fold
Freshman
Hannah Harvey made her collegiate debut in game one in the Bellarmine series and has impressed since. It was not only her first appearance in an Owl uniform but her first start as she served as the DP for the first three games she played in. In the Georgia State game, she recorded her first start in the field as she started at shortstop. She has doubled four times in just 11 games.
Series History
The history has been brief between the Owls and the Bears with just seven total games played. UCA is currently riding a four game winning streak. The Owls began the all-time series with three straight wins starting in 1998 and spanning to 2011. The last time these teams battled was in 2022 in Jacksonville, Fla. when the Bears ended the Owls season in the ASUN Championship. The Bears have never played in Kennesaw, Ga.
Milestone Watch:
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Ty Hardeman: 148 games played
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Lindsey Kyte: 198 strikeouts
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Stella Henry: 98 games started & 92 hits
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Kiera Cooper: 29 doubles
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Melanie Bennett: 597 strikeouts
Finding the Gaps
Kiera Cooper has always had a special ability to lace the ball into the outfield gaps, but this year has been magnified. The lone senior has 11 doubles on the year, that tally is tied for second in the ASUN. Not only is it toward the top of the conference but it already signifies the most doubles in her career for a single season.
The Speed Continues
Speed and athleticism have been one of the strengths for the Owls so far, and that trend has continued. Kennesaw State currently stands 77th (out of 296) in the nation in total stolen bases with 58. That number is good for fourth in the Atlantic Sun. They are also top 100 in stolen bases per game with 2.09.
On The Move
On October 14, 2022, Kennesaw State University announced it will be joining Conference USA in all sports, effective July 1, 2024. KSU has been in the ASUN Conference (and previously the Big South for football) since its move to Division I in 2006.
Admission is free to all Kennesaw State softball home games in 2024.
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.
