KENNESAW, Ga. – Seeking to retain momentum, Kennesaw State returns home as they will face West Georgia for the first time in program history. The Owls are fresh off their first sweep of the season over Sam Houston on the road, capped off with a 17-6 win.
Tuesday, April 15
Matchup: Kennesaw State Owls (16-19, 7-5 Conference USA) vs. West Georgia Wolves (16-17, 7-8 Atlantic Sun)
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Site: S. Walter Kelly Sr. Memorial Field -- Marietta, Ga.
Live Stats
KSU Probable Starter: #34
Bo Rhudy
West Georgia Probable Starter: #2 Maverick Torres
Series History
This will be the first time either team has faced off in program history.
The Pioneer
Nate Anderson was awarded Kennesaw State's first Conference USA Player of the Week honor, the conference office announced Monday afternoon. The outfielder nabbed a whopping .462 batting average, 1.611 On-base plus slugging %, 1.000 Slugging % and a .611 on-base %. Anderson tallied 13 total bases on the backs of two doubles, a triple, a home run and five total walks/hit by pitches. He is the first Owl this season to notch a four-hit and four-run performance in the same game (April 12). His impact was not only felt with the bat but also with his feet as he was a perfect three-for-three in stolen bases.
Lone Star Success
The Owls took to the road and conquered all three games from the Sam Houston Bearkats scoring 36 runs while only allowing eight. Three separate pitchers for KSU compounded nine strikeouts with
Daniel Powell and
Harry Cain both setting career highs in innings pitched and punch outs. In the series finale, KSU blasted 17 runs, the Owl's largest run total of the season and the most scored in a game since April 27 last year when they took down Bellarmine 21-1. It's the fifth time KSU has totaled 10+ runs in a game. It's the Black and Gold's first Conference USA series sweep in program history and the first three-game winning streak of the season.
Home Runs Galore
In game one, the Owls set their season-high in single inning scoring with a six-run frame to springboard ahead to a 9-2 win Friday night. Two games later, not only did they break the six-run tally but they doubled it with a 12-run inning Sunday afternoon. It was just the second time in DI program history KSU unveiled a 12-run stanza with the previous occurrence coming on April 19, 2023, when they posted 12 runs in the first inning versus Georgia Southern in a 13-9 victory. Supporting the 12 runs were three long balls sent out by Owl hitters -- Also the second time in DI program history. The previous happening was April 11, 2011, when Ronnie Freeman, Andy Chriscaden and Peyton Hart hit three consecutive homers to begin the game over Southern Illinois. Another substantial feat was accomplished by the KSU lineup as they delivered five home runs on the Sunday matchup, tied for a DI program record in a single game. The first five-homer game was set versus Belmont on April 1, 2010. Williams, Suto, Anderson and Chirello all left the yard with Chirello registering two jacks.
International Day
Join us for International Day as KSU Athletics, Student Engagement and Belonging, the Global Village, and the UNITY Center have come together to help celebrate all of the different international cultures that call KSU home!
Game Sponsor
Join KSU Athletics in thanking our Game Sponsor:
The Georgia Army National Guard. The Guard will have one of the on-campus recruiting officers onsite to throw out the first pitch.
Strength Of Schedule
According to the NCAA, the Owls have the ninth hardest strength of schedule in the country out of the 309 Division-I programs. KSU's combined opponent record this season is tabbed at 701-448, which adds up to a 61.0 win percentage. KSU has faced just one team that was below .500 at the time they played them.
Cash in the Book
First baseman
Donovan Cash is methodically working his way up the D-I career records in KSU history. In game three versus La. Tech, Cash delivered a double to deep center field, scoring a run for the Owls and notching his 152nd career RBI, a new KSU D-I program record. Cash broke Ronnie Freeman's previous record of 151 RBI. Sending out a home run versus Sam Houston, Cash tied the DI career home run record, knotted up with Andy Chriscaden with 29. He is also tied for seventh in career hits with 234. In the SMHS series, Cash surpassed Kennesaw State Hall of Famer Max Pentecost at 229.
Walk-Off Wes
Freshman
Wesley Alig has already showcased his clutch time DNA with the most recent example being his two-run walk-off home run to defeat Jacksonville State 6-4 in the 11th inning (4/5). The infielder took the first pitch he saw to left-center field, signifying his second extra-inning big fly. His first extra-inning dinger was versus The Citadel (3/15) when he pounded a 10th-inning grand slam to propel KSU to victory. Two of his four homers have been in extras, with three coming in the seventh inning or later. The righty is also riding a 16-game on-base streak, a current team-high while being tied for the most multi-hit games of the season with 10.
An In-State Victory
Tuesday's thriller versus Georgia State resulted in KSU's first home midweek triumph of the year. Newcomers
Jackson Bradfield and
Cam Suto pushed forward the 6-5 win. Both players notched two hits and two RBI games with Suto ripping a double down the left field line, tying the game at 5-5. Bradfield slashed a single through the middle of the infield to grasp the lead and the eventual win, marking KSU's second midweek decision of the year. Rhudy earned the win with two scoreless innings on the hill, becoming the fifth Owl with two wins on the year.
Special Weekend
A mountain of special performances and accolades highlighted the Owl's series win over Western Kentucky. Not only did they secure their first Conference USA win but they handed WKU their second and third losses of the season. The Hilltoppers came into the weekend with the second-best ERA (2.59) in the NCAA while the Owls compiled 18 runs over the three games, averaging six runs per game on the Conference USA leader. The Tops also stood atop CUSA in runs scored while the Owls pitching staff held them to 14 runs, sporting three pitchers that went more than four innings deep (Gold, Cain & Rhudy). KSU cemented its largest margin of victory with a six-run win on Sunday. With two wins versus WKU, The Black and Gold rocketed up the RPI ranks, jumping 38 spots.
Road Warriors
Fresh off the road, Kennesaw State returned to Marietta for the first time in 25 days (Feb. 24 - March 20). The 13-game road stretch signified the longest road trip in Division-I program history. During the 13 games, KSU faced seven opponents, all of which currently hold an above .500 record.
100 For Our Guy
On March 12 at Mercer, Kennesaw State scored in five-straight innings to defeat the in-state rival. The win marked head coach
Ryan Coe's 100th career victory at the helm - joining his former coach and KSU Athletics Hall of Famer Mike Sansing as the only two to eclipse 100.
Unbeaten No More
The Black and Gold traveled on the country roads during the second weekend of March for their first-ever series against West Virginia. In game two of the series, the Owls entered the ninth down 9-7 before a game-tying blast from
Cam Suto allowed a go-ahead grand slam from
Donovan Cash.
Ryan Renfroe threw the final three innings of scoreless, one-hit ball to slam the door on the Mountaineer offense. The KSU victory ended West Virginia's perfect start to the season of 13-0 and was the only loss of the non-conference season for West Virginia.
Madness in Marietta
Saturday's win over reigning Ivy League Champion Columbia was packed full of drama, with KSU walking it off via the wild pitch in a 10-9 ninth-inning victory. A five-run final inning completed the largest comeback since March 22, 2022, when the Owls overcame seven runs from UNF. It's the second-largest comeback of the
Ryan Coe era. They did so with patience and aggression at the plate with four base knocks (three doubles) and three straight free passes (walk, hit by pitch and wild pitch) in the ninth inning. Freshman catcher
James McGee entered as a pinch hitter in the ninth and lined a double down the left field line, scoring
Chris Cole and marking McGee's first collegiate hit.
First of Many
In the first square-down of the season, KSU defeated Rutgers 5-3 on the back of a five-run seventh inning. It marked not only the first win of the season but also the first win as a member of CUSA for the Owls. KSU knocked off a BIG10 opponent for the first time since they defeated Michigan in 2023.
S. Walter Kelly Sr. Memorial Field
For the duration of the 2025 season, Kennesaw State will be returning to Marietta, Ga. as they will play at S. Walter Kelly Sr. Memorial Field for the first time in 10 years. With Mickey Dunn Stadium still under construction, the Owls will return to their roots as the field served as the home to Southern Polytechnic baseball from 1975-2014. Recent upgrades have been made to the historic field including improved lights, dugouts and much more. S. Walter Kelly (1896-1973), a WWI Navy veteran, was a vital part of brokering the land deal that allowed STI to move to Marietta from its initial location, a repurposed Army base in Chamblee, DeKalb County.
Slated for '25
Kennesaw State's first season in CUSA comes with a slew of impressive opponents. The Owls will face five 2024 NCAA Regional squads in Georgia, Georgia Tech, West Virginia along with CUSA foes Dallas Baptist and La. Tech. KSU will face 12 teams who registered an above .500 record last season, featuring eight of the first 10 opponents. They will leave February playing only one below .500 team. Four futures foes registered a Top-50 RPI. There is quite a bit of familiarity with the Owls through the first month and a half of the season as they have at least one game played versus the first eight opponents. Through the rest of the season, KSU will face eight opponents for the first time in program history including six first-time CUSA matchups.
Fantastic Freshman Class
The Owls staff aren't the only ones who are excited about the current freshmen class,
Perfect Game recognized KSU with the 44th-best recruiting class in the country. They are ranked as the best class in CUSA, pacing FIU at 51st, while they are also just one of three conference teams in the top 100. The program ranks well in the state of Georgia, ranking well above in-state rivals Georgia Southern (76), Georgia State (71) and Mercer (57).
Perfect Game listed three Owls in its "Top 500 Fresh Arrivals on Campus," with
Ty Bayer (210),
Nolan McKinstry (423) and
Ethan Osada (471).
No Donuts At Home
Inside the friendly confines of Stillwell Stadium and Walter Kelly Field, Kennesaw State baseball had not been shut out in 194 home contests - the third-longest streak in the nation. KSU was last shutout at home on Feb. 27, 2018. The Owls have not placed a zero on the home scoreboard under head coach
Ryan Coe.
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.
