KENNESAW, Ga. – Looking to maintain a six-game Conference USA win streak, the Black and Gold will take to the road going toe-to-toe with the Liberty Flames in the weekend series.
Friday, April 25
Matchup: Kennesaw State Owls (20-20, 10-5 Conference USA) vs. Liberty Flames (24-17, 6-9 Conference USA)
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Site: Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium -- Lynchburg, Va.
ESPN+ | Live Stats
KSU Probable Starter: #39
Harry Cain
LIB Probable Starter: #21 Jake Potts
Saturday, April 26
Matchup: Kennesaw State Owls (20-20, 10-5 Conference USA) vs. Liberty Flames (24-17, 6-9 Conference USA)
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Site: Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium -- Lynchburg, Va.
ESPN+ | Live Stats
KSU Probable Starter: #23
Ty Bayer
LIB Probable Starter: #16 Ben Blair
Sunday, April 27
Matchup: Kennesaw State Owls (20-20, 10-5 Conference USA) vs. Liberty Flames (24-17, 6-9 Conference USA)
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Site: Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium -- Lynchburg, Va.
ESPN+ | Live Stats
KSU Probable Starter: TBA
LIB Probable Starter: #45 Dylan Mathiesen
Series History
The all-time ledger favors the Flames 17-8 but the last four match-ups have been a dead heat with each team taking two games. In 2022, KSU slayed the Flames 10-6 in Fort Myers, Fla., to secure the ASUN Championship and move on to the Hattiesburg NCAA Regional. The rivalry dates back 15 years when the two faced each other for the first time in 2010.
The Pioneers
On consecutive weeks, Kennesaw State scored the program's first Conference USA Pitcher and Player of the week with
Harry Cain (April 21) and
Nate Anderson (April 14). Cain tied a career-high in innings pitched with seven frames while allowing just two runs and accruing eight strikeouts Friday against FIU. His seven innings tied the longest outing of an Owl pitcher this year. The Owls swept back-to-back conference opponents for the second time in the
Ryan Coe era and the first time in three years (2022). Cain earned his third win of the season and fanned eight Panther hitters, his second-highest single-game tally of the year.
Nate Anderson was awarded Kennesaw State's first Conference USA Player of the Week honor, the conference office announced last Monday. 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.
The Streak
Coe and the Owls have been rolling over the past two weeks as they secured a seven-game win streak before the Charlotte loss. During the win streak, KSU was lethal with the bats, averaging over 10 runs per game while posting back-to-back games versus FIU with 10+ walks. The pitching complimented the offense greatly, allowing just a 2.50 ERA over the last six CUSA games, along with the first shutout of the season (Sam Houston, April 12). It's the second time under Coe that the Black and Gold have swept back-to-back series with the first occurrence happening in 2022 (March 18-27). The seven-game tally is tied for the fourth-longest streak in KSU DI history.
West Georgia Walk-Off
For the second time in the last six games, a freshman has earned a walk-off hit in extras to send the Owls to victory as
James McGee's 11th-inning RBI single gifted KSU a 9-8 win over West Georgia. Down four runs on two separate occasions, Kennesaw State battled back with the help of a four home run showcase from the offense.
Donovan Cash's home run in the third inning signified the 30
th of his career and dethroned Andy Chriscaden's Division-I career home run record of 29. Cash also surpassed Ronnie Freeman's DI career RBI record earlier this season versus La. Tech on the road (March 30). The Owl offense has plastered 11 home runs over the last four games, including four versus the Wolves. They have scored five or more runs in each of the last eight games. Kennesaw State is now 3-1 in extra-inning games and has advanced to 14-3 this year when compiling between 10-14 hits. The win marked KSU's third against in-state opponents (Mercer, Georgia State & West Georgia).
Cash in the Book
First baseman
Donovan Cash is methodically working his way up the D-I career records in KSU history. Facing West Georgia, Cash uncorked a two-run shot, signifying his 30th career home run, surpassing Andy Chriscaden's DI career home run record of 29. 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. Cash's most recent record came in game three versus FIU as he surpassed Tyler Simon's record for total bases of 383.
DI Records Next Up for Cash:
Doubles: Max Pentecost (53) -- Cash (50)
Sacrifice Flies: Brennan Morgan (14) -- Cash (12)
Hits: Jacob Robbins (275) -- Cash (241)
Owls in Top Conference USA Ranks
1st:
Shamaar McDuffie -- Sacrifice Bunts (9)
2nd:
Donovan Cash -- Doubles (16) | 3rd -- Doubles Per Game (0.40)
3rd:
Chris Cole -- Walks (32) | 5th -- Stolen Bases (16)
4th:
Harry Cain -- WHIP (1.11) | 5th -- Hits Allowed Per Nine Innings (6.65)
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. The KSU lineup accomplished another substantial feat as they delivered five home runs in the Sunday matchup, tying 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.
Strength Of Schedule
According to the NCAA, the Owls have the 18th hardest strength of schedule in the country out of the 309 Division-I programs. KSU's combined opponent record this season is tabbed at 886-615, which adds up to a 59.1 win percentage. Just two of KSU's eighteen opponents were below .500 at the time they played them. Prior to the Sam Houston series, Kennesaw State was atop the strength of schedule ranks in the country.
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.
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.
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.
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 198 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.
