Kennesaw State (7-6, 0-0 CUSA) at Middle Tennessee (10-7, 0-0 CUSA)
Location: Murfreesboro, Tenn. | Reese Smith Jr. Field
Friday, March 13 at 7 p.m. at Middle Tennessee (ESPN+)
Saturday, March 14 at 4 p.m. at Middle Tennessee (ESPN+)
Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m. at Middle Tennessee (ESPN+)
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KENNESAW, Ga. - After navigating one of the nation's toughest non-conference schedules, Kennesaw State baseball opens Conference USA play this weekend with a three-game series at Middle Tennessee.
Pitching Matchups
- Friday: RHP Cooper McMullen (0-2, 7.20 ERA) vs. LHP Chandler Alderman (1-0, 2.89 ERA)
- Saturday: RHP Logan Brock (0-1, 7.04 ERA) vs. RHP Drew Horn (0-0, 4.60 ERA)
- Sunday: RHP Nolan Sliver (0-0, 4.91 ERA) vs. TBA
Last Time Out
Kennesaw State swept a two-game series against Samford at Mickey Dunn Stadium at Henssler Financial Field, with the weekend heavily impacted by inclement weather.
The Owls took the opening game of the series, 8-3, after an 18-hour weather suspension halted play on Friday night. Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh when play was stopped, KSU scored six unanswered runs when the game resumed Saturday afternoon.
Kennesaw State slugged its way to a 9-8 victory in Saturday's full contest to clinch the series, tying the program's Division I-era record with five home runs. Jackson Chirello launched two homers for his second career multi-home run game, while Jackson Bradfield and James McGee also went deep. Freshman Avery Wilson added the first home run of his collegiate career.
One of the Nation's Toughest Starts
KSU is one of the most battle-tested teams in the nation, having played seven games against ranked opponents. Per WarrenNolan.com, the Owls faced the 34th-toughest schedule in the nation to open the season, ranking as the third-toughest strength of schedule in Conference USA
Death, Taxes and Daniel Powell
After being named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List, right-hander Daniel Powell has lived up to the lofty expectations early in the 2026 season. In a team-high seven appearances out of the bullpen, Powell owns a 0.60 ERA, the 17th-best mark among qualified Division I pitchers and the best ERA in Conference USA.
Much of Powell's success has come from limiting baserunners, as he holds a 0.87 WHIP (No. 71 in Division I) and a .133 batting average against, the top mark among CUSA relievers.
He also leads all CUSA relievers with a 3-0 record and is one of six pitchers in the league with three wins. His two saves also pace the conference, making him one of two pitchers in the league with multiple saves this season.
His dominant start also earned him a spot on the College Baseball Foundation's National Pitcher of the Year Award Watch List, becoming the first Owl to receive the recognition since 2013.
Late-Inning Offense
Kennesaw State's offense has come to life in the late innings of contests in 2026, scoring 43 of its 79 runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.
The eighth inning has been particularly productive for the Owls, accounting for 26 runs (32.9%) on the year. The seventh inning ranks as KSU's third-highest scoring frame with 11 runs, trailing only the eighth and first innings (12). KSU has added six runs in the ninth inning this season.
The late-game offensive success has helped the Owls rally for four wins when trailing after six innings.
An Advanced Look
Jayden Summerville's 35.7% strikeout rate leads all KSU relievers with at least three appearances, while Daniel Powell (32.7%) and Nate Helman (32.1%) have also struck out nearly a third of batters they've faced. Summerville has also been one of the bullpen's top strike-throwers, walking just 3.6% of batters faced. He trails only Harry Cain, who has walked 2.9% of the batters he has faced.
Cashing in Opportunities
The Owls have done a nice job of capitalizing on prime scoring chances, driving in 26 runs on 36 opportunities with a runner on third base and less than two outs, a 72.2% success rate. Alig has produced six RBIs in eight such opportunities, while McCollum has driven in four runs in five chances.
Milestone Watch
Chirello hit the 48th double of his career on March 7 vs. Samford, ranking fifth in Kennesaw State's Division I history. The Division I-era career record for doubles is 57, set by Donovan Cash (2022-25), while the all-time program mark of 69 doubles was set by Clint Watters (2001-04)
Chris Cole enters weekend with 44 career stolen bases, ranking fourth on KSU's Division I career list and sixth on the all-time leaderboard. The Dallas, Ga., native needs three steals to move into third place on the D-I leaderboard and fifth place on the all-time list. KSU's career stolen base record, both all-time and in the Division I era, is 67.
Tri-Star State Talent
Three Owls return to their home state after successful prep careers in Tennessee.
Wesley Alig (Oak Ridge, Christian Academy of Knoxville) and Trenton Lyons (Memphis, Christian Brothers) were both finalists for their classification's Mr. Baseball Award in 2023 as selected by the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association. Alig returned to the Mr. Baseball Award banquet after a terrific senior season in 2024, earning the Division II-A Mr. Baseball Award after hitting .471 with nine home runs, 19 doubles, 40 RBI and 33 runs scored.
Freshman right-hander Nolan Bethel also enjoyed a decorated prep career in the Volunteer State, earning All-District, All-Region, All-County and All-State honors three times. The Loudon High School product recorded more than 200 strikeouts while posting a 21-3 career record that included three no-hitters.
Scouting the Blue Raiders
Led by fourth-year head coach Jerry Meyers, Middle Tennessee enters the weekend after a 10-7 start to the season. The Blue Raiders are 10-4 in games played at Reese Smith Jr. Field but were swept by UAB in Birmingham last weekend. Despite the nice start to the year, MTSU is ranked No. 215 in the RPI, partially due to its poor strength of schedule (254).
Middle Tennessee was picked to finish 10th in Conference USA by the league's coaches, with starting pitcher Drew Horn (0-0, 4.60 ERA) being selected to the All-CUSA Preseason Team. The talented right-hander was recently named to the College Baseball Foundation's National Pitcher of the Year watch list.
