By: Ryan Henry
Kennesaw State (6-22, 2-7 CUSA) vs. Troy (20-10, 3-3 Sun Belt)
Location: Kennesaw, Ga. | Bailey Park
Wednesday, March 25, 5:00 p.m.
Game Notes
Follow KSU Softball- X | Instagram
KENNESAW, Ga. – After wrapping up its series against Sam Houston, Kennesaw State softball continues its homestand, hosting Troy in a midweek.
Ana Gore is coming off a stellar series this past weekend, going 5-for-10 with four extra-base hits and six RBI. In Saturday's win, she became just the second CUSA player this season to homer in back-to-back plate appearances in a conference game.
Jojo Johnson has also caught fire recently, tallying a hit in each of the last seven contests. During that stretch, she's batting .400 with seven RBI.
Macie Howes continues to be
Macie Howes with 29 RBI in just 27 games. It's the most by an Owl in a single season since Taylor Cates had 32 in 2023.
Scouting Troy
After a blistering 9-1 start to the season, Troy has cooled down recently, going 11-9 in their last 20 games. Against common KSU opponents, the Trojans are 9-2 with wins over MTSU, Chattanooga, Furman, Nicholls, Georgia Tech and a series sweep over Georgia State.
The offense is led by two of the best batters in the entire Sun Belt in Makaley Boswell and McKinnon Howard. Both players are batting .456 which is tied for the second-best average in the conference. Texas Tech transfer Killey Huffman tops the Sun Belt and is 14th in the entire country with 12 doubles.
Abby Lovell is the ace for Troy, sporting a 2.28 ERA with a team-high 61.1 innings pitched.
Series History
Troy narrowly leads the all-time series 8-7. These two teams were originally supposed to play twice in 2026, as KSU participated in the Trojan Invitational, hosted by Troy, but their contest got canceled. Wednesday will be the first meeting in over three years for these teams. KSU broke a five-game losing streak against Troy, winning 1-0 back on Feb. 19, 2023. The Black and Gold are 4-0 at home against Troy with their last victory at Bailey Park coming in 2015.
Not in her Howes
Macie Howes has been the engine for the Owls this season. She became the first player since 2021 to homer in three-straight games, doing so from Feb. 21-25. Howes had a four-hit game in the CUSA opener against MTSU (3/6). Defensively, she's top 15 in the entire country with nine runners caught stealing. Howes ranks in the top five in CUSA in batting average (.459), OBP (.510), OPS (1.263) and RBI (29) while being eighth in hits (39).
Gore Sure
After a stellar freshman season in 2025,
Ana Gore has found her groove in conference play. In the month of March, she's batting .500 (19-for-38) with 11 RBI. She homered in back-to-back plate appearances in the Owls' win over Sam Houston on March 21. She followed that performance with a 3-for-3 day with two doubles and two RBI. In CUSA games, she leads all players with a 1.538 OPS.
Jojo's World
After a slow start,
Jojo Johnson has turned a corner over the last seven games. At Missouri State, the Placentia, Calif. native popped off. In game two of the series, she hit the first Owls grand slam of the 2026 season, leading the Black and Gold to their first CUSA win of the Collins-Patterson era. During this stretch, she's batting .400 with four extra-base hits and seven RBI.
Greatest Hits
KSU made history against Furman (2/21), recording a DI-record 20 hits in its 16-7 victory.
Alora Bevily and
Hannah Harvey led the way with four hits each, becoming the first Owls to record four hits since 2024.
Ana Gore and
Macie Howes both had three RBI as Gore is the first player in program history to record two sacrifice flies in the same game. The Black and Gold also swiped five bags in the contest.
The Champions Fund
The Champions Fund is a newly created, 100% tax deductible, philanthropic opportunity to contribute strategic revenue to Kennesaw State Athletics, with the goal of strengthening our ability to recruit and retain top-tier talent in this new era of collegiate athletics. Contributions to the Champions Fund will help aid in funding student-athlete recruitment and retention, as well as helping the Owls provide competitive excellence through investments in coaching, travel and facilities. The fund will also give an elevated student-athlete experience, including enhanced academic, nutrition, wellness and leadership programs. Donate to the Champions Fund here and help us support our Kennesaw State Owls.
