By: Ryan Henry
Kennesaw State (6-23, 2-7 CUSA) vs. UTEP (9-19, 1-8 CUSA)
Location: Kennesaw, Ga. | Bailey Park
Game 1: Friday, March 27, 5:00 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, March 28, 2:00 p.m.
Game 3: Sunday, March 29, 11:00 a.m.
KSU Game Notes
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KENNESAW, Ga. – After a tough loss to Troy last night, Kennesaw State softball will quickly turnaround and finish its homestand against UTEP this weekend.
Hannah Harvey homered for the first time this season against the Trojans.
Macie Howes extended her on-base streak to 14 and picked up her 30
th RBI.
The Owls have gone 1-2 in their last two series versus Missouri State and Sam Houston and will look for its first CUSA series victory under head coach
Selena Collins-Patterson.
Scouting UTEP
UTEP sits at 1-8 in CUSA play, having lost series to Sam Houston, FIU and Liberty. Sophomore Marissa Burchard headlines the UTEP offense, ranking second in Conference USA with 11 doubles. Catcher Kenna Carranza paces the team in homers (4) and RBI (17).
46% of UTEP's innings pitched this season have been thrown by one person, freshman Tatyana Vega. The Tucson, Ariz. native is 8-7 with a 5.41 ERA in 21 appearances. Opposing hitters are batting .280 against her. The only other qualified pitcher in the rotation is Arianna Flores who has a 7.83 ERA in 39.1 innings of work.
The Miners are defensively sound, sporting the best fielding percentage in CUSA at .974. That mark is 31st in the entire country.
Series History
KSU leads the all-time series 3-2. Last year's conference series marked the first time these two teams played in nearly 20 years with UTEP taking the series 2-1 in El Paso. In the sole game the Owls won, they shutout the Miners, 4-0, with
Ana Gore,
Macie Howes and
Jojo Johnson each recording an RBI.
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 (.449), OBP (.500), OPS (1.230) and RBI (30) while being eighth in hits (40).
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 .452 (19-for-42) 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.
She on Fire
Alora Bevily has been lighting it up for the Owls, batting .348 on the season. She went a perfect 4-for-4 against Furman (2/21), becoming the first Owl since 2024 to tally four hits in a game. She had reached base safely in 11 straight contests before that streak was snapped against Sam Houston.
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.
