Kennesaw State (5-6, 0-0 CUSA) vs. Samford (5-7, 0-0 SoCon)
Location: Kennesaw, Ga. | Mickey Dunn Stadium at Henssler Financial Field
Friday, March 6 at 4 p.m. vs. Samford (ESPN+)
Saturday, March 7 at Noon vs. Samford (ESPN+) - 7 innings
Saturday, March 7 at 3 p.m. vs. Samford (ESPN+)
Sunday, March 8 at 1 p.m. vs. Samford (ESPN+)
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KENNESAW, Ga. - Kennesaw State baseball wraps up its non-conference weekend slate with a four-game series against the Samford Bulldogs at Mickey Dunn Stadium at Henssler Financial Field.
Pitching Matchups
- Friday: RHP Mason Blasche (0-2, 7.07 ERA) vs. RHP Cooper McMullen (0-2, 8.38 ERA)
- Saturday (1): RHP Joseph Lee (0-0, 4.26) vs. RHP Nolan Sliver (0-0, 3.09)
- Saturday (2): RHP Andrew Marble (1-1, 7.94) vs. RHP Logan Brock (0-1, 7.04)
- Sunday: RHP Noah Berry (1-1, 2.35) vs. TBA
Series History
Friday marks the 24th all-time meeting between Samford and Kennesaw State, with Samford holding a slim lead in the series, 12-11. The two programs last met in 2025 for a four-game series in Homewood, which was split at two games apiece. The Bulldogs make their first trip to The Saw since 2018, when the Owls claimed a three-game series at Stillwell Stadium to improve to 6-4 when hosting Samford.
One of the Nation's Toughest Starts
Kennesaw State is one of the most battle-tested teams in the nation, having played seven of its last eight games against ranked opponents. Per WarrenNolan.com, the Owls faced the 32nd-toughest schedule in the country to open the season, ranking as the third-best strength of schedule in Conference USA. Furthermore, KSU is the only CUSA program that played two non-conference weekend series against ranked Power Four competition (at No. 12 Florida, vs. No. 20 West Virginia).
The Black and Gold still face a challenging road ahead, with three remaining contests against Power Four opponents - Georgia and Georgia Tech (two games) - along with nine games against teams that competed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament: UGA, GT, Dallas Baptist (three games) and Western Kentucky (three games).
Bullpen Stepping Up
Kennesaw State relied heavily on its bullpen throughout the first 11 games of the 2026 season, posting a 5.68 bullpen ERA across 65.0 innings.
Daniel Powell leads the relief corps with five appearances on the year, compiling a 0.73 ERA in 12.1 innings, the best ERA among Conference USA relievers. Powell's 0.97 WHIP, .158 batting average against and 15 strikeouts also rank in the top 10 on the CUSA pitching leaderboards.
Harry Cain slammed the door shut on West Virginia in KSU's come-from-behind 7-6 win on March 1, surrendering just a double in 2.0 innings. The veteran right-hander threw 21 pitches on the day, all for strikes.
Shaking Things Up
The Owls are set to debut a new weekend rotation for the first time in 2026 after
Cooper McMullen,
Ty Bayer and
Cole Royer anchored the first three weekends of the season.
McMullen remains in his slot as the Friday night starter after showing flashes of success against Florida and West Virginia, while
Nolan Sliver and
Logan Brock enter the weekend rotation ahead of the four-game series with Samford.
Sliver is set to make his second start of the season and the eighth of his career. The veteran righty is 1-2 with a 6.04 ERA (15 ER/22.1 IP), seven walks and 17 strikeouts in his previous seven career starts. Sliver's last start came against Georgia Southern on Feb. 24, when he allowed two earned runs over 4.0 innings while striking out six Eagles.
Brock will make his second consecutive start after drawing the opening assignment against Georgia on March 3. The Belmont transfer worked 3.2 innings, surrendering three runs. Saturday's start will be the fourth of Brock's collegiate career after he made two starts for the Bruins in 2025. Across his three previous starts, Brock owns a 12.46 ERA (12 ER/8.2 IP) with five walks and seven strikeouts, taking the loss in all three outings.
An Advanced Look
Cooper Williams leads CUSA with a .571 batting average on balls in play (BABIP), the 30th-best mark in Division I baseball. Three Owls own a weighted on-base average (wOBA) above .400, led by Williams' .523 mark, followed by
James McGee (.513) and
Jackson Chirello (.440). Each member of that trio also owns a weighted runs created plus (wRC+) above 100, which represents league average. Williams leads the way at 171, followed by McGee (166) and Chirello (129).
Aaron Posey (108) and
Jackson Bradfield (100) have also turned in nice seasons at the dish, with
Wesley Alig (99) following closely behind.
Powell holds a 32.6% strikeout rate, the highest among all KSU pitchers, and the fourth-highest K% in the conference, while
Nolan Sliver has amassed a 51.9% whiff rate on his changeup, which is the 21st-best mark amongst all DI pitchers who have thrown at least 50 changeups on the season.
Cashing in Opportunities
Kennesaw State has done a nice job of capitalizing on prime scoring chances, driving in 22 runs on 29 opportunities with a runner on third base and less than two outs, a 75.9% success rate. Alig has produced five RBIs in six such opportunities, while McCollum has plated four runs in five chances. The Owls have also delivered in two-out situations, totaling 17 two-out RBIs on the season. Chirello leads the team with five two-out runs driven in.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Led by fifth-year head coach Tony David, Samford holds a 5-7 mark as it comes to Kennesaw for its second weekend series in the Peach State this season. The Bulldogs were picked to win the Southern Conference in the league's preseason coaches' poll, while sophomore right-hander Mason Blasche was tabbed as the SoCon preseason Pitcher of the Year. Blasche also earned a place on the NCBWA's preseason All-America second team.
Ticket Information
Fans can take advantage of special ticket promotions throughout the weekend, beginning with Free Friend Friday, where fans who purchase one ticket will receive an additional ticket free of charge. The Owls will also host Faculty and Staff Day on Saturday, offering free tickets to KSU Faculty and Staff members, while tickets for Sunday's series finale are available for just $5 as part of the Sunday Steal a Deal promotion.
Parking
Fans attending this weekend's games should park in the East Parking Deck, adjacent to VyStar Arena, and follow posted signage to the main gate of Mickey Dunn Stadium at Henssler Financial Field. A designated ADA Drop-Off zone is located directly in front of Gate 1, on Kennesaw State Univ. Road.
The Owls Fund
The Owls Fund is the primary fundraising arm of Kennesaw State Athletics with the goal of supporting our student-athletes, coaches and each of our 18 NCAA Division I programs. Through initiatives such as Legacy Lockers, the Dot Martin Scholarship Golf Classic, sport-specific giving opportunities, general donations and season tickets, The Owls Fund connects fans with KSU's programs and student-athletes. Members receive exclusive benefits such as hospitality seating areas and events at Kennesaw State home games, and more. Join The Owls Fund here and discover more opportunities on how you can support Kennesaw State Athletics.
