By: Ryan Henry
Kennesaw State (7-25, 3-9 CUSA) at FIU (23-12, 5-7 CUSA)
Location: Miami, Fla. | Felsberg Field at Baptist Health Stadium
Game 1: Thursday, April 2, 6:00 p.m.
Game 2: Friday, April 3, 4:00 p.m.
Game 3: Saturday, April 4, 11:00 a.m.
Game Notes
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KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State softball wrapped up its seven-game homestand and will head down to the 305 this weekend to face FIU.
The Owls went 1-2 in their last series against UTEP, winning the series finale, 10-9, on Sunday. In that contest,
Macie Howes homered for the eighth time this season, extending her on-base streak to 17 straight contests.
Hannah Harvey knocked in two base runners to give her 5 RBI for the week. The freshmen also showed out as
Rylee Limberger recorded two RBI and
Addison Smith scored twice.
In the circle,
Taylor Daniel notched her first career save.
Scouting FIU
FIU is 23-12 on the season with a 5-7 record in conference play. At home, FIU boasts a 18-6 mark. The Panthers have four Power 4 wins on the season, defeating both Louisville and Georgia Tech twice. They were swept in their most recent series to Jax State.
The offense prioritizes a contact approach while creating chaos on the base paths. They rank first in the conference and top 20 in the country in both stolen bases (78) and triples (12). Junior Kally Meredith best exemplifies this philosophy as she leads CUSA in batting average (.478) and hits (55); both marks are top 25 in Division I. Fellow junior Leah Clark is 5th in the country with 25 stolen bases.
FIU has a very balance rotation, featuring four arms with 40+ innings pitched. Kennedy Byrd has thrown the most innings at 69.1, doing so at a 3.84 ERA.
Series History
FIU leads the all-time series 3-1, sweeping the Owls in last year's series at Bailey Park.
Jojo Johnson had an RBI in the first two contests while
Ana Gore had four hits across the three games. The only other time these teams played was back in 2013 where the Owls won 5-2. This will be the first time the Owls and Panthers will be playing in Miami.
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. She's currently riding a 17 game on base streak which is the longest among CUSA players and 7th among all mid-majors. Defensively, she's top 15 in the entire country with 10 runners caught stealing. Howes ranks in the top five in CUSA in batting average (.439), OBP (.496), OPS (1.272) and RBI (34) while being sixth in hits (43).
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 batted .392 (20-for-51) 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 first in total bases at 32.
She's on Fire
Alora Bevily has been lighting it up for the Owls, batting .350 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.
