By: Ryan Henry
Kennesaw State (7-32) vs. #13 Georgia (31-11)
Location: Kennesaw, Ga. | Bailey Park
Wednesday, April 15, 6:00 p.m.
KSU Game Notes |
UGA Game Notes
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KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State softball will host No. 13 Georgia in a Peach State battle on Wednesday.
The Owls most recently wrapped up a three-game series with Jax State.
Savannah Frachiseur tallied a hit in all three games and homered for the first time as an Owl in the series finale.
Hannah Harvey also had a great series. In game one, she joined
Ana Gore as the only two players in program history to have two sac flies in the same game. The next day, she went 2-for-3.
Ava Guzowski made her return to the lineup after an eight-game absence. In her first game back, she went 1-for-2 with a stolen base.
Scouting Georgia
The Bulldogs feature the best defensive team in the country at a .987 fielding percentage and have seven players batting over .300 on the season. Seniors Tyler Ellison and Sarah Gordon sit atop the group, being separated by six points on batting average (.435 for Ellison, .429 for Gordon) and OPS (1.284 for Gordon, 1.278 for Ellison). Both players have 8+ homers and 30+ RBI. Coastal Carolina transfer Keristin Roose leads the team with 12 home runs.
UGA's rotation is headlined by junior Randi Roelling. She has a 2.65 ERA in 92.1 innings of work. Her 93 punchouts are 42% of Georgia's total strikeouts this season. Addisen Fisher leads the team with a 2.39 ERA, having thrown just a shade under 60 innings on the season. Presley Harrison, Destin Howard and Ada Little have also appeared in 15+ games each.
Series History
The Owls and Bulldogs have played each other 12 times with Georgia leading the all-time series 10-2. These teams last faced each other in 2024 at Bailey Park with the Bulldogs taking that contest. KSU's most recent victory against UGA came in 1997.
Not in Her Howes
Macie Howes has been the engine for the Owls this season. After becoming the first player since 2021 to homer in three-straight games back on Feb. 25, she homered in three-straight contests again from March 29-April 3. She had a 19-game on-base streak, which was the longest among CUSA players and 6th-longest among all mid-major players. Defensively, she's top 15 in the entire country with 11 runners caught stealing. Howes ranks in the top five in CUSA in batting average (.414), OBP (.485), OPS (1.261) and RBI (38).
If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It
The outfield of
Ana Gore (LF),
Ava Brooke Strickland (CF) and
Alora Bevily (RF) has started every game this season. The trio is the only one in Conference USA to have started every game in the outfield. Gore has elevated her game in conference play, posting a triple slash of .407/.446/.729 with nine extra-base hits. Bevily has been a table setter, batting .336 in the leadoff spot with 12 multi-hit games. Strickland has set single-game highs in hits and runs.
Gore Sure
After a stellar freshman season in 2025,
Ana Gore has found her groove in conference play. In the month of March, she 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 sixth in hits (24) and has an OPS above 1.100.
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. Ane 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.
