Kennesaw State (17-19, 7-11 CUSA) vs. West Georgia (11-29, 8-10 ASUN)
Location: Carrollton, Ga. | Cole Field
Tuesday, April 21 at 6 p.m.
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KENNESAW, Ga. - Kennesaw State baseball closes out its midweek road slate Tuesday night, traveling to face West Georgia in the final meeting between the two in-state programs this season.
Probable Starters
Series Notes
Kennesaw State looks to even the all-time series with its long-time in-state rival, entering Tuesday trailing, 21-20. Since UWG joined Division I in 2025, the Wolves are winless against the Owls.
Last Time We Saw the Wolves
KSU earned a 9-4 victory over UWG on Feb. 17 at Mickey Dunn Stadium at Henssler Financial Field after jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. The Wolves answered with a solo homer in the third, but the Black and Gold stretched the advantage to six in the fifth. West Georgia trimmed the deficit to 7-4 in the eighth before KSU responded with two runs in the bottom half to seal the win.
Cole Royer picked up the win with 2.0 scoreless innings and two strikeouts in a predetermined short start. The Georgia Tech transfer was one of five Owl pitchers to deliver scoreless outings. Jackson Chirello led the offense, going 3-for-4 with three doubles, while three other Owls recorded multi-hit performances.
Battle Tested
Kennesaw State has played one of the nation's most challenging schedules, with nine games against ranked opponents. The Owls enter the weekend with the 55th-toughest schedule in the country and the 11th-ranked non-conference strength of schedule.
KSU has faced four teams ranked inside D1Baseball.com's top 13 in its April 14 Field of 64 projections (No. 2 Georgia Tech, No. 4 Florida, No. 5 Georgia, and No. 13 West Virginia) and still has two weekend series remaining against projected regional teams.
Joining the Century Club
Three Kennesaw State pitchers – Harry Cain, Daniel Powell and Nolan Sliver – have surpassed 100 career strikeouts this season, reaching a key milestone in their careers.
Turnin' Two
The Black and Gold have turned 35 double plays on the season, ranking 17th in the nation and first in CUSA. KSU's 0.97 twin-killings per game leads the conference and ranks 11th in the country.
Setting the Table
The Owls have seen their leadoff hitter reach base 125 times in 310 innings (.403), led by Trenton Lyons' 19 successful leadoff plate appearances.
Late-Inning Offense
Kennesaw State's lineup has been particularly dangerous in the late innings, scoring 78 of its 204 runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. The eighth inning has been especially productive, accounting for 38 runs (18.6%), while the seventh inning ranks third with 28 runs, trailing only the eighth and first innings, which produced 33 runs.
The late-game surge has fueled seven come-from-behind victories this season, including a 5-4 win over DBU on April 4, when the Owls trailed 4-0 after six innings.
Cashing in Opportunities
KSU has done an excellent job capitalizing in scoring situations, driving in 59 runs in 91 chances with a runner on third and less than two outs, which is a 64.8% success rate. The Owls have also been effective with two outs, totaling 71 two-out RBIs on the season, led by Jackson Chirello with 12.
Milestone Watch
Jackson Chirello hit the 51st double of his career last Tuesday against Mercer, ranking third in Kennesaw State's Division I history. The D-I era record is 57 doubles set by Donovan Cash from 2022 to 2025, while the all-time program mark is 69 by Clint Watters from 2001 to 2004. Chris Cole enters Tuesday with 55 career stolen bases, third in KSU's Division I era and fourth all-time.
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.
