By: Ryan Henry
Kennesaw State (7-40, 3-21 CUSA) vs. Liberty (23-27, 15-9 CUSA)
Location: Kennesaw, Ga. | Bailey Park
Game 1: Thursday, April 30, 5:00 p.m.
Game 2: Friday, May 1, 5:00 p.m.
Game 3: Saturday, May 2, 12:00 p.m.
KSU Game Notes |
LU Game Notes
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KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State softball wraps up its regular season with a three-game series against the Liberty Lady Flames. It'll be an action-packed weekend that'll see the Owls recognize their legends of the past on Friday for Alumni Day before celebrating Senior Day on Saturday.
KSU will honor
Macie Howes,
Ava Brooke Strickland and
Olivia Tyson as part of Saturday's Senior Day. Howes was named team captain before the 2026 season, and she's put together one of the best seasons in program history. She is currently batting .391 with 10 homers, walking as often as she is striking out. She's also excelled behind the dish, throwing out 12 base stealers.
Strickland is the team's other captain. The Newnan, Ga. native has started every contest in center field this year. In KSU's historic win over Furman, she went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBI. Tyson has made 32 appearances over the last two years. In her first KSU start against Morehead State, she threw a complete game.
May 1st kicks off Mental Health Awareness Month. To help show our support, KSU softball is hosting a Mental Health Awareness game for Friday's contest. The team will wear special Mental Health Awareness shirts during warmups and members of KSU's Counseling & Psychological services will have an information table for fans to learn more about support resources both on and off campus at the game.
Scouting Liberty
Coming in as a preseason top 25 team, Liberty is 23-27 with a 15-9 record in CUSA play. The Lady Flames were mostly recently swept by LA Tech this past weekend.
The offense is led by sophomore Alexia Carrasquillo. The catcher is batting .327 with 21 extra-base hits and 42 RBI. North Carolina transfer Ella Fox serves as the team's speed threat, leading the Lady Flames with nine stolen bases while batting .302.
Liberty has relied on a pitching staff by committee as seven different players have appeared in at least five games. Georgia Tech transfer Camden Anders has been the frontline starter for the Lady Flames, leading the team with 108.0 innings to the tune of a 3.24 ERA. Her .249 opponent batting average is eighth-best in the entire conference. Sophomores Gabby Mike and Danner Allen have each made 20+ appearances.
Series History
The Lady Flames lead the all-time series over the Owls, 21-6, dating back to 2007. Liberty has won the last 15 contests, but these teams haven't played at Bailey Park since the 2021 ASUN Championship, where LU won 5-4. KSU is 4-7 at home against Liberty in its program's history.
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 30th in the entire country with 11 runners caught stealing. Howes ranks in the top 10 in CUSA in batting average (.374), OPS (1.139), RBI (38) and homers (10).
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 .347/.378/.600 with nine extra-base hits. Bevily has been a table setter, batting .324 in the leadoff spot with 14 multi-hit games. Strickland has set single-game highs in hits and runs.
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.
