Tuesday, February 02, 2010

MACON, Ga. – As the 2010 NCAA Division I Softball season approaches, the Atlantic Sun Conference takes a look at each team leading up to the start of the season. Today, all eyes are on Kennesaw State.

2010 Kennesaw State Owls

Team Page

Roster

Schedule

2009 Team Statistics

Overview
In 2009, Kennesaw State finished league play with an overall record of 21-30 and 7-13 mark in A-Sun play and returns nine starters and 12 of 16 letterwinners. Head coach Scott Whitlock enters his 24th season with the Owls, having amassed an overall record of 1,027-218 (139-84 A-Sun) while at Kennesaw State. On Saturday, the Georgia Dugout Club inducted Coach Whitlock into the Softball Hall of Fame. Coach Whitlock holds one of college softball’s top win totals and also ranks as the youngest inductee and member of the NFCA Hall of Fame. Last season, the Lady Owls tallied a home record of 5-12 at Bailey Park in Kennesaw, Ga.

Top Returners
Leading the way for the Owls this season will be senior Jenna Closner, redshirt junior Klair Wells and redshirt sophomore Jessica Cross.

As the Lady Owls’ starting catcher for the last two seasons, Closner started in 50 of 51 games behind the plate and ended the 2009 season with a .255 batting average, to go along with seven doubles, five homeruns and a team-high .411 slugging percentage. The Rescue, Calif. native ranks first on the team with 29 RBIs, second on the team with 18 runs scored and third on the team with 36 hits.

In 2010, Wells returns as one of only two Lady Owls to play and start in all 51 games as a redshirt sophomore from last season. The Lawrenceville, Ga. native ended her 2009 campaign at four-for-five in stolen bases, a .267 batting average and a .965 fielding percentage. Wells ranked fourth on the team in hitting and led Kennesaw State with 172 at-bats, 46 hits, 29 RBI and two triples in addition to five doubles, four homeruns and 67 total bases. The junior infielder also earned Bulldog Round Robin All-Tournament Team and Phyllis Rafter Memorial All-Tournament Team honors.

After redshirting in 2009, Cross returns to action as one of the Owls’ top offensive threats. The 2009 Atlantic Sun Preseason All-Conference Team selection led Kennesaw State with a .441 batting average and an .882 slugging percentage in 12 games, in addition to 15 hits, eights runs, three doubles and four homeruns, before being sidelined with an injury. Not only is Cross a threat behind the plate, but the Tunnel Hill, Ga. native has also been one of the Lady Owls’ best pitchers, striving as both a starter and closer since 2008. Cross ended the 2009 campaign at 2-3 on the mound with a 2.28 ERA, and posted one save in 30.2 innings while holding opponents to a .235 batting average with 21 strikeouts.

Newcomers
Head coach Scott Whitlock welcomes eight newcomers to his squad in 2010 and many of them are expected to compete for major playing time this spring.

Abbey Meixel, a right handed pitcher, earned the Georgia Class 5A High School Pitcher of the year last season. During her time at Cherokee High School in Canton, Ga., Meixel broke every single school pitching record. She was named First Team All State twice, as well.

"She has tremendous upside and will be a big part of what we do in 2010," Whitlock said.

Ashlee Burkett, a 5’6” infielder from Warner Robbins, Ga., played high school softball at Houston County High School. Burkett earned First-Team All-Middle Georgia Softball accolades in 2007 as a sophomore.

"Ashley is an outstanding defender and an excellent hitter,” Whitlock said. "She is already one of the best all-around players on our roster."

Jensen Hackett played high school softball for Ringgold High School in Tunnel Hill, Ga., and finished as a part of its 2005 Class 4A State Championship team. Hackett was recognized as her team’s best infielder and best offensive player during her junior and senior years, respectively.

"Defensively, Jensen is one of the most gifted freshmen outfielders we’ve had here,” Whitlock said. “She already does most things extremely well. We need her to find some consistency at the plate, however, we’re confident that that will come in time.

Schedule (Courtesy Kennesaw State Media Relations)
Kennesaw State will open the season with a pair of neutral site tournaments. The KSU Classic on Feb. 13-14, and the Phyllis Rafter Memorial on Feb. 19-21, will be hosted at the Twin Creeks Softball Complex in Woodstock, Ga.

Kennesaw State also added to their 2010 schedule a doubleheader with Troy on Feb. 23 at Bailey Park. The Owls and the Trojans will meet in a 2:00 p.m., Tuesday afternoon twinbill, which will give Kennesaw State a full slate of 56 games for the regular season. The doubleheader will now serve as Opening Day at Bailey Park.

The games will also mark the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Troy finished third in the Sun Belt Conference last season, finishing with a 38-19 overall record and 15-10 in the league.

The Black and Gold own a 2-1 all-time record against teams from the Sun Belt Conference, winning their only meeting with Middle Tennessee State and splitting a pair of games with Florida Atlantic when FAU was a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference during the 2006 season.

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11 Days of Atlantic Sun Softball Schedule
Jan. 28 – Belmont
Jan. 29 – Stetson
Feb. 1 – ETSU
Feb. 2 – Kennesaw State
Feb. 3 – Jacksonville
Feb. 4 – UNF
Feb. 5 – USC Upstate
Feb. 8 – Mercer
Feb. 9 – Lipscomb
Feb. 10 – FGCU
Feb. 11 – Campbell