Mike Foster (Sports Editor)
KSU will look for the season sweep over Georgia Tech when the Yellow Jackets (11-8) visit Stillwell Stadium Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Head coach Mike Sansing’s club has arguably started the season in neutral, holding a 12-11 record that includes a modest 8-7 home mark.
The Owls opened the Atlantic Sun Conference schedule over the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Mercer, but the Bears (16-6, 2-1 A-Sun) rattled off 8-4 and 11-8 wins in Saturday’s double-header to take the series. The series was crunched into two days of work in anticipation of unfavorable Sunday weather.
While the short road trip to Macon wasn’t accommodating, the bright spot on KSU’s season to this point has been its success against the big-name programs in the peach state.
The Owls own a 3-1 record against non-conference teams from Georgia, including their first win over the engineers on Feb. 25 at Russ Chandler Stadium. On that night KSU took a 5-3 lead in the top of the 12th inning, scoring two runs on a throwing error. KSU also defeated Georgia in Athens, 10-7, on Feb. 18 and shutout Georgia State at Stillwell two Tuesdays ago.
Tuesday’s match-up with the Jackets will provide KSU another opportunity to flex its local muscle. The Owls are 5-13 all-time against Georgia Tech, but have won three of the last five meetings.
KSU leaders
Pitching
Justin McCalvin (12 A | 0 GS | 2-1 | 0.74 ERA | 24.1 IP | 24 SO | 5 BB)
Jordan Hillyer (4 A | 4 GS | 2-0 | 1.44 ERA | 25 IP | 24 SO | 7 BB)
Travis Bergen (5 A | 5 GS | 2-3 | 2.71 ERA | 29.1 IP | 31 SO | 3 BB)
Hitting
Batting average: OF Alex Liquori (.351); hits: C Max Pentecost, SS Kal Simmons (30); homeruns: 1B Chris McGowan, C Brennan Morgan (2), RBIs: 1B Chris McGowan (20), steals: C Max Pentecost, OF Jacob Bruce (8).
