Mike Foster (Sports Editor)
With football set to kick off next September, one would assume 2015 would be the year of the Owl. Not so fast.
Kennesaw State’s inspiring run into the Super Regionals of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship is almost undoubtedly the most notable athletic accomplishment in school history, dwarfing the DII men’s basketball championship and championships won by the baseball and softball teams at the DII and NAIA levels.
Other than one time when the men’s basketball team defeated Georgia Tech, 80-63, in the Convocation Center in 2011, the athletics program had never received the level of national media attention that it did this past weekend in Louisville and the week before in Tallahassee.
Though, 2014 will be a year to remember in Kennesaw for more than just the work on the diamond. A live-mascot and a recently launched marching band add to the fantastic foundation of school spirit and brand that director of athletics Vaughn Williams has installed since his arrival.
The golf teams carried on their short tradition of excellence, competing either individually or as a team at the national level. Track and field brought home another conference title and sent individuals to the nationals in indoor and outdoor competition.
And with a clean slate and some recent commitments, the men’s basketball program, which has put the athletic identity in somewhat of a muck footing, could be set to join the ranks of the lesser-known teams.
Add to that a football signing class that might have even shocked the coaches themselves, and there’s no doubt KSU has proven it can continue its history of getting good at sports, fast.
Here’s a complete recap of the year that was in Owl country:
Baseball finished its season with a 40-24 record, finishing with the most wins as a DI program and two wins short of an appearance in the College World Series. Head coach Mike Sansing’s club went 7-3 in postseason play, posting a 2-1 record against SEC foe Alabama at the Tallahassee Regional. Possibly the most memorable moment was the eight-run 11th inning that lifted the Owls to a 13-5, comeback win against Georgia Southern in an essential must-win situation in the regional. KSU also swept competition at the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship, winning its first A-Sun title. The Owls held the nation’s longest winning streak at 16 games, while winning 25 of their last 27 heading into Louisville. Catcher Max Pentecost, who was named an All-American by Baseball America and the Baseball Writer’s Association, was drafted No. 11 overall in the MLB Draft, making him the highest selection in program history. Late-relief pitchers Justin McCalvin and James Connell were also drafted, along with senior outfielder Bo Way.
Football brought in a surprising 29 players to its first-ever signing class, including the Atlanta Journal Constitution player of the year in quarterback Jaquez Parks. Head coach Brian Bohannon also filled the coaching staff, as well as the inaugural 2015 schedule, which will begin with the team’s first game Sept. 3, 2015 at East Tennessee State. In September, KSU joined the Big South Conference as an associate, football-only member. KSU also held tryouts for potential walk-on players in the spring, and will have another round of tryouts in August. With the surge of attention thanks to the baseball team’s run on national television, the MDJ recently reported that football ticket deposits spiked to over 3,000 of the 3,600 available seats.
Track and field continued to establish itself as a program to be reckoned with at the national level. Men’s track and field won the indoor and outdoor A-Sun titles, while the women’s team finished as runner-up in both championships for the second year in a row, behind dominant Jacksonville. The men’s team was ranked No. 18 in the country by the USTFCCCA (That’s: United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association) after winning the indoor title, which resulted in junior Andre Dorsey’s trip to the indoor nationals in Albuquerque, N.M. Alicia Whittle, who competed at the NCAA East Regional, led the women’s 4×100 relay team to Eugene, Ore., for the nationals this week, while freshman duo Terrell Singleton and Jalil Braxton competed at the NCAA East Regional in their first year with the program. Martynas Sedys also competed at the regional in the hammer throw, along with Dorsey.
Golf excelled as well, with the men’s team qualifying as one of the 30 teams at the NCAA Championships after finishing as runner up at the Auburn Regional. Kelby Burton led the Owls as coach Jay Moseley’s number one late in the year, while Jimmy Beck and freshman Teremoana Beaucousin were both ranked in the top-150 by Golfweek, which also ranked the men’s team 37th late in the year. Junior Kaew Preamchuen led the women’s team, competing as an individual at the NCAA Championships. Both men’s and women’s teams placed as runner up at the A-Sun championships.
Men’s basketball has taken steps toward a refresh after going just 10-80 in the last three years, including this past season’s 6-25 campaign. After head coach Lewis Preston took a leave of absence in January, interim head coach Jimmy Lallathin led the team to three wins in conference play. It wasn’t pretty, but Lallathin proved enough to be promoted to head coach shortly after Preston and athletic director Vaughn Williams agreed to part ways. Preston’s career record was 9-67. Since Lallathin’s promotion, the team has reeled in transfer players Kendrick Ray and former North Cobb HS standout Jordan Neff. Former NBA and international star David Rivers and Bobby Cremins nephew, Jon Cremins, join Lallathin’s new staff. KSU’s roster is chalk-full of transfer players who have talent but will need to learn to gel together as a unit. Jordan Montgomery transferred from the program, while serviceable guard Myles Hamilton has been removed from the team roster.
Women’s basketball struggled in its second year under the leadership of first-time head coach Nitra Perry, though Perry’s considerable success in recruiting has ensured some foundation. The team had a similar year to the men’s squad, finishing 6-24. Junior guard Kristina Wells was still a machine, notching 12 double-doubles and scoring over 30 twice. Wells was arguably (almost unarguably) snubbed from the Atlantic Sun Conference first-team, second-team and third-team, despite being one of the top players in the conference. Freshman Deandrea Sawyers, who was named to the conference’s all-freshman team, gives KSU a promising backcourt.
Soccer finished 9-9-1 on the year and 5-3-1 in the conference. The Owls were eliminated in the second round of the A-Sun tourney by Jacksonville. The most notable moment of the year might have been a close, 1-0 loss in Durham, N.C. against nationally ranked Duke. The team’s most potent offensive weapon, Katrina Frost, led the Owls in most offensive categories despite missing considerable time due to injury.
Softball finished just 24-29 overall under the leadership of Wes Holly Jr., but impressed with a 13-12 record in one of the toughest conferences in DI softball in terms of competition level within. The Owls dropped their first two games in the A-Sun tournament. Sophomore Kara Chambers had a .983 fielding percentage a the hot corner, earning her the A-Sun defensive player of the year award, while Amanda Henderson and freshman Taylor Denton were named to the A-Sun second-team.
Men’s tennis went just 8-11, but improved from 0-8 to 4-4 at home under the leadership of first-year head coach Eduardo Rincon. The team had to use local subdivision courts as home base, and to its advantage, during the year.
Women’s tennis went just 6-13 and 2-6 in conference play, but the number one doubles team of Virginie Stein and Alexandra Apostu was named as the best in conference, while both individuals were named to the A-Sun first-team.
Volleyball finished 13-17 and 8-10 in conference, led by first-year head coach Keith Schunzel.
Lacrosse, which some have argued was a forced product of Title IX requirements necessary to start a football program, went 1-12 in its second year under first-year head coach Kristina Llanes. However, the team had some stand-out individuals, including Sydney Farwick and Olivia Hokanson, who were named to the A-Sun second-team.
Club hockey, which has been KSU’s most popular sport with the student body for the past decade, served a one-year suspension from KSU club sports after reportedly vandalizing a hotel room at last year’s ACHA nationals. The ‘Ice Owls’ will return to the Ice Forum this year, according to an announcement it made on its Facebook page on May 8. The Ice Owls went 24-4-0-2 in its last season in competition.
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Sturgis, the school’s first live-mascot, was introduced in the fall.
KSU has bought the building formerly known as BrandsMart USA off of Busbee Dr. near I-75 and Fifth Third Bank Stadium. KSU has officially announced that the building/property will be used to house the newly-formed marching band, as well as other programs and services. This is also a convenient surplus to parking for gamedays. I’ve also personally been told from sources close with the athletic department that this area could possibly house a football stadium in the future. This is speculative talk that we will try to follow up on soon. Fifth Third Bank Stadium will be the football team’s home for 2015 and the foreseeable future.
Former women’s basketball player Ashley Holliday is the first women’s college athlete to legally oppose the NCAA, according to the Associated Press.
