Photo Gallery
KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State softball program enjoyed the opening of the new Indoor Hitting and Pitching Facility this week as the building opened for business when the Owls began practice on Monday afternoon.
“This facility is a priceless gem,” said Kennesaw State head coach Scott Whitlock. “We have been waiting 20 years for this and now that we have it here we couldn’t be more pleased.”
The 3,500 square foot facility boasts four natural dirt mounds, and two hitting tunnels that can also be converted to 8-10 private hitting areas for batters to hit off a tee.
“It’s very nice to work here, especially early in the season,” said senior catcher Jenna Closner. “You don’t have to worry about the weather or if we’ll be able to get in a full workout on a particular day. Now we’ll always be able to get our work in and that’s important for us.”
One of the big attractions of the new indoor facility are the dirt pitching areas which replaced the synthetic mounds which were used by the Owls in multiple indoor locations over the years.
“I like having the real dirt mounds,” added Closner. “We used to have portable mounds which worked well at the time and were useful, but having the true dirt mounds gives us the feel of actual game conditions.”
The stand-alone facility is equipped for team workouts as well as individual hitting and pitching sessions.
“With the low temperatures, and the snow and ice outside, this building is paying dividends already,” commented Whitlock. “This week we have been able put in positive time with pitchers and hitters, plus our position players got to throw. You can’t put a value on that.”
The Owls open up the season on Feb. 13 when they host the KSU Classic in Woodstock, Ga. The Black and Gold play Wright State at 12:30 p.m. and South Dakota State at 3:00 p.m.