By: By Jake Dorow
KENNESAW – Baseball returns to The Nest for Fall Ball as Head Coach
Mike Sansing and his club are scheduled to begin team practice on September 17 at 6 p.m.
The first official fall ball practice at Stillwell Stadium is the start for an Owls team that finished third in the ASUN Championships last spring. Coach Sansing, who will enter his 27
th season with KSU, has racked up 967 victories in 26 seasons with the Owls. He is 967-551 (.637) overall with KSU.
Kennesaw State returns to the diamond to prepare for its annual Black & Gold World Series, which will take place in October - specific dates will be announced at a later time.
Fourteen of 18 Owls competed for a championship in their respective summer leagues, while 10 players throughout four different leagues won their last game of the season and celebrated with a championship.
Check out the full highlights from summer action below before Coach Sansing and the Owls begin their preparations for the 2018 campaign.
Summer Ball Championship Game Highlights:
- The Marietta Patriots defeated the Atlanta Crackers, 13-5, taking the best-of-three series 2-0.
- Owls' Rhian Mann, Ryan Wesley, Jake Franklin and Cooper Mayhall defeated Black and Gold teammates Logan Hutchinson and Turner Watkins.
- The Valley Blue Sox of the New England League defeated the Ocean State Wave, 6-3, in the second game of the best-of-three series to claim the NECBL Championship.
- Max Ryan (0-1, 6.75 ERA, 13 app) and David Chabut (.216 BA, three 2B, one HR, six RBI) competed for the Blue Sox and Wave, respectively, for the season.
- In the Great Lakes League, the Lima Locos defeated the Grand Lake Mariners by a score of 3-0 in the third and final game of the championship series.
- Garrett Hodges, Terence Norman, Taylor Wilkes and Joe Taylor all competed over the summer for the Locos.
- Norman (.306 BA, one HR, seven RBI) and Hodges (.297 BA, seven 2B, one 3B, six HR, 29 RBI) paced the lineup offensively for the Locos over the summer.
- Daniel Seres played a key role for the Pompano Beach Clippers of the South FL Collegiate League, batting .253 (25-99) in 33 games, compiling three doubles and three home runs. The Clippers reached the championship game.
- In the prestigious Cape Cod League, the Bourne Braves fell in the deciding third game. Owls' second baseman Grant Williams competed for the Braves in the Cape Cod League.
- The Black and Gold also had several members achieve all-star selections and individual honors over the summer.
Individual Summer Ball Highlights and All-Star Selections:
- Wesley led the Sunbelt with five wins and recorded the win on the mound in the decisive championship game.
- Wesley finished the season with a 3.02 ERA in seven starts, posting a perfect 5-0 record in 44.2 innings.
- LaDonis Bryant led the Sunbelt in stolen bases and just missed out winning the batting title had he had enough at-bats to qualify. Bryant hit .410 (16-39) with two 2B in 12 games.
- Hodges ranked fifth with six home runs in the Great Lakes League.
- Williams ranked seventh in the Cape Cod League with a .326 batting average. Williams compiled 44 hits, seven doubles, and 13 RBI in 38 games.
- The Owls also had Bryant, Wesley, Hodges, Wilkes, Taylor, Seres and Williams named to their league's All-Star teams over the summer.
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State baseball news follow the team on Twitter@KSUOwlNation and@KSUOwlsBaseball or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.
- #GoKSUOwls -
