Kent State University
Pitt
Flashes Play Final Midweek Game at Pitt
5/1/2018 9:35:00 AM | Softball
The Kent State softball team (26-19, 12-8 MAC) embarks on its last non-conference game of the season when it travels to Pitt (28-16-1, 14-6 ACC) on Tuesday, May 1 at 6 p.m. It's the second meeting of the season between the two teams, with the Panthers besting the Golden Flashes, 6-4, on April 18. The game can be heard on Golden Flashes iHeart Radio.
Media Information
Live Stats
Golden Flashes iHeart Radio
ACCN Extra
Game Notes
Last Time Out
Kent State swept its second straight Mid-American Conference series, winning all three games on the road against Bowling Green, and now ride a six-game winning streak. Kent State opened the series with a big 7-0 win before winning a pair of one-run contests, 4-3, and, 2-1, on Saturday. The Flashes locked up a spot in the MAC Tournament with the third win of the series and have qualified for postseason play for the 15th consecutive year.
The Golden Flashes senior class of Emily Dobbin, Allie Luther, Vanessa Scoarste, Kylee Southers and Holly Speers became the winningest class in school history with their 137th victory. Kent State continued its winning ways over Bowling Green with its 16th consecutive win.
Speers Named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalist
Kent State senior infielder Holly Speers has been named one of the 25 finalists for the 2018 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, as announced by USA Softball. Speers, who currently leads the country in batting average (.509), on base percentage (.673), slugging percentage (1.093) and walks per game (1.23), is the first Golden Flash to ever be named a finalist for the award.
Speers is coming off a week (April 24) in which she swept both national weekly awards and was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week and the Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week. She put up monster numbers with a .778 batting average (7-for-9) with four home runs, two doubles, two walks, 11 RBI while recording a 2.333 slugging percentage. The Surrey, B.C. native has claimed four Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week awards this season.
#FlashFacts
- Speers has reached base in 13 consecutive plate appearances, which is tied for fifth in NCAA history. She has walked 54 times this season which is a MAC record and her 47 home runs are tied for sixth in league history.
- She leads the nation in batting average (.509), on-base percentage (.673), slugging percentage (1.093) and walks per game (1.23).
- Kent State has won eight weekly awards this season. Holly Speers was named MAC East Player of the Week five times, Emily Dobbin and Bailey Brownfield once and Madi Huck MAC East Pitcher of the Week once.
- Bailey Brownfield hit .481 in April with six doubles and 19 RBIs. She is second on the team with a .441 batting average in conference play.
- Kent State leads the MAC with a .312 team batting average and a .972 fielding percentage.
- Bailey Brownfield is batting .524 (22-for-42) in April with five doubles and 16 RBIs.
- Kent State has five walk-off wins this season. KSU came back from trailing by five entering the sixth against Western Michigan and came back to beat Toledo. Both were the first game of the series. The Flashes are 21-8 when scoring first and are 2-2 in extra innings.
- KSU has clubbed two grand slam home runs this season. Hunter Brancifort hit a grand slam in the first weekend of the season against Rider to tie the game in the seventh. Speers also hit a pinch hit grand slam against Pitt.
Kent State Selected to win MAC East and MAC Tournament
The Golden Flashes were picked in the MAC's preseason coaches' poll to win the MAC East Division and MAC Tournament. Kent State was picked to win the MAC East Division in back-to-back seasons. KSU has won a MAC championship in three straight years with two regular season crowns in 2015 and 2016 and a tournament title a season ago.
Success in the MAC
Kent State has a 68-33 record in MAC play over the last four seasons with three championships. The Golden Flashes are also one of only two programs to win the tournament multiple times in the last decade. Under head coach Eric Oakley, Kent State has a 7-3 record in the MAC Tournament.
Series History / Scouting Pitt
Kent State leads the all-time series against the Panthers, 14-12. The Panthers won the first game of the series this year, 6-4.
The Panthers are having their best season since joining the ACC and are in first place in the Coastal Division heading into the final week of the regular season. The Panthers are one game ahead of North Carolina and will need just one win against Louisville this weekend to seal their first division championship. Pitt is also the highest rated team in the RPI (58) that Kent State plays this season.
Pitt is on a seven-game winning streak after sweeping a non-conference weekend series at home against Marshall. The Panthers won an ACC three-game series at home two weeks ago, sweeping Virginia.
Giorgiana Zeremenko leads the Pitt offense with a .351 batting average, 10 doubles and 15 home runs. She leads the ACC in home runs per game at 0.33. Ace Kayla Harris leads the squad with a 13-1 record and an ERA of 2.03.
Up Next
The Golden Flashes host rival Akron in the last regular season games of the season at the Diamond at Dix this weekend. The series begins on Friday, May 4 at 3 p.m. and rounds out with a doubleheader on Saturday, May 5 at 1 p.m. which will include senior day festivities.
