Kent State University
LIU Brooklyn
Flashes Begin Season in Sunshine State
2/7/2019 1:03:00 PM | Softball
Kent State opens its 44th season of softball this weekend with a five-game slate at the FGCU Kickoff Classic in Ft. Myers, Fla. The Golden Flashes will take on LIU Brooklyn at 12:45 p.m. and Florida Gulf Coast at 4:45 p.m. on Friday, Feb 8. On Saturday, Feb 9, they will battle LIU Brooklyn at 10:00 a.m. and Penn State at 12:15 p.m. before wrapping up the first weekend of play on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 9:00 a.m. against Penn State.
About the Flashes
The Golden Flashes were picked to finish second in the Mid-American Conference preseason coaches' poll and also received one vote to win the conference tournament. Kent State is coming off a 29-23 (14-9 MAC) season which saw many school records broken. The team hit .308 whch ranked in the top-25 nationally and is the third highest in Kent State history. The Flashes also produced 284 runs, the most in program history. KSU returns six starters from a season ago, including ace pitcher Madi Huck.
Senior infielder Bailey Brownfield is back for her fourth tour of duty with the Golden Flashes and has been one of the most consistent hitters in the MAC over the last two seasons, earning First Team All-MAC recognition. In her junior season, she was also named to the NFCA All-Mideast Region Second Team and hit .351 last season with 13 doubles, two triples and a home run while driving in 41 runs. She continued her hot hitting during league play with the MAC's sixth best average in conference-only games (.413) and led the league in doubles (9) while driving in the third most runs (24). For the second straight season, she saw her average increase by at least .025 percentage points. As a freshman she hit .271, then .324 as a sophomore, before her career-best .351-mark last season. The Thornville, Ohio native was clutch in late-inning situations last year and collected three game-winning or go-ahead hits. She hit a go-ahead double in the ninth inning to beat Rider and recorded walk-off singles against Oakland and Toledo. Brownfield also made a successful transition from the outfield to third base last year and registered a .966 fielding percentage in her first collegiate season at the hot corner.
Sophomore outfielder Kennadie Goth is returning after an impressive freshman campaign where she registered a .403 batting average. The slap hitter ranked second in the NCAA among batting average for a freshman last season and is the sixth highest in program history. The Shelby, Ohio native ranked second in conference-only games in stolen bases (7), third in hits (32) and seventh in batting average (.405) and runs scored (18). Goth was named to the All-MAC Second Team, MAC All-Freshman Team and NFCA All-Mideast Region Third Team.
Junior outfielder Maria Cegledy had a breakout sophomore season and hit .327 last season with 37 hits, 18 RBIs. She hit even better in league games with a .390 batting average and her 12 RBIs were the third most on the team. Cegledy, who plays a stellar centerfield, did not commit an error in MAC games for the second straight season collected three outfield assists. She appeared on the All-MAC Second Team for the first time in her career selection and a CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team selection.
Returning pitcher Madi Huck comes compiled an 18-9 record inside the circle and a led the league in innings pitched in league games (96.1 innings). Last season she was sensational down the stretch for the Flashes, as she went 5-0 with three shutouts, a 1.09 ERA and 34 strikeouts to just seven walks in her final five starts. Huck got the nod as an All-MAC Second Team selection for the first time of her career.
Flash Facts
- Head Coach Eric Oakley is 12-3 in season opening tournaments.
- Oakley is just one win away from 100 career victories in Kent and is on pace to become the fastest coach in school history to accomplish the feat.
- Kent State has appeared in 15 straight MAC Tournaments, the most in conference history.
- The Golden Flashes will play a rigorous non-conference schedule and play 12 games this year against opponents either ranked or receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Preseason Coaches' Poll.
- Coach Oakley has had great success in conference play during his first three seasons, going 45-25 for a .643 winning percentage.
All-Time vs. the Opposition
-vs. Penn State - This will be the 47th and 48th time the Flashes take on the Nittany Lions. Kent State is 18-28 and defeated the Nittany Lions, 6-5, a season ago.
-vs. LIU Brooklyn - The Flashes defeated the Blackbirds, 6-3, in 2016 in the only prior meeting. Bailey Brownfield drove in two runs with a single to right.
-vs. FGCU - This will be the fourth meeting between the Flashes and the Eagles and KSU holds a 2-1 edge. The Flashes won 8-1 in the last meeting back in 2016 at the FGCU Kickoff Classic.
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