Kent State University
Michigan
Weekend Non-Conference Play Wraps Up at #25 Michigan
3/13/2019 2:30:00 PM | Softball
The Kent State (6-11) softball team travels to Ann Arbor for its last non-conference weekend of the season with a three-game set against #25 Michigan (12-10). Due to inclement weather, the series is now scheduled for a single game on Thursday, March 14 at 4 p.m. and then a doubleheader on Sunday, March 17 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
All three games of the series can be streamed on BTN Plus and the doubleheader on Sunday will air on the Golden Flashes iHeart Radio Channel.
Last Time Out
Kent State took a week off from competition last week after finishing an 11-day cross country road swing at the Wildcat Invitational. The Flashes dropped all five games against stiff competition where three of the four teams they played ranked in the USA Today / NFCA Coaches' Poll.
The Flashes almost pulled off the upset against #12 Arizona but fell 7-6 in extra innings. Kent State was down by two entering the seventh but fought and tied the game. With the bases loaded Andrea Scali was called to hit and was hit by a pitch and then Bailey Brownfield plated the tying run with a sacrifice fly to left.
About Kent State
Sophomore Kennadie Goth leads the team with a .364 batting average and has registered 12 hits. Senior Bailey Brownfield paces the squad with 15 hits and six doubles. Senior Hunter Brancifort has driven in 10 runs so far and hit two home runs, one of which came in Kent State's last week of competition against #19 James Madison.
Redshirt freshman pitcher Andrea Scali has shined early this season. She is ninth in the NCAA with 10.4 strikeouts per seven innings and leads the Mid-American Conference with 75 punch outs. Her ERA stands at 2.78 with an opponent batting average of just .187. She has already claimed to MAC Pitcher of the Week Awards and was honored with the USA Softball National Collegiate Co-Player of the Week for her pair of victories over #21 Baylor. Â
#FlashFacts
- Kent State was picked to finish second in the Mid-American Conference and received a vote to win the MAC Tournament in the preseason coaches' poll.
- Sophomores Carlee Selle and Kennadie Goth each recorded three-hit weekends at the Wildcat Invitational.
- Bailey Brownfield leads the club this season with six doubles. Last year her 13 two-baggers were tied for ninth most in a single-season in program history. She currently has racked up 33 career doubles which is tied for 10th most in the school record book.
- With this week's three-game series against Michigan, seven of Kent State's last eight games have come against ranked foes.
Scouting #25 Michigan
The Wolverines enter their home opener with a 12-10 record after competing at the ASU Invitational last weekend. Michigan knocked off #16 Arizona State but full to #21 James Madison and South Dakota. Michigan has marquee wins this year over #2 UCLA and #5 Washington, both coming at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif. Faith Canfield leads the team with a .347 batting average and 26 hits. Alex Storako and Meghan Beaubien have both been effective inside the circle with 2.14 and 2.44 ERAs, respectively.
Series History
Kent State is 1-14 all-time against Michigan, who has made 12 WCWS appearances and won 20 Big Ten Conference championships. The Golden Flashes played Michigan four times in the 2017 season with one game at a neutral site in Lexington, Ky. and with the other three played at Michigan. The closest KSU played Michigan that year was a 2-0 loss in which the Flashes committed three errors and did not allow an earned run to score. The Flashes' lone win came in 2015 with a 3-0 victory over the then #3 Wolverines. Current KSU pitching coach Emma Johnson was the winning pitcher and dominated only allowing three hits. Future MAC Player of the Year Maddy Grimm did all of Kent State's offensive damage with her bat clobbering two home runs. This season Kent State has played games against Arizona's head coach Mike Candrea and Michigan head coach Carol Hutchins, the two winningest softball coaches in collegiate history.Â
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