Kent State University
UNCW
Softball to Battle 16th-Ranked Georgia Twice as Part of Opening Weekend
2/6/2020 3:22:00 PM | Softball
Kent State heads south for the opening weekend of the 2020 softball season to play five games as part of the Red & Black Showcase at 16th-ranked Georgia's Jack Turner Stadium.
The Golden Flashes will take on UNCW at 1 p.m. on Friday before challenging the host Bulldogs at 6 p.m. Saturday begins with a 10:30 a.m. contest against Howard, followed with a rematch against Georgia at 1 p.m. Kent State will conclude the weekend against Howard on Sunday at 10 a.m.
Weekend Schedule
Friday, February 7
1 p.m. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â vs. UNCW
6 p.m. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â at #16 Georgia (SEC Network+)
Saturday, February 8
10:30 a.m.   vs. Howard
1 p.m. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â at #16 Georgia (SEC Network+)
Sunday, February 9
10 a.m.       vs. Howard
About the Flashes
Kent State finished just a single point behind favorite Miami in the 2020 Mid-American Conference Preseason Poll. Both teams received four first-place votes to capture the regular season title and five votes to be the winner of the conference tournament.
The Golden Flashes bring back the reigning MAC Player and Pitcher of the Year recipients for the first time since Bowling Green in 2006. Junior Brenna Brownfield was Kent State's the third different Player of the Year winner in the past three seasons. Redshirt sophomore Andrea Scali was dominant in the circle in her return from an injury that kept her sidelined in 2018. Scali, who received National Player/Pitcher of the Week recognition from both the NFCA and USA Softball, tossed a program record three no-hitters and finished in the top-10 nationally in shutouts (8), strikeouts (269) and strikeouts per seven innings (9.46). Both players earned NFCA All-Great Lakes Region honors.
Fifth-year head coach Eric Oakley returns six field position starters and every inning in the circle from last year's team that finished 28-26 and played into the postseason with a spot in the National Invitational Softball Championship (NISC). Senior Maria Cegledy is a two-time All-MAC selection and will be joined in the outfield by junior Kennadie Goth, an All-MAC performer in 2018. Sophomore Megan Turner joined Scali on the MAC All-Freshman Team last season.
Scouting the Opposition
UNCW
• The Seahawks finished 2019 with a record of 26-28 and sixth in the Colonial Athletic Association.
• C Jada Santiago, a 2019 CAA All-Rookie selection, finished second on the team in batting average, hitting .290 with six home runs.
• INF Domonique Travers was the team leader in home runs with 10. She added 21 RBIs and drew a team-high 21 walks.
• UNCW's pitching staff will look to senior Rylee Pate, who had a 9-9 record and posted the team's third-best ERA at 3.81.
No. 16 Georgia
• Picked to finish sixth in the SEC, Georgia enters 2020 ranked 16th in both the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll and the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll.
• The Bulldogs return seven position starters and four pitchers from last year's squad that finished with a record of 42-19 and made the program's 18th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
• OF Ciara Bryan and INF Lacey Fincher earned NFCA All-Southeast Region honors last season. Bryan batted .317 with five doubles, five triples, 11 home runs and 36 RBIs. Fincher finished her freshman season hitting .318 with seven doubles, nine home runs, and 32 RBIs.
• Senior Mary Wilson Avant is the veteran of the pitching staff. In 2019, she posted a 10-5 record while leading the team-high in ERA (2.37), strikeouts (94), inning pitched (103.1) and opponent batting average (.171).                                                Â
Howard
• Howard finished 2019 with a record of 19-29 and a loss to Florida A&M in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship game.
• The Bison will be led 2019 MEAC Rookie of the Year and All-MEAC Second Team selection Kalita Dennis, who finished 2019 hitting .410 with 12 doubles, four triples, and 35 RBIs.
• C Camille Navarro was named to the All-MEAC Second Team. She was the team leader with 36 RBIs.
• 1B/OF Xzarria Simmons was also named to the All-MEAC Second Team and finished the season hitting .378 with 10 doubles and 21 RBIs.            Â
Series History vs. Opponents
Kent State is 2-7 all-time against the tournament field. The Flashes are 2-1 against UNCW with the last meeting occurring in 1995. Georgia has won all six games with the Flashes. Five of these games have been decided by three runs or fewer. Most recently, the 18th-ranked Bulldogs won a pair of games, 1-4 and 2-5, at home as part of the UGA Softball Classic during the 2014 season.
On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State will travel to Arlington, Texas for five games in the Maverick Classic February 14-16. The tournament field will include Stephen F. Austin, UT Arlington, and Kansas City.
