Kent State University
Ball State
Kent State to Celebrate 50 Years of Varsity Softball During Weekend Series Against Ball State
4/3/2025 1:00:00 PM | Softball
Kent State softball will celebrate 50 years of varsity status this weekend when it hosts Ball State for a three-game Mid-American Conference series.
Due to the weekend's weather forecast, the series has been moved up a day and a doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m. The finale is now slated for Saturday at 1 p.m.
An on-field alumni recognition will take place between games on Friday.
About the Flashes
Kent State got solid pitching from senior Delaney Nagy and junior Carley Penner during Tuesday's doubleheader at Ohio. Nagy limited the Bobcats to four hits in a 2-1 loss and Penner kept the Golden Flashes in the game until allowing four unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth. Junior Aaralyn Nogay led the way at the plate with three hits and sophomore Megan Claerhout launched her first home run of the season.
Senior Delaney Robeson leads the lineup in most hitting categories, including hits (37), batting average (.370), slugging percentage (.530), home runs (3) and RBIs (27). Senior Katie Jo Moery, who collected the 100th hit of her college career at Bowling Green on March 22, has added power to the lineup with eight doubles and is second on the team with 18 RBIs.
In MAC games, junior Brynn Libler has a team-high .391 batting average and has recorded a hit in seven of nine games. The lefty has a career-best .308 average overall on the season and leads Kent State with 21 runs scored.
Freshman Ella Johnson ranks ninth in the country with 28 appearances and is ranks ninth in the MAC with 44 strikeouts.
Scouting the Opposition
Ball State (21-10, 6-4 MAC) dropped a pair of one-run games to Northern Illinois during a doubleheader on Tuesday. The Cardinals score 7.79 runs per game, which ranks 13th in the country.
McKayla Timmons is the NCAA leader in on-base percentage (.653) and walks per game (1.10) and ranks fourth in slugging percentage (1.026). Timmons also leads the MAC with a .455 batting average and has totaled 12 home runs and 36 RBIs. Ella Whitney (33), Kara Gunter (24), McKenna Mulholland (22) and Hayley Urban (20) have all recorded at least 20 RBIs on the season.
Whitney (12-3) leads the pitching staff with a 2.21 ERA and 50 strikeouts.
Series History
Kent State is 55-39 all-time against Ball State after sweeping a three-game series in Muncie to open MAC play last season. This will be the first time the teams play in Kent since splitting a doubleheader on April 27, 2012.
On Deck
Kent State is scheduled to play a three-game series at Central Michigan next weekend (April 11-12).
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