Kennesaw State baseball preview

2014 postseason finish: 0-2 at Louisville Super Regional

2015 opener: vs Liberty, 3 p.m. Friday

FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH

Travis Bergen, LHP, Jr.: The preseason all-Atlantic Sun Conference player was 9-5 with a 2.89 ERA as a starter last season. His nine wins ranked second in the A-Sun. He had one of the better strikeout-to-walk ratios (78:15) in the country.

Alex Liquori, OF, Jr.: The preseason All-American returns as the Owls' leading hitter after playing in 51 games with a .354 average, 13 doubles, a team-leading five triples, one home run, 42 RBIs and 37 runs in 2014. Liquori batted .394 with seven doubles, four triples and 14 RBIs in A-Sun play to earn second-team all-conference honors.

Cornell Nixon, INF, Soph.: He solidified his position at second base for the Owls in 2014 with a .228 batting average on 29 hits. He added 15 RBIs with 17 runs scored.

Kal Simmons, SS, Jr.: The preseason all-conference player started 62 games for the Owls at shortstop last season and batted .272 with 73 hits and 26 RBIs. He scored 46 runs and stole three bases. His 190 assists ranked fourth in the A-Sun in 2014.

SCHEDULE

February

13-vs. Liberty, 3 p.m.; 14-vs. St. John’s, 2 p.m.; 15-vs. Fordham, 1 p.m.; 17-vs. Georgia, 5 p.m.; 18-at Mercer, 4 p.m.; 20-at Jacksonville State, 4 p.m.; 21-at Jacksonville State, 1 p.m.; 22-at Jacksonville State, 1 p.m.; 25-at Georgia, 5 p.m.; 27-vs. Connecticut, 4 p.m.; 28-vs. Connecticut, 2 p.m.

March

1-vs. Connecticut, 1 p.m.; 6-vs. UAB, 4 p.m.; 7-vs. UAB, 2 p.m.; 8-vs. UAB, 1 p.m.; 11-at Georgia State, 6 p.m.; 13-at Winthrop, 6 p.m.; 14-at Winthrop, 3 p.m.; 15-at Winthrop, 1 p.m.; 17-vs. Georgia Tech, 6 p.m.; 18-at Western Carolina, 5 p.m.; 20-vs. William & Mary, 6 p.m.; 21-vs. William & Mary, 2 p.m.; 22-vs. William & Mary, 1 p.m.; 24-vs. Georgia Southern, 5 p.m.; 27-vs. South Carolina-Upstate, 6 p.m.; 28-vs. South Carolina-Upstate, 2 p.m.; 29-vs. South Carolina-Upstate, 1 p.m.; 31-vs. Western Carolina, 6 p.m.

April

2-at Stetson, 6:30 p.m.; 3-at Stetson, 6:30 p.m.; 4-at Stetson, 1 p.m.; 8-at Troy, 6 p.m.; 10-at Northern Kentucky, 3 p.m.; 11-at Northern Kentucky, 1 p.m.; 12-at Northern Kentucky, noon; 14-vs. Jacksonville State, 6 p.m.; 17-vs. Florida Gulf Coast, 6 p.m.; 18-vs. Florida Gulf Coast, 2 p.m.; 19-vs. Florida Gulf Coast, 1 p.m.; 21-at Georgia Tech, 6 p.m.; 22-vs. Troy, 6 p.m.; 24-at Lipscomb, 7 p.m.; 25-at Lipscomb, 3 p.m.; 26-at Lipscomb, 2 p.m.; 28-vs. Savannah State 6 p.m.; 29-at Auburn, 7 p.m.

May

6-vs. Georgia State, 6 p.m.; 8-vs. Jacksonville, 6 p.m.; 9-vs. Jacksonville, 2 p.m.; 10-vs. Jacksonville, 1 p.m.; 12-at Georgia Southern, 6 p.m.; 14-at North Florida, 6 p.m.; 15-at North Florida, 3 p.m.; 16-at North Florida, 1 p.m.