Kennesaw State Owls
Coach: Mike Sansing (749-361 in 19 seasons at KSU)
Last year's finish: 23-32, eighth in Atlantic Sun Conference
Prediction: Eighth in conference
Returning stars: C Ronnie Freeman (.365, 29-game hitting streak), C/DH Drew Fowlkes (.281, 12 HRs), SS Peyton Hart (.293, 37 RBIs)
Key newcomers: 1B Andy Chriscaden, OF Will Howard, OF Chris McGowan
What to expect: The Owls had their moments last year -- defeating Georgia Tech, Georgia and Georgia State -- but finished with a losing record for only the second time in Sansing's career. Sansing hopes he has built up enough depth to offset the loss of his two pitchers from a staff that had a 6.98 ERA. Likewise, he has re-stocked the lineup with junior-college help. He has a great centerpiece in Freeman, a freshman All-American last year, and Fowlkes, who has a potent bat. They'll just need help.
Quotable: "We've got some pitching, we've got some offense. We just need to play solid defense." -- Sansing
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