THE FLATS – Georgia Tech softball (14-2) will make a midweek day trip to Kennesaw State (4-8) for Lexi’s Day, taking on the Owls on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Bailey Park. The game will mark the 13th celebration of Lexi’s Day, benefitting the Alexis Kaiser Foundation in support of children with neuromuscular ailments.
Game Information
Wednesday, March 2 @ 6 p.m. vs. Kennesaw State
TV
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Storylines
- Georgia Tech has outscored its opponents 104-37 to date.
- The Yellow Jackets have won seven straight games, the most since claiming eight straight in 2019.
- Tech is off to a 14-2 start, the best for the program in 12 years. The 2010 Yellow Jackets started off 20-2 on the way to regular season and ACC tournament titles, making an NCAA regional appearance.
- The White and Gold are currently 11-0 at home, tying the 1991 Yellow Jackets for the best home start in program history.
- Junior Blake Neleman tossed a career-high 13 strikeouts in the season opener against Saint Joseph’s, fanning 12 of the 13 batters on the way to a complete game win. Neleman nearly matched that total against Mississippi State with 12 punchouts in another complete game win over Mississippi State. She now owns six complete game wins and an 8-1 record in nine appearances on the year.
- Graduate slugger Tricia Awald has gotten a hit in 14 games and reached base in all of Tech’s 16 games this season. Sophomore shortstop Jin Sileo is also up to a double-digit streak reaching base with 10.
- The Jackets are currently top 10 in the country and among the league’s best in multiple categories – seventh in the nation and second in the conference in doubles on the season (30), 16th in the land and third in the league in on-base percentage (0.448) and leading the NCAA in walks (79).
- Tech stacks up among the nation’s best defensively as well, placing 12th in the country and atop the conference in fielding percentage (.987).
- The White and Gold have been proficient at the plate overall, ranking fifth in the ACC in batting average (.326).
- Awald is among the nation’s best at the dish, currently eighth in the country and leading the conference in on-base percentage (.639), eighth in the land and third amongst conference foes in doubles (7) and 19th in the nation and second in the league in batting average (.500).
- Junior catcher Emma Kauf joins Awald with seven doubles on the season, owning the same national and league-wide ranks.
- To date, Neleman is 13th in the country and second in the conference in strikeouts (61). Her eight wins on the year are also tied for the nation’s lead.
Series Notes
- Georgia Tech leads Kennesaw State 21-10 in the all-time series.
- The Yellow Jackets lead the series 11-4 at home and 10-5 on the road.
- Tech owns the longest win streak of the series, claiming five straight wins from 2014-18.
- The White and Gold took the most recent contest with a 3-2 victory on The Flats last season.
Lexi’s Day (per Kennesaw State Athletics)
Started in 2007, Lexi’s Day partners the Owls and the Alexis Kaiser Foundation to raise money and awareness for children in metro Atlanta that live with neuromuscular ailments. Fans can learn more about the Alexis Kaiser Foundation here.
The namesake of Lexi’s Day, Alexis Kaiser, will be honored prior to the game to celebrate her graduation from high school in May.
This year the Alexis Kaiser Foundation will also honor Steele Ray, who suffers from both Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy. He will be honored on the field around 5:50 p.m.
The festivities will begin at 5 p.m. in the Teasley Suite of the Bobby Bailey Athletic Center, where food will be served to the first 150 fans who purchased a $10 dinner ticket. The food will be courtesy of Lexi’s Day new partner J.D.’s Barbeque. Fans can purchase tickets here.
Prior to and during the game there will be a “pass the helmet” to collect additional donations for the Alexis Kaiser Foundation.
Cash and checks made out to the Kennesaw State Athletic Association with a “Lexi’s Day 2022” notation will be accepted.
“Once again the foundation is grateful to be partnering with KSU athletics, the softball team and our new partner J.D.’s Barbeque as we come together to celebrate Lexi’s Day,” long-time KSU softball head coach and Lexi’s Day founder Scott Whitlock said.
Donations can be made to the Alexis Kaiser Foundation through cash and check donations before and during the game or through online donations here.
The Alexis Kaiser Foundation is a 5013C organization. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the meal, donations and t-shirt sales will go directly to the Alexis Kaiser Foundation – and all funds raised by the AFK go directly to helping local young people who live with neuromuscular ailments – the organization has no “administrative expenses.”
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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