Kennesaw State Owls
Kennesaw State Owls
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Kennesaw State Owls

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Kennesaw State Owls

The Kennesaw State Owls fields 16 varsity athletics teams, competing for Kennesaw State University. After spending ten years in Division II's Peach Belt Conference, the university fully transitioned to Division I status in the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the beginning of the 2009–10 season. All of Kennesaw State's sports teams competed in the Atlantic Sun Conference through the 2023–24 school year, except that football competed as an FCS independent in the 2023 season only. In July 2023, KSU started a transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision in advance of its move to Conference USA, which happened in 2024. Of its 18 varsity sports, only women's lacrosse is not sponsored by CUSA. The school mascot is Scrappy the Owl.

Kennesaw State's athletic department was founded in 1983, and initially offered nine sports: women's basketball, men's soccer, men's & women's cross country, and men's & women's track and field. The program first began competition in the Georgia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, part of the NAIA. In just 23 years, the school has transitioned to a full NCAA Division I program.

The Owls have been affiliated to one athletic conference in their tenure within the NAIA, which is:

Since joining the NCAA, the Owls have been affiliated to three athletic conferences in their history, they are:

In their short history, the Owls have had 32 players who have been drafted by MLB teams. Five of their alumni have reached the Major Leagues, including Jason Jones of the Texas Rangers, Chad Jenkins of the Toronto Blue Jays, Brett Campbell of the Washington Nationals, and Willie Harris, who earned a World Series ring with the Chicago White Sox in 2005, of the Cincinnati Reds.[citation needed] In 2014, Max Pentecost won the Johnny Bench Award as the best catcher in NCAA's Division I.

In 2009, six Kennesaw State players were selected in the MLB draft. Chad Jenkins was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays with their first round pick (20th overall). Kyle Heckathorn was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers with their supplemental first round pick at 47th overall. Jace Whitmer (Oakland Athletics), Kenny Faulk (Detroit Tigers), Tyler Stubblefield (Atlanta Braves), and Justin Edwards (Cincinnati Reds) were also selected by MLB teams.

Kennesaw State's baseball team began play in 1984 as an NAIA program. Jim Nash was the team's first head coach, and led them to a 30–20 record. In 1985, the Owls hired John Barrett to act as head coach. In his only year, he took the team all the way to the NAIA District 25 Tournament with a 31–24 record. The following year, the Owls again hired a new coach, this time tabbing Chip Reese to lead the way. Coach Reese was with the Owls for 5 seasons (1986–1990). During his tenure with the Owls, they competed in the NAIA District 25 Tournament four times, and carried an overall record of 145–126–2. Steve Givens was the next Owls head coach in 1991, and in his only season the team went 35–25 and made yet another appearance in the NAIA District 25 Tournament. Starting in 1992, the Owls gained some head coaching stability with the hiring of Mike Sansing. The Owls experienced an immediate improvement when Sansing was hired, and finished the 1992 season with a record of 39–19, and an appearance in the NAIA Tournament. The first major success for the program came in 1994, when the Owls completed the regular season with a then school-high record of 48 wins. They then proceeded to go undefeated throughout the entire postseason (12–0), beating Southeastern Oklahoma State University in the NAIA World Series final.

In the year following their NAIA Championship, the Owls moved up to Division II, and joined the Peach Belt Conference. The Owls adjusted to the competition, and won their conference with a 19–4 record (43–14 overall). The Owls also made it to the NCAA South Atlantic Regional after winning the Peach Belt Tournament with a 5–0 record. After their success in 1995, they followed it in 1996. Instead of getting stalled during the NCAA South Atlantic Regional again, the Owls beat Columbus State three game to one, and moved on to the NCAA Division II World Series in Montgomery, Alabama. During the World Series, Kennesaw State defeated Southern Colorado 9–3, Adelphi 8–7, Delta State 3–1, and finally, defeated St. Joseph's 4–0 in the championship game. Following their 1996 National Championship, Kennesaw had additional postseason appearances from 1997 to 2005. From 1997 to 1999, the Owls made three straight appearances in the Division II World Series, losing each time in the finals or semi-finals. During the 2000–2005 seasons, Kennesaw State racked up 238–112 record, and made the postseason five more times, with an appearance in the Division II World Series in 2003.

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