Kennesaw State Receives No. 27 Preseason Ranking By Collegiate Baseball

Release from Kennesaw State Athletics:

Following an unprecedented run to an NCAA Super Regional a year ago, the Kennesaw State baseball team will open the 2015 season with a national ranking following the release of the Collegiate Baseball Division I preseason poll on Monday (Dec. 22).

The Owls, under 24th-year head coach Mike Sansing, appeared at No. 27 in the preseason ranking. Defending national champion Vanderbilt topped the poll.

Kennesaw State is coming off a record-breaking 2014 season in which the Owls posted a 40-24 overall record, captured their first-ever Atlantic Sun Conference title, won the Tallahassee Regional and advanced to the Louisville Super Regional. KSU concluded the year No. 13 by Collegiate Baseball.

Among the single-season records established by Kennesaw State a year ago were most Division I wins (40), and longest winning streak (16). The Owls also became the first team since 1993 and fifth all-time to win a regional in its first appearance.

Leading Kennesaw State into 2015 will be a talented group of juniors that include pitchers Travis Bergen, Jordan Hillyer, outfielder Alex Liquori, catcher Brennan Morgan and shortstop Kal Simmons.

Bergen, who was named Most Valuable Player at the Tallahassee Regional, finished 9-5 with a 2.89 earned-run average and struck out a team-high 78 batters while working a 99 2/3 innings. Hillyer, a second-team A-Sun all-conference selection, was the workhorse for the Owls, logging 101.0 innings and recording a 7-3 mark and 3.48 ERA while making 18 starts.

Liquori was honored as a second-team all-conference pick after finishing second on the club with a .354 average, 19 extra base hits and 42 RBI. Morgan came up big for KSU in the A-Sun Conference tournament, earning MVP honors and concluded the year with a .281 average, four home runs and 41 RBI.

Simmons, a second-team all-conference selection, batted .272 and finished third on the Owls with 46 runs scored.

Kennesaw State opens its 2015 season on Feb. 13 when it hosts Liberty at Stillwell Stadium beginning at 4 p.m. (ET).