Dave Middendorf earned his second GLVC Pitcher of the Week award and the third by an NKU pitcher this season.
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Northern Kentucky University's
Dave Middendorf was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week, the league office announced on Monday.
Middendorf, a junior out of Cincinnati La Salle High School, threw an 11-strikeout gem against Saint Joseph's on Saturday, scattering three hits and giving up just one unearned run in seven innings of work to give the Norse a 9-2 victory.
The game marked the third consecutive outing in which Middendorf struck out 10 or more batters.
Middendorf, now a two-time GLVC Pitcher of the Week honoree, is 5-1 on the season with a 1.51 earned run average. His 51 strikeouts lead the team and are good for second among GLVC pitchers.
The honor precedes another busy week for NKU baseball, as the Norse take on Urbana for a single game on Tuesday before hitting the road for a four-game weekend series against Lewis.
NKU (19-7, 9-1 GLVC) went 3-1 last week, including a doubleheader sweep of Saint Joseph's to take sole possession of first place in the GLVC's East Division.
All games this week can be heard on nkunorse.com.
LAST SEASON AGAINST URBANA: The Norse claimed a 3-1 record against the Blue Knights, including a dramatic, come-from-behind victory, 9-8, at Urbana on April 23, keyed by a two-homer performance by
Evan McDole. The Norse closed out that doubleheader with a 15-1 win in Game 2. NKU is 5-1 all-time against the Blue Knights.
LAST SEASON AGAINST LEWIS: NKU went 3-1 against the Flyers as
Jake Morris tied a school record with a five-hit performance in NKU's 17-4 win in Game 1 of the series. NKU completed the doubleheader sweep in Game 2 with an 8-1 victory before splitting Day 2 action in the series. NKU leads the all-time series, 39-29, including a 27-4 mark in the last 31 games between the clubs dating back to 2002.
CISPER SEES THE BALL: Jason Cisper leads the club with 48 hits in 25 games, giving him an average of 1.92 hits per game. At this rate, Cisper is on pace for 99 hits in the regular season alone, which would shatter the NKU single-season record of 83 hits that was set by Shaun Erie in 2002.
CLIMBING THE RANKS: The Norse continue to see their stock rise in the NCAA Division II national poll, climbing seven spots this week to No. 17. NKU has at least received votes in every poll this season.
STAYING HOME: After the Easter weekend road trip to Lewis, the Norse will become comfortable sleeping in their own beds, playing 16 games over 16 days, all at home.
