Northern Kentucky University Athletics

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – After a long and successful road trip, the Northern Kentucky University softball team returns to open the home half of the 2011 schedule this weekend against Great Lakes Valley Conference foes, hosting Missouri S&T on Saturday and Drury on Sunday.

First pitch for each day's doubleheader is scheduled for noon. Links for live stats and audio broadcasts, when available, will be at nkunorse.com.

The Norse, currently 11-7 overall on the season, opened GLVC play in a positive manner, taking doubleheader sweeps at Rockhurst and Quincy to stand atop the league after the opening weekend.

NKU defeated Rockhurst, 9-5 and 6-1, in Saturday's action. The Norse then got a pair of key wins over Quincy and reigning GLVC Pitcher of the Year Torie Bunzell, 1-0 and 4-2.

A LOOK AT MISSOURI S&T: The Miners are off to a bit of a slow start, sporting a 5-13 overall record, but a 2-2 GLVC mark after splits against Kentucky Wesleyan and Southern Indiana. Kassi Deibert leads the offense sporting a .385 batting average with two home runs and 11 RBIs, while Taylor Keal maintains a 4.65 earned run average and has two of the Miners' three wins on the season. Missouri S&T holds a 6-5 edge in the all-time series and is making just its second trip to NKU in series history.

LAST TIME AGAINST MISSOURI S&T: The Norse split last year's GLVC doubleheader against the Miners in Rolla, Mo. NKU dropped the opener, 4-1, before claiming a 3-2 win in Game 2. Emily Schwaeble's two-run triple in the fifth inning proved to be the difference for the Norse. Schwaeble also got the win in the circle, surrendering two unearned runs and striking out five.

A LOOK AT DRURY: The Panthers enter the weekend holding a 10-14 overall record and a 2-2 mark in GLVC play, splitting conference doubleheaders against Bellarmine and Kentucky Wesleyan last weekend. Andi Anti, the reigning GLVC Player of the Week, leads the Panther offense with a .446 batting average, five home runs and 16 RBIs. Shawna Barrow will prove dangerous on the base paths, as she already has 14 stolen bases on the season. The Norse can expect to see Denise Taylor in the circle, carrying a 5-2 record and a 3.82 ERA into the weekend.

LAST TIME AGAINST DRURY: Six Norse errors, including a costly one in the bottom of the 12th inning, wasted a 20-strikeout performance from April Ehlers as Drury took a 7-6 win in a game that lasted over three hours and spanned two different fields. Ashley Gates hit a three-run homer and Stephanie West went 3-for-6 in the contest.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Four wins, including a no-hitter, were enough to give Ehlers the nod as the GLVC Pitcher of the Week. Elhers fanned 14 Ferris State batters without allowing a hit in a 3-0 victory. It was her first no-hitter since 2009 when she held Drury without a hit in an 8-0 win in five innings. Ehlers also posted wins in conference play over Rockhurst and Quincy, striking out 11 and 13 batters, respectively.

Ehlers has 94 strikeouts on the season. She has attained a 6-4 record in the circle with a 1.38 earned run average.

NORSE IN THE POLLS: After struggling in the first few weeks of the season, NKU's consistent performance has impressed the pollsters. The Norse are receiving votes in this week's NCAA Division II national poll.

LONG BALL BARRAGE: The NKU offense has found its stroke entering GLVC play as the Norse hit five home runs over the last four games to help lead to four big wins in conference play. Gates and Kari Lang each went yard in Saturday's sweep of Rockhurst. Jessica Farris drove in the only run in Game 1 against Quincy with a solo shot in the sixth inning, while Natalie Papi's solo homer and Schwaeble's three-run shot in the seventh provided the offense in NKU's 4-2 win in the nightcap.

Of the team's seven home runs on the season, only two have been hit with runners on base.

STREAKING ALONG: Farris has been quietly amassing a solid hitting streak for the Norse, claiming at least one hit in each of her last 12 games. Farris has hit .341 during the span with four doubles and seven RBIs. The current streak eclipses her career-high 11-game streak during her freshman campaign in 2009.