Brian Erie has helped NKU win 31 games entering the GLVC Tournament.
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky University begins play in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament at 10 a.m. Thursday by facing Drury in the opening round.
NKU is the No. 3 seed in the GLVC Tournament, and the Norse are 31-18 overall. NKU has won 12 of its past 13 games to earn the No. 3 seed.
Drury is the No. 6 seed and owns a 33-17 overall record. The Panthers have won 13 consecutive games entering the GLVC Tournament.
NKU and Drury will play on the campus of Missouri-St. Louis. The GLVC Tournament continues through Sunday, and the winner will receive an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
On Saturday and Sunday, all GLVC Tournament games will be played at GCS Ballpark in Sauget, Ill.
Click here for the GLVC Tournament site.
GLVC TOURNAMENT HISTORY: NKU has won GLVC Tournament championships in 2002, '04, '06, '08 and '09.
PROGRAM MILESTONE: NKU's 8-4 win against Bellarmine on Monday was the program's 1,200th victory in baseball.
ON THE MOUND: NKU senior left-hander
Dave Middendorf leads the GLVC with 100 strikeouts. Middendorf also owns a 1.87 earned run average, which is No. 3 in the GLVC.
NKU senior right-hander
Andy Heston leads the GLVC in opposing batting average at .181. Heston is No. 2 in ERA at 1.44.
THE LAST TIME AGAINST DRURY: Earlier this season on March 26 in Florence, Ky., NKU and Drury split a doubleheader. The Norse took the opener with a 2-1 victory in 12 innings. Drury salvaged a split by pulling out a 7-5 decision in the nightcap in eight innings.
Brian Erie's two-out single in the bottom of the 12th inning gave NKU the victory in Game 1. Middendorf went 11 innings and struck out nine batters to become the Norse's all-time career leader in that category.
In the nightcap, Drury scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning to gain a split of the doubleheader with a 7-5 victory. Caleb Cole's two-run single snapped a 5-all tie and provided Drury with the winning margin.
NEARING 400 AT NKU: Norse head coach
Todd Asalon now has 393 career victories in 11 years at NKU and 542 wins overall.
