HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University baseball team travels to Emerson, Georgia, this weekend for a three-game, neutral-site series against William & Mary at the Perfect Game Complex at LakePoint Sporting Community.
 
After the Governors Classic at Austin Peay State University was canceled this weekend due to inclement weather, the Norse will face William & Mary open the series on Saturday, and first pitch will be thrown at 9 p.m. The final two games of the series will be played as part of a doubleheader on Sunday that begins at 3 p.m. A link to live stats and John Asalon's broadcast for each contest is available at NKUNorse.com.  Fans unable to make the trip can look to @NKUNorseGameDay on Twitter for updates during the weekend as well.
 
The Norse enter the weekend 2-5 overall after a four-game series against CSU Bakersfield.  The Roadrunners swept a Friday doubleheader by scores of 11-1 and 10-3, respectively, before NKU earned an 8-2 victory in Saturday's action.  CSU Bakersfield rallied from a four-run deficit for an 11-5 win in Sunday's series finale.
 
Trey Ganns batted .600 over the four games to lead the Norse offense, going 9-for-15 from the plate with three RBIs, two doubles and one run scored.  Cole Bauml extended his hitting streak to 17 games, dating back to last season, hitting .438 on the weekend and adding six doubles to his season total.  Conor Ledger went 5-for-12 (.417) for the Norse, and he drove in two runs and scored twice.
 
Evan Korson picked up his first victory of the season in Saturday's win, pitching four innings of relief.  He allowed two runs, which were unearned, on two hits, and he struck out four batters while walking just two.  Tyler Miller struck out seven batters in 5.1 innings of work in his first start for the Norse in Sunday's contest.
 
ABOUT WILLIAM & MARY:  The Tribe come into the series against the Norse with a record of 1-2 after having six-straight games either postponed or canceled.  The only series of the season was against Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi.  After losing the first game, 9-4, William & Mary bounced back in the first game of a doubleheader with an 8-1 win before losing the second game, 16-2.
 
Catcher Devin White batted .500 with two doubles and two RBIs to pace the William & Mary offense, while first baseman Charley Gould and infielder Ryder Miconi each hit .400 with one double apiece.  Gould drove in two runs and Miconi brought home four for the Tribe.  William & Mary did not attempt to steal a base during its first series, but Ole Miss was able to swipe three bases in as many tries.
 
Saturday's expected starter lefty Jason Inghram posted a 1.50 earned run average over six innings of work after giving up five runs, one earned, on six hits, in his first outing.  In the lone win on the season, right-hander Nick Brown pitched 6.1 innings and allowed one run on five hits and holds a 1.42 earned run average.  Brown struck out six batters and is expected to face the Norse in Sunday's opener.  In the Tribes' last outing, right-handed pitcher Mitchell Aker pitched three innings, surrendering eight earned runs on 10 hits, and he is expected to take the mound against NKU in the series finale.
 
AGAINST THE COLONIAL ATLHETIC ASSOCIATION: NKU is 2-1 all-time against members of the Colonial Athletic Association. While this will be the first-ever meeting between NKU and William & Mary, the Norse have faced one other CAA team.  During the 1985 postseason, NKU faced Elon three times and posted two victories over the Phoenix and dropped one decision in the NAIA Regional Tournament.
 
BREAKOUT WEEKEND: Trey Ganns had a breakout weekend for NKU, batting .600 with two doubles.  He drove in three runs against CSU Bakersfield and scored once while drawing three walks, including one intentional. 
 
In the series and doubleheader opener on Friday, Ganns went 3-for-4 with one double to lead the Norse offense.  He was the only NKU player to record more than one hit before he posted a 2-for-4 effort, which accounted for half the Norse hits, with one RBI in the nightcap.  On Saturday, he drew three walks and went 1-for-2 from the plate with his second double of the weekend to help NKU to the victory, and he led the way for the Norse once more on Sunday, going 3-for-5 and scoring once.
 
The freshman from Burlington, Kentucky, is second on the team with a .417 batting average.  He holds a .500 slugging percentage and a .481 on-base percentage.  He boasts a five-game hitting streak and has driven in three runs this season.  Ganns also made his first appearance on the bump for the Norse, pitching 1.1 innings of relief in which he allowed just one hit and walked one batter in Sunday's finale.
 
DOUBLE SUCCESS: Cole Bauml continued the impressive start to his senior season, belting six doubles against CSU Bakersfield this weekend.  He now boasts 10 two baggers this season and would lead the nation in that category if NKU were able to be included in the NCAA statistics as a reclassifying institution.  FIU's Brian Portelli and Texas' Collin Shaw have each recorded eight two-baggers to top the NCAA list. 
 
As a team, NKU has collected 19 doubles through the first seven games and would be tied for 10th nationally with six other teams, including Atlantic Sun Conference foe Kennesaw State.  Stetson is in a three-way tie for third across the NCAA with 22 doubles, along with former Atlantic Sun member Mercer and Washington.
 
STRONG RELIEF: Left-handed pitcher Evan Korson posted a solid outing to earn his first victory of the season against CSU Bakersfield on Saturday.  He pitched four innings of relief, replacing starter Wendell Wright in the bottom of the third, and only surrendered one hit.  Korson struck out four batters and walked two of the 15 batters he faced.
 
The sophomore from Cincinnati, Ohio, has made three appearances out of the bullpen for the Norse.  He boasts a 1.29 ERA with four strikeouts.  He has surrendered four runs, just one earned, on eight hits over seven innings of work.
 
UP NEXT: NKU will stay on the road to continue its 14-game, season-opening road trip in Las Cruces, New Mexico, as the Norse face New Mexico State for a three-game series.  The two teams meet for a single game on March 6 at 8 p.m. Eastern before playing a doubleheader on Saturday.  First pitch for the opener is scheduled for 3 p.m. Eastern.  Links to live stats and John Asalon's audio broadcast will be available at NKUNorse.com.