HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University softball team gets the 2015 season started this weekend as they compete in the Kennesaw State Kickoff Classic, set to be played at Bailey Softball Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia.
The season opens on Saturday as the Norse take on Tennessee Tech at 10 a.m., followed by a 5:30 showdown against Dayton. Sunday's action includes a 10 a.m. first pitch against Ohio, followed by a matchup against No. 13 Tennessee to close out the weekend at 3 p.m.
Northern Kentucky University (2014: 5-45 overall)Tennessee Tech University Golden Eagles (2014: 25-34)Feb. 7 – 10 a.m.
All-time Series: TTU leads, 1-0
Last meeting: Feb. 22, 2013 at Chattanooga, Tenn. (TTU, 8-0)
NKUDayton University Flyers (2014: 27-29)Feb. 7 – 5:30 p.m.
All-time Series: NKU leads, 12-10
Last meeting: 1996 at Dayton (UD, 3-2 and 3-2)
NKUOhio University Bobcats (2014: 32-26)Feb. 8 – 10 a.m.
All-time Series: First meeting
NKUUniversity of Tennessee Volunteers (2014: 46-12)Feb. 8 – 3 p.m.
All-time Series: First meeting
All games played at Bailey Park (600) in Kennesaw, Georgia #StartingNine – Tweetable Notes about NKU Softball this week NKU saw its first Division I preseason honor this year as KC Straley was named to the College Sports Madness All-A-Sun team. Straley earned second-team honors as a utility player after ending 2014 with a team-best .348 on-base percentage while scoring 29 runs and drawing 19 walks, also team highs.
NKU and Dayton will renew their all-time series after a 19-year hiatus on Saturday. #BackToBusiness The Norse and Flyers last played during the 1996 season with the Flyers sweeping a doubleheader by matching 3-2 scores. The teams played doubleheaders every season from 1986-96, except the 1988 season, with the Norse holding a 12-10 edge in the all-time series.
The Norse will take on two NCAA Tournament teams this weekend in Tennessee and Ohio. #ToughSchedule The pair are the first of five tournament teams on NKU's slate this season. Ohio took the Mid-American Conference championship to advance to the Lexington Regional last season. Tennessee advanced to the super regionals last year, coming out of a bracket that featured Virginia Tech, Charleston Southern and A-Sun power Lipscomb, whilch will visit NKU March 28-29. Next weekend, the Norse will take on Bradley, which captured the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title a year ago, in a pair of games at the Tiger Classic in Nashville, Tennessee. Additionally, the Norse will travel to face South Carolina Upstate, which won the A-Sun Championship.
Tennessee will be the second ranked team NKU has faced since moving to Division I. #DavidAndGoliath Additionally, the Norse will be looking for their first-ever win against a ranked team, after dropping a three-game Atlantic Sun Conference sweep to South Carolina Upstate, which was ranked No. 24 at the time, last season.
KC Straley enters 2015 with 30 stolen bases at NKU, ranking sixth on the career list. #SpeedWins Straley stole 22 bases last season, which stood fourth among A-Sun speedsters and is the second-best single-season performance by a Norse player ever. NKU's career record for stolen bases is 52, held by Stephanie (Leimbach) James, who serves as the team's athletic trainer.
Katelyn Roy has 12 career home runs, ranking eighth all-time at NKU. #HighlandHeightsHardball The Norse have seen a surge in power hitting over the last several years. Krista Eldridge's 13 career home runs stood as the gold standard for eight years before the team saw three new record holders in a four-year span. Rose Broderick (21) in 2010, Ashley Gates (31) in 2011 and Emily Schwaeble (33) in 2013 each set new high-water marks for the long ball at NKU.
After graduating seven players last year, the Norse will feature a new-look starting lineup. #FreshFaces While seniors
KC Straley and
Katelyn Roy will figure prominently in NKU's offensive plans, the Norse will need several newcomers to step up right from the start. Coach Stewart will particularly look to
Sydney Ferrante at the shortstop position and
Ashlynn Roberts in the circle to provide a spark for the Norse this year.
Head coach Kathy Stewart needs 12 wins to reach the 500-win plateau for her career. #ChasingHistory Stewart's entire coaching career has been at the helm of the Norse, where she has captured two conference titles at the Division II level and coached the Norse to an all-division record 55-game winning streak in 2005. She will look to join A-Sun colleagues Frank Griffin (838) of Stetson, Chris Hawkins (727) of USC Upstate and Tory Acheson (507) of Kennesaw State in the 500-win club.
NKU was picked to finish eighth in the ASunSB preseason coaches poll. ExceedExpectations The Norse are looking to improve on a 5-45 campaign last season that included a 1-25 mark in conference play. USC Upstate was unanimously chosen to repeat as league champions, while Lipscomb, Stetson and Florida Gulf Coast rounded out the top four.
