HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University baseball team travels to Wright State this weekend for its first Horizon League series on the road. The three-game set begins on Friday, April 1 with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch at Nischwitz Stadium. Game two will be played Saturday at 2 p.m. with the finale to follow Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
All three games will be broadcast on ESPN3. Links to live stats and audio are available at NKUNorse.com.
 

Gameday Information
Northern Kentucky Norse (9-16, 0-6 Horizon League)
at Wright State Raiders (16-8, 5-1 Horizon League)
Nischwitz Stadium | Dayton, Ohio
Friday, April 1 – 6:30 p.m.
NKU: Jr., RHP Kyle Colletta
WSU: Sr., RHP Jesse Scholtens
Saturday, April 2 – 2 p.m.
NKU: Jr., RHP Justin Watts
WSU: Jr., LHP Robby Sexton
Sunday, April 3 – 1 p.m.
NKU: So., RHP Pat Kelley
WSU: Fr., RHP Caleb Sampen
 
MIDWEEK SUCCESS: The Norse are winners of their last two contests after defeating No. 12 Kentucky, 5-4, and Butler, 8-3, in midweek play. Logan Spurlin drove in six of NKU's 13 total runs. The Norse defeated UK with the help of 3.0 scoreless relief innings with one hit from Charlie Jerger. A three-run sixth inning handed the Norse their victory. Against Butler, a four-run third was all NKU needed in a game that saw Conor Ledger score three runs and post three stolen bases. NKU relievers Pierce Knisley, Alex Bolia and Aric Harris combined for 5.1 innings of work with five hits and one run.
 
SCOUTING WRIGHT STATE: The Raiders sit second in the Horizon League and are 15-8 overall and 5-1 in League play after sweeping Youngstown State and dropping one game to Valparaiso. WSU is 6-0 at home this year and posted a 21-2 home record last season.
 
The Raiders are batting .259 as a team. They enter the weekend sporting a League-best .420 slugging percentage after posting 34 doubles, 13 triples and 23 home runs in 24 games. WSU is ranked 25th nationally with 40 stolen bases this season. Mitch Roman has a team-best .345 average and is 15-of-17 in stolen bases this season. Ryan Fucci leads the Horizon League with 24 RBI to go with 13 stolen bases.
 
Teams are batting .256 against WSU pitchers who own a staff ERA of 4.11. Friday starter Jesse Scholtens has a team-high 36 strikeouts, tied for second in the League. Game two projected starter Robby Sexton leads the League with a 1.11 ERA while Caleb Sampen has held opponents to a League-best .169 average. 
 
SERIES HISTORY: The Raiders lead the all-time series, 7-6, as Wright State is NKU's most familiar opponent in the Horizon League. NKU entered the season having played WSU more times than the rest of the League opponents combined.
 
The Norse are 0-2 against the Raiders since transitioning to Division I after dropping a pair of games to Wright State last season. NKU fell, 4-3, on March 18 at WSU despite a 2-for-2, two-RBI performance from Ryan LeFevers. In the second meeting, Anthony Vagnier and Kyle Colletta posted three RBI apiece in a 15-9 loss on March 25 at home.
 
LEAGUE LEADERS: The Norse are tied with Valparaiso with a League-best .272 team batting average. NKU leads the League in total hits with 239 across 25 games. Northern Kentucky also leads the Horizon League in doubles (56) and is second in total bases (334) and third in fielding percentage (.966).
 
THROWING STRIKES: The Norse have not walked more than two batters in a game throughout the last seven contests. Reliever Aric Harris has tossed 13.0 consecutive innings without issuing a walk and has struck out 13 in that span. Meanwhile Charlie Jerger has a team-best 2.16 ERA and has not walked more than a single batter in his 11 appearances and has struck out 12. Kyle Colletta last pitched against Oakland when he threw 8.0 innings and walked just one batter. Colletta has two walks and nine strikeouts in 15.2 innings of work.
 
SPURLIN'S STREAK: With the help of a nine-game hit streak, Spurlin has pushed his batting average to a team-best .341. Spurlin has 12 hits and 11 RBI in the last nine games after batting 4-for-7 with six RBI, two runs scored and two homers against Butler and Kentucky this week. The senior catcher owns a team-high 23 RBI, the second-most in the League and is tied with a League-high five home runs. He entered the week with a .500 slugging percentage and is now slugging .603 on the season, ranked second in the League.
 
MERCURIO IN LEAGUE PLAY: Dominic Mercurio leads the Horizon League with a .458 batting average against League opponents after batting 6-for-13 against Valpo and 5-for-12 against Oakland. The sophomore shortstop has a .480 on-base percentage in League games. On the season, Mercurio owns a .305 average with 11 RBI and has reached base in 13-straight games.
 
UP NEXT: Following the weekend series, NKU will play a pair of games against Miami (Ohio). The Norse host the RedHawks on Tuesday at 3 p.m. and will travel to Oxford, Ohio on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. tilt.