HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky baseball team travels to Atlanta for a three-game series against Georgia State this weekend. The opener is set for Friday, March 3 at 4 p.m. The series continues on Saturday with a 2 p.m. first pitch and the finale is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. at the GSU Baseball Complex.
Live stats will be available for all games while
live video will be available for Friday's game.
Gameday Information
Northern Kentucky Norse (1-6) at Georgia State Panthers (4-3)
GSU Baseball Complex | Atlanta, Georgia
Friday, March 3 – 4 p.m.
NKU: Jr. LHP
Trey Ganns
GSU:Sr. RHP Bryce Conley
Saturday, March 4 – 2 p.m.
NKU: Jr. RHP
Pat Kelley
GSU:Fr. RHP Hunter Gaddis
Sunday, March 5 – 1 p.m.
NKU: So. RHP
Jordan Menfee
GSU: RJr. RHP Bryan White
LAST TIME OUT: The Norse were swept by Sacramento State in a four-game series last weekend. NKU opened the series with strong pitching. Starter
Trey Ganns allowed just two hits and one run in 5.1 innings. He and a trio of Norse relievers combined to hold the Hornets hitless across the final six frames, but the offense struggled in a 2-0 loss. The series also included a pair of one-run games. The Norse fell 6-5 in 11 innings on Saturday. NKU scored a run in the top of the 11th but Sacramento State countered with a pair of runs in its half to win in walk-off fashion. Norse pitchers fanned a season-high 11 batters. NKU fell in the finale, 12-11, despite clubbing a season-high 15 hits.
EARLY LEAGUE LEADERS: So far this season,
TJ Alas is the team leader with a .344 average on 11-for-32 hitting. Alas leads the Horizon League in doubles (four) and is tied for the lead in hits. The outfielder also ranks in the top-10 in batting average, runs scored (seven), slugging percentage (.656), on-base percentage (.400) and home runs (two).
Will Haueter follows Alas with a .333 average and team-high six RBI after going 10-for-30 at the plate across the first seven games. Haueter, a sophomore, is ranked third in RBI and joins Alas in the League's top-10 in batting average and hits.
Meanwhile, senior reliever
Charlie Jerger is in the top-10 in opposing batting average, as he has held opponents to a .200 average across three appearances and 7.1 innings pitched. Fellow reliever
Kyle Arganbright is on pace to enter the top-10, as the right-hander has held opponents to a .150 average and one earned run in 5.2 innings pitched. Arganbright has fanned eight in his three appearances, which includes one start.
ON THE MOUND: Junior southpaw
Trey Ganns is the projected starter in the series opener on Friday. He will toss the opener for the third-straight week. He is coming off a strong outing at Sacramento State where the Hornets managed just two hits and one run in his 5.1 innings pitched.
Pat Kelley is expected to start on Saturday for the third time this season. The junior leads the staff with 11.0 innings pitched and paces all starters with a 4.09 ERA. He threw 6.0 innings in his last outing at Sacramento State. Sophomore
Jordan Menfee is Sunday's probable starter. He will also be making his third start.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS: The Panthers (4-3) are led by 11th-year head coach Greg Frady. They are coming off a 12-5 midweek loss to No. 17 Georgia Tech after winning 1-of-3 games at Jacksonville last weekend. GSU is hitting .259 while the pitching staff has held its opponents to a .202 batting average. A trio of batters are averaging over .300 early this season. Junior infielder Romero Greer, who has seen action in five of GSU's seven games, leads with a .500 average on 9-for-18 hitting with five RBI and a .778 slugging percentage. Senior outfielder Cam Sperry is batting .391 while sophomore outfielder Darius Sewell owns a .318 average.
GSU pitchers have accrued a 4.28 ERA and have fanned 44 while walking 47 in their 61.0 innings of work. Friday starter Bryce Conley has thrown a team-high 9.1 innings and owns a 5.79 ERA with nine strikeouts. The Panthers will send freshman right-hander Hunter Gaddis to the mound on Saturday for his third appearance and first collegiate start, while righty Bryan White will toss Sunday's game. White has a 3.52 ERA and has allowed five hits in 7.2 innings pitched.
The Panthers were 24-31 last season and 10-20 in the Sun Belt. The 2016 squad posted a .284 team average and 5.49 staff ERA.
SERIES HISTORY: The series will be the second-ever meeting between the Norse and Panthers. NKU won 2-of-3 games at Georgia State in 2014. The Norse took the opener, 6-5, in 11 innings on Feb. 28, 2014 and followed it up with a 4-3 win to clinch the series in game two. Georgia State earned a 13-2 victory in the finale.
ON DECK: The Norse close their month-long road swing with a four-game series at Radford March 10-12. The series begins at 4 p.m. on Friday, March 10 and will also feature NKU's first doubleheader of the season on Saturday, March 11. Following the trip to Radford, NKU takes opens Horizon League play in their home opener against Milwaukee March 17-19.
