HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky baseball welcomes Wright State to the Bill Aker Baseball Complex this weekend for a three-game series. The set opens on Friday with a 3 p.m. first pitch, set to air on ESPN3. The series continues at 1 p.m. Saturday and noon on Sunday.

NKU opens a stretch of five-straight games against the Raiders as it will travel to Wright State for a doubleheader on Friday, May 5 in its next contest following the weekend set.
Friday's game will be on ESPN3 while live audio will be available on Saturday and Sunday in addition to live stats for all three games.

Gameday Information
Wright State Raiders (27-12, 13-3 Horizon)
At Northern Kentucky Norse (15-25, 8-8 Horizon)
Bill Aker Baseball Complex | Highland Heights, Kentucky
Friday, April 28 – 3 p.m.
WSU: Jr. LHP Danny Sexton
NKU: RSr. RHP Jean-Francois Dionne

Saturday, April 29 – 1 p.m.
WSU: Fr. RHP Ryan Weiss
NKU: Jr. RHP Brody Basilone

Sunday, April 30 – Noon
WSU: So. LHP Zane Collins
NKU: Jr. LHP Trey Ganns

LAST TIME OUT: Northern Kentucky led through four innings at No. 2 Louisville on Wednesday, but fell, 6-4, after the Cardinals scored five runs across the fifth and sixth innings. NKU out-hit UofL, 10-9, as six Norse pitchers made appearances out of the bullpen.

REMAINING SCHEDULE: Including this weekend's three-game set, NKU has 15 games remaining in the regular season, 14 of which are conference games. Doubleheaders at Wright State and Milwaukee are on the slate for next weekend. NKU then hosts Oakland in a doubleheader for the final home games of the season on Friday, May 12. The season concludes with six-straight road games including a midweek contest at No. 6 Kentucky.

The top six teams advance to the Horizon League Championship at the site of the top-seeded team that meets facility requirements. NKU currently sits in third behind League-leader UIC (29-9, 16-3 HL) and Wright State.

BATTER OF THE WEEK: For the second time this season, two-way player Trey Ganns was named the Horizon League Batter of the week. Ganns hit .524 (11-for-21) with 10 extra-base hits including seven doubles and three home runs across five games last week. He had nine RBI, eight runs scored, a 1.286 slugging percentage and .545 on-base percentage. He also threw 12.0 innings across two starts on the mound and allowed just three runs. He last earned the honor on April 10 when he was also selected as a Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week.
 
GOING LONG: The Norse rank in the top-20 nationally in four offensive categories. They are 16th in the NCAA in doubles per game, averaging 2.23. They are also 19th in total doubles with 89 across 40 games. NKU is ranked 19th nationally in home runs (48) and 20th home runs per game (1.20). In the month of April, NKU has laced 29 home runs and 37 doubles across 16 games for a .519 slugging percentage.

The Norse have 12 home runs in the last six games and have knocked three or more home runs in six different games this season.

QUICK HITS:

• Cameron Ross has given up just nine earned runs in his last 32.0 innings of work. He has moved up to sixth in the NCAA in total pitching appearances with 25.
• Jordan Menfee has allowed four earned runs in his last 17.0 innings pitched, spanning six outings. He has made three starts and 14 appearances out of the bullpen. In relief innings, he owns a 2.45 ERA and has held foes to a .188 average while tossing 25.2 innings out of the bullpen.
• Travis Rowland has given up three earned runs in his last 12.0 innings, spanning seven outings.
• NKU leads the League in slugging percentage (.450), hits (393), doubles (89) and home runs (48) and is second in batting average (.281), on-base percentage (.361), runs (250) and RBI (222).
• TJ Alas is riding a 31-game on-base streak and has reached base in 38 of NKU's 40 games. He has posted at least one hit in 31 of those 40 games.
• Ganns leads the Horizon League in runs scored (36), RBI (41) and walks (29). He has a League-best .841 slugging percentage against HL foes.
• Alas is the League leader in doubles with 15 and is tied with Jake Richmond for third in runs scored with 34. The duo is also in the HL's top-10 in slugging percentage and home runs.
• NKU is batting .328 at home this season with 26 homers and 35 doubles in 13 games. Richmond is batting .353 at home this season and .300 overall.
• Will Haueter is 20-for-50 (.400) with 14 runs scored, three doubles and four RBI in the last 14 games.
• NKU's leadoff batters are reaching base at a .398 clip.
• The Norse have posted one error in the last six games.

SCOUTING WRIGHT STATE: The Raiders enter the weekend sitting second in the Horizon League. They opened League play at 11-0 before dropping single games to YSU, Oakland and Valparaiso. WSU has won two of its last six. The squad is 17-2 at home and 9-9 on the road.

The Raiders are sixth in the League in batting average (.257) and second in ERA (3.33). WSU pitchers have held opponents to a .238 clip. The team has far and away the most stolen bases in the League with 90 on 110 attempts, which ranks third in the NCAA. The speedy Raiders also have 20 triples in 39 games.

Matt Morrow paces the offense with a .342 average while Adrian Marquez leads with 35 RBI.

WSU's starting pitchers Danny Sexton and Zane Collins lead the League in ERA at 1.40 and 1.73, respectively. Ryan Weiss is not far behind, ranking fourth with a 2.01 ERA. Each member of the projected rotation is also in the top-10 in opposing batting average, batters struck out, wins, innings pitched, walks, hits allowed and home runs allowed. The pitching staff has struck out 272 while issuing just 132 walks. Six different pitchers have been awarded a save this year led by Derek Hendrixson who has six saves and a team-best 1.03 ERA in 26.1 innings.

SERIES HISTORY: Wright State leads the all-time series, 11-7. In the last meeting between the two teams, WSU swept the Norse in a doubleheader by scores of 5-2 and 13-3 at NKU on April 24. The Norse won 1-of-5 against the Raiders last year with the lone victory coming on April 2 at WSU, 6-4.

Dominic Mercurio saw success against WSU last season, batting 7-for-15 (.467) with two RBI across the five contests.