HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University baseball team hosts Eastern Kentucky on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex, and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
 
Northern Kentucky Norse vs. Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Tuesday, May 1 – 3 p.m. – Bill Aker Baseball Complex – ESPN3

LAST TIME OUT
The Norse took the series against Oakland this weekend. NKU won Friday's game by a score of 5-3 and Sunday's game by a score of 9-6. The Norse fell on Saturday, 3-0. In Friday's contest, Cameron Ross earned the win on the mound. He pitched five innings, allowing just one run. Shane Paradis went 2-for-4 in the contest with an RBI, and Griffin Doersching was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer.
 
In Sunday's contest, Sam Williams got the win on the mound. He went five innings, allowing five runs (two earned) on seven hits. Travis Rowland pitched 3.2 innings out of the bullpen, giving up just one unearned run on two hits, and Joe Martin earned the save for retiring the final Oakland batter. Chad Roberts hit a three-run homer in the contest, and Doersching followed with a solo shot for back-to-back home runs. Dominic Mercurio was 3-for-5 in the game with two runs scored, and Mike Moffatt went 2-for-4 at the plate with two doubles and a run scored.
 
SCOUTING EKU
The Colonels are 24-21 on the season and 14-7 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The team most recently picked up a series win against Jacksonville State this past weekend. Alex Holderbach is the top hitter for EKU. He is batting at a .371 clip with 63 hits, 65 RBIs, 47 runs, 15 home runs, 10 doubles and two triples. EKU also has four other hitters batting over .300, as Ryland Kerr, Tyler Romanik, Will Johnson, and Nick Howie are all above the mark. On the mound, EKU has a team ERA of 6.07. Kaven Brown is likely to start on the hill tomorrow. He is 3-2 on the year in nine starts with a 5.98 ERA.

LAST MEETING
The Colonels and Norse met earlier this season on April 11. NKU emerged with a 14-6 victory. Kyle Service got the win on the mound for pitching three scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Will Haueter hit a solo home run in the first inning, Doersching hit a grand slam in the fourth inning, and Roberts and Preston Pilat each hit solo home runs in the eighth inning to help the Norse get the victory.
 
BIG WIN IN MARCH
The Norse defeated No. 6 Kentucky earlier this season on March 7 by a final score of 8-6. It was NKU's second win over a ranked program since its move to Division I. The Norse also defeated UK on March 29, 2016. The Wildcats were ranked No. 12 in that matchup.

BOBBY FONG AWARD
The NKU baseball team was named the recipient of the Horizon League's Bobby Fong Award. The award encompasses the league's values of integrity, respect and stewardship and is presented to one current Horizon League student-athlete or team. The award is named for the late Dr. Bobby Fong, a former Butler University president who served on the Horizon League Board of Directors from 2001-2011. The NKU baseball team has historically been the leader of the athletic department in the area of community service and impact. The team participates in a number of volunteer opportunities throughout the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati areas. This is the second consecutive year that NKU has received the award, as former NKU women's soccer student-athlete Sami Rutowski was named the recipient of the award last year.
 
TAKING A LOOK AT THE STATS
Haueter leads the team in batting average (.358), slugging percentage (.629), on-base percentage (.459), and doubles (15). Haueter ranks third in the Horizon League in batting average, second in slugging percentage, first in on-base percentage, and first in doubles. Moffatt is hitting .307 in 25 games this season. He has 27 hits, 13 runs scored, seven RBIs and six doubles. On the mound, Joe Martin leads the team with a 3.94 ERA. He is 3-3 on the year with 18 appearances out of the bullpen.