HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – A contest against No. 5 Oakland awaits the Northern Kentucky baseball team, which is the No. 4 seed, as the two teams lift the lid on the 2019 Horizon League Baseball Championship on Wednesday, May 22 at noon. The game will be held at Wright State's Nischwitz Stadium in Dayton, Ohio.
No. 4 Northern Kentucky vs. No. 5 Oakland
Wednesday, May 22 – Noon – Nischwitz Stadium, Dayton, Ohio –
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TOURNAMENT SEEDING
Northern Kentucky finished fourth in the Horizon League regular-season standings with a 12-18 record. As the No. 4 seed, NKU faces No. 5 Oakland in the opening game of the league tournament as the Golden Grizzlies finished the conference slate at 9-18. Wright State took the league regular-season crown and will host the six-team tournament on their campus in Dayton, Ohio. UIC and Milwaukee tied for second, but the Flames earned the No. 2 seed after tie-breakers were applied meaning Milwaukee faces No. 6 seed Youngstown State in the other first-round matchup.
THE MATCHUP VS. OAKLAND
The Norse went 4-2 against the Golden Grizzlies this season, going 1-2 in the first series before sweeping the second three-game set. Four Norse played in all six games and hit over .300 against Oakland.
Will Haueter led the way with a .391 average to go with six RBI and seven runs scored.
Collin Luty,
Andrew Bacon and
Jake Murray also eclipsed the .300 mark.The Norse pitching staff also buckled down against the Golden Grizzlies, posting a 4.67 ERA in the six contests, which is more than three runs less than their regular-season ERA (7.76).
A LOOK AT THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES
Oakland posted an 11-36 overall record, but was forced to play 42 of its 47 games on road or neutral site fields. The Golden Grizzlies finished the league slate with a 9-18 mark, earning the No. 5 seed. Matt Dileo and Mario Camilletti lead the team at the plate with averages of .323 and .305, respectively. The duo also paces Oakland in runs scored with 33 and 32, respectively. Dileo and Blake Griffith have hit a team-best six homers.
HORIZON LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Andrew Bacon was named the Horizon League Batter of the Week, and
Joe Martin earned Horizon League Pitcher of the week honors on Monday, March 18.
Bacon went 6-of-11 (.545) at the plate from March 15-17 with a home run, six RBI, and three runs scored. In the 13-5 victory over Youngstown State, Bacon batted 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs. One of his hits in the game was a home run in the bottom of the eighth inning. He followed that performance with another 3-for-4 outing in the 7-6 win over the Penguins on Saturday, March 16. Bacon scored a run and had two RBI in the contest to help NKU get the victory. Bacon leads the team with a .315 average this season.
Joe Martin helped the Norse get two out of their three wins against Youngstown State. In the 13-5 win on March 15, Martin pitched 3.0 scoreless innings and picked up a save. He didn't allow a hit or walk to the 10 batters he faced, and he also struck out four hitters. On Saturday, March 16, Martin earned the win on the mound in NKU's 7-6 victory. He threw 2.0 innings, giving up an unearned run and two hits. He also struck out three batters.
Sam Williams was honored with NKU's second pitcher of the week nod in the last award of the regular-season. He fanned nine Flames while allowing just two earned runs in 6.0 innings of work in Northern Kentucky's 4-2 win over UIC.
AT THE DISH
Will Haueter leads NKU in batting, hitting a team-best .310 with 40 runs scored, also a team high. He is second on the team in RBI with 37, trailing
Griffin Doersching's 42.
Andrew Bacon and
Jake Murray are second and third on the team, respectively, in batting with a .277 and .274 averages. Doersching has clubbed 13 home runs this year, while Haueter has belted nine and Bacon six.
ON THE MOUND
Joe Martin's 5.19 ERA leads Northern Kentucky. The senior also sports a 3-1 record with six saves.
Sam Williams paces the Norse with five wins and has been the team's workhorse with 76.2 IP through 14 starts. Williams has fanned 87 batters, while issuing just 33 walks.
Cameron Ross and
Gunnar Barnard hold 6.84 and 6.96 ERAs, respectively.
