HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky Baseball program begins its 2020 campaign this weekend with a four-game set at Troy. First pitch for the series is slated for Friday at 7:00 p.m. ET and every game will be streamed through Troy's athletic Facebook page.
 
NORTHERN KENTUCKY at TROY
 
Friday, Feb. 14 – Troy, Alabama – 7:00 p.m. ET // 6:00 p.m. CT – Live Stats – Video
Saturday, Feb. 15 (DH) – Troy, Alabama – 1:00 p.m. ET // 12:00 p.m. CT – Live Stats – Video
Saturday, Feb. 15 (DH) – Troy, Alabama – 4:00 p.m. ET // 3:00 p.m. CT – Live Stats – Video
Sunday, Feb. 16 – Troy, Alabama – 2:00 p.m. ET // 1:00 p.m. CT – Live Stats – Video
 
SERIES HISTORY
Troy is on top in the all-time series by a mark of 10-2. The Trojans won the last matchup in a three-game series sweep on February 21, 2016 by a score of 4-2.
 
SCOUTING TROY
The Trojans are led by alumnus Mark Smartt, who owns a 136-101 record in his five seasons there. Troy is coming off of a 31-29, 16-14 Sun Belt campaign that ended with a 1-0 loss to No. 2-seeded Georgia Southern in the Sun Belt Tourney. A trio of .300 hitters from a year ago return to the squad: Rigsby Mosley, Drew Frederic and Dalton Sinquefield. Mosley finished last season with a .356/.430/.554 slash line and Frederic led the team with 11 homers. Levi Thomas (8-2, 4.24 ERA in 2019), Cory Gill (7-3, 4.44 ERA, 5 SV in 2019) and Lance Johnson (4-1, 2.80 ERA in 2019) are all be returning pitchers to watch for in the series.
 
NEW YEAR, NEW ME
The 2020 edition of the Norse boasts a crowd of familiar faces as all but one position player returns from last year's lineup. The only batter missing from the Norse is the now-graduated Will Haueter, who is the all-time doubles leader for NKU. Andrew Bacon is the top returning hitter for NKU with a .269/379/461 slash line. The Norse also benefit from the return of slugger Griffin Doersching.
 
In total, 15 players joined the Norse over the offseason, ranging from freshmen to junior college standouts: Michael Bohlen, Jared Flueck, Jackson Haas, Tyler Keith, Kyle Klingenbeck, Kurt Lange, Bryson Lonsbury, Jon (JT) McGee, Treyvin Moss, Luke Murray, Nick Noble, John Odom, Jake Pease, Tyler Wagner and Blaine Walters.
 
HOME-RUN KING
NKU returns the reigning College Home Run Derby Champion for the 2020 season. Doersching, a junior, took the 10th annual prize in Omaha, Nebraska, last June after clubbing 20 home runs to Tyler Keenan's (Ole Miss) 15 in the final round. In the 2019 season, Doersching smacked 13 out of the park, had a .503 slugging percentage and drove in 44 runs. He is just three home runs from being second on the all-time Norse leaderboard.
 
A NEW CAST ON THE MOUND
With departures-galore from the bullpen, Northern Kentucky plucked a bunch of JUCO arms to reload its pitching staff. RHP Bryson Lonsbury joins the Norse from Dyersburg State Community College after going 4-0 last season thanks to a 2.17 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 45.2 innings pitched. Also joining him from Dyersburg State is Nick Noble, a sophomore righty, who went 3-0 last year and posted an impressive 33 strikeouts in 27 innings thrown.

JT McGee will be a southpaw for NKU. Coming from Lincoln Trail College, the junior sported a 2.60 ERA last season and had 31 strikeout in 27.2 innings. Jared Flueck will also be crucial for the Norse after an 8-1, 3.26 ERA campaign at Olney Central College last year.

Although the Norse bring in a lot of new arms, they are not without returners. Kyle Service and Proctor Mercer remains with the Norse after starting 15 and 13 games, respectively, last year.

TWO DECADES AND COUNTING
Head Coach Todd Asalon enters his 20th season at NKU, owning a 547-538-1 record with the Norse. He guided the Norse through their Division I transition, which began in the 2013 season, and helped NKU post its winningest Division I season in 2017 with a 25-33 record. Prior to the Division I era, he led NKU to the NCAA Division II tournament in eight-consecutive seasons.
 
Joining Asalon on his staff are his assistants and former Norse Dizzy Peyton (13th season) and Pat Hyde (fifth season). Accompanying them is Matthew James, who is in his first season as assistant coach after spending a year at Xavier.