HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky Baseball (0-7, 0-0 HL) heads South to play a one-off matchup against No. 24 Tennessee (7-0, 0-0 SEC) on Tuesday evening. The game begins at 4:30 p.m. and can be viewed on SEC Network+.
 
NORTHERN KENTUCKY at TENNESSEE
Tuesday, Feb. 25 – Knoxville, Tennessee– 4:30 p.m. – Live Stats – Video – Audio
 
SERIES HISTORY
This is just the second meeting between the Norse and the Volunteers. Tennessee won the first matchup a year ago, 18-0, on Feb. 19.

LAST WEEK IN NORSE BASEBALL
The Norse were swept by Furman in a three-game series over the weekend by scores of 9-8, 13-4 and 9-0. NKU had a great opportunity to get its first win on Friday after putting together a five-run comeback effort in the eighth inning to take a one-run lead. Unfortunately for the Norse, Furman scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth to ultimately seal the game. The come-from-behind effort was made possible thanks to exceptional pitching by Bryson Lonsbury (0-1, 14.54 ERA), who went for six innings and yielded just a pair of runs. Another standout in the game was Jake Murray, who landed four hits and drove in a career-high four runs in the game.
 
SCOUTING TENNESSEE
After starting the year unranked in the D1Baseball.com Top 25 rankings, Tennessee is sitting at No. 24. That number is likely to rise after the Volunteers had an incredible weekend at the Round Rock Classic, taking down No. 5 Texas Tech and NCBWA No. 26 Stanford by scores of 6-2 and 7-2, respectively. As a team, Tennessee is batting a whopping .296 and yields and an earned run average of just 1.71.
Jake Rucker and Zach Daniels have torn it up for the Volunteers this season. Rucker carries a slash line of .423/.500/.846 and has a trio of home runs to his name. Daniels already has double-digit RBIs to go along with a line of .400/.516/.880. Max Ferguson will be a player to watch if he's on base, as he's already up to four stolen bags on the year. Tennessee's starters have been strong from the mound this season with a 2.50 combined ERA, but its relievers deserve just as much praise as five still carry a perfect ERA in 20.2 combined innings-thrown: Sean Hunley, Kody Davidson, Will Mabrey, Mark McLaughlin and Redmond Walsh.
 
PROBABLES
Noah Richardson (0-0, 18.00 ERA) is projected to get the start for NKU in this one. The lefty reliever has thrown for four frames this season and has fanned three batters. Opposing hitters are currently hitting .500 against him.
 
HOME-RUN KING
NKU returns the reigning College Home Run Derby Champion for the 2020 season. Griffin 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.
Doersching is off to a great start in the 2020 campaign with a slash line of .348/.385/.435. He has a pair of extra-base hits and has driven in six runs. His next RBI will be the 100th of his career.
 
BIG HAAS
Jackson Haas made his debut in a series against Troy in a dazzling way. While pinch hitting for Doersching, the redshirt freshman singled in the eighth inning of opening night by slipping one by Troy's shortstop. An inning later, Haas then became the only Norse in the Division I era to hit a home run in their debut, crushing one past the left-center fence. It was also just the second time in the Division I era where a Norse sent one out of the park in the season opener, the first coming from Brad Clement against Lamar in 2013. The strong first night earned Haas two more starts over the weekend at DH, which included a two-RBI double on Sunday. He is currently batting at a .273 rate

ROOKIES GETTING IT DONE
Haas isn't the only freshman putting together quality outings for NKU. John Odom and Tyler Wagner have impressed in their six and seven appearances, respectively. Odom is currently third on the team in batting average, hitting at .313 and leads the Horizon League with four stolen bases. Wagner has made six starts this season at third base, bats .261 and has plated a pair.
 
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 from 2019. The Norse also benefit from the return of slugger Doersching.
 
In total, 15 players joined the Norse over the offseason, ranging from freshmen to junior college standouts: Michael Bohlen, Jared Flueck, Haas, Tyler Keith, Kyle Klingenbeck, Kurt Lange, Lonsbury, Jon (JT) McGee, Treyvin Moss, Luke Murray, Nick Noble, John Odom, Jake Pease, Tyler Wagner and Blaine Walters.
 
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 547-545-1 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.