HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky baseball opens its long-awaited 2021 season with a three-game set at ETSU this weekend.

NORTHERN KENTUCKY at ETSU
Saturday, February 20 – Johnson City, Tenn. – 2:00 p.m. – Live Stats
Sunday, February 21 (DH) – Johnson City, Tenn. – 12:00 p.m. – Live Stats, Live Stats Game 2
 
SERIES HISTORY
ETSU holds the 9-5 advantage in the series, but the Norse are the most recent winners, taking a 5-4 decision on Feb. 18, 2018.

SCOUTING ETSU
The Buccaneers were out to a 12-3 record to begin the 2020 season before the coronavirus pandemic ended their season. The team's only losses came to Virginia Tech, Rider and No. 20 Tennessee. Offensively, ETSU returns a pair of preseason first-team Southern Conference selections. UTL Jake Madole finished the 2020 season with an impressive .419/1.065/.538 slash line and 3B Jake Lyle was not far off with a line of .362/.638/.464. Lyle is also the biggest speed threat, stealing 12 bags in 13 attempts last season.  

Sophomore Hunter Loyd (2020: 0-0, 14.54 ERA) will be the first arm the Norse face this season. He tossed for just 4.1 innings a year ago, yielding seven earned runs. Colby Stuart (2020: 2-1, 3.68 ERA), a junior southpaw, will throw in game one of Sunday's doubleheader and Hunter Townsend (2020: 0-1, 6.75 ERA), a grad transfer from the University of Charleston, will round out the weekend with the game-three start.  

PROBABLES 
It will be freshman Ben Gerl getting the opening-day start for NKU. Gerl is a lefty out of Lincoln-Way West High School in Joliet, Illinois, where he compiled a 2.02 ERA in his junior season. RHP Kyle Klingenbeck, a Cincinnati native, is set to make his Norse debut on the mound in game two after missing 2020 to injury. Finally, Nick Noble (2020: 0-1, 18.32 ERA), a righty, will finish out the weekend for NKU. 

NOTHING TASTES BETTER THAN BACON
Andrew Bacon came alive in the 2020 season, ending it on a 13-game hitting streak. The senior carried a .303/.470/.342 slash line, smashed out a Horizon League-leading three home runs, and batted in 15 runners, which also led the league.  
HOME-RUN KING
NKU returns the 2019 College Home Run Derby Champion for his senior season. Griffin Doersching, a junior, took the 10th annual prize in Omaha, Nebraska, 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 one home run from being second on the all-time Norse leaderboard.
 
NEW YEAR, NEW NORSE
In total, 10 players joined the Norse over the offseason, ranging from freshmen to junior college standouts: Camden Brandt, AJ Clegg, Gerl, Lucas Gulczynski, Michael Hall, Liam McFadden-Ackman, Josh Romans, Tyson Shaw, Bryce Smith and Bryce Thomas.
 
TWO DECADES AND COUNTING
Head Coach Todd Asalon is in his 21st season at NKU, owning a 547-555-1 record with the Norse. He guided the Norse through its 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 (14th season) and Pat Hyde (sixth season). Accompanying them is Matthew James, who is in his second season with NKU.