HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky baseball (2-9, 0-4 Horizon League) opens its home slate this weekend with a four-game series versus Oakland (6-5, 0-0 Horizon League). 
 
NORTHERN KENTUCKY vs. OAKLAND
Friday, March 12 – Highland Heights, Ky. – 2:00 p.m. – Live Stats
Saturday, March 13 (DH) – Highland Heights, Ky. – 11:00 a.m. – Live Stats
Sunday, March 14 – Highland Heights, Ky. – 12:00 p.m. – Live Stats
 
Northern Kentucky Athletics is unable to accommodate general admission attendance. Only pass-list supporters are allowed in attendance.
 
"All four games of the series are currently scheduled to be broadcast on either ESPN3 or ESPN+, but the exact platform and links have yet to be determined. Broadcast information will be updated in this release and the baseball schedule page once available."
 
SERIES HISTORY
NKU currently leads the series, 14-11, over the Golden Grizzlies. The Norse won, 14-3, in the last matchup to sweep a three-game series on May 5, 2019.  
 
LAST TIME OUT
Northern Kentucky was swept by Wright State in a four-game series in Dayton, Ohio to begin Horizon League play. Griffin Doersching had a solid weekend in the series, going 5-for-14 (.357) at the plate with an added three walks. Doersching, along with Michael Hall, each had a home run in game one and game four, respectively. Two Norse arms that had a great weekend were relievers Blaine Walters and Noah Richardson, who threw a combined 5.1 innings without an earned run.  
 
SCOUTING OAKLAND
Oakland comes to Highland Heights with a 6-5 record in its first season with Jordon Banfield at the helm. Josh Dudden and Cam Post have been great for the Golden Grizzlies in posting averages over .300, as well as three and four extra-base hits, respectively. On the other side of the ball, eight different pitchers carry an ERA under 3.00. Righty Brandon Deans will be the top arm to look out for this weekend, who threw a complete-game shutout at Dayton, yielding no earned runs. 
 
PROBABLES
Southpaw Ben Gerl (0-2, 8.22 ERA) remains the series-opener starter for the Norse this weekend. He will be followed by right-hander Kyle Klingenbeck (0-2, 8.79 ERA) in game one of the Saturday doubleheader. A pair of lefties in Walters (0-0, 1.93 ERA) and Richardson (0-0, 11.57 ERA) will wrap up the weekend in game two of the doubleheader and the final game of the weekend, respectively. 
 
HOME-RUN KING
NKU returns the 2019 College Home Run Derby Champion for his senior season. 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 has been a machine this season, carrying a .353/.753/.500 slash line. At 30 career home runs, he is the sole owner of second in the all-time record books and is chasing John Heeter's 48. 
 
MOSS GROWS ON THE SIDE FACING HOME
After a solid freshman season that saw him hit .297, outfielder Treyvin Moss picked up where he left off a season ago. Although he's batting a slightly lower .273 clip, he currently leads the team with six RBIs and a blistering .455 with runners in scoring position. 
 
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.  
 
A QUALITY DEBUT
After missing his freshman year to injury, Kyle Klingenbeck made his Norse debut on Saturday at ETSU in game one of a doubleheader and it was worth the wait. The sophomore tossed a quality start, going 6.1 innings and yielding two runs on the afternoon, which kept the Norse in the hunt for their first win of the season.
 
TIMES NEW ROMANS
Josh Romans impressed in his debut for the Norse. The freshman shortstop picked up the start in NKU's season-opener at ETSU on Friday, Feb. 20, going 1-for-3 with a double down the left-field line and a walk. A day later, he proved the early success wasn't a fluke, sending a solo shot out of the park in the third inning.
 
NEW YEAR, NEW NORSE
In total, 10 players joined the Norse over the offseason: Camden Brandt, AJ Clegg, Gerl, Lucas Gulczynski, Hall, Liam McFadden-Ackman, Romans, Tyson Shaw, Bryce Smith and Bryce Thomas.
 
ONE FINAL RIDE
On Feb. 26, head coach Todd Asalon announced that the 2021 season will be his last as he is retiring at season's end. Now in his 21st year with the Norse, Asalon owns a 549-565-1 record. 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.