HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky baseball (13-17, 11-12 Horizon League) has scheduled a Sunday doubleheader at Butler (9-16, 4-7 BIG EAST) in Indianapolis.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY at BUTLER
Sunday, April 25 (DH) – Indianapolis – 12:00 p.m. ET – Live Stats
SERIES HISTORY
Butler currently leads the series, 7-5. The Bulldogs defeated the Norse in the last matchup, 9-5, on April 23, 2019.
LAST TIME OUT
Northern Kentucky was swept in a four-game series against Wright State last weekend. The best game for the Norse came in game two of the Friday doubleheader as doubles from John Odom and Sam Hedges made it a three-run deficit in the seventh. The Raiders added a pair of insurance runs in their half of the ninth, which proved enough to suppress the Northern Kentucky comeback for a final score of 8-6.
SCOUTING BUTLER
Butler has had a difficult season, entering the matchups with a 9-16 record on the year, with two of those losses coming against fellow Horizon League foe Purdue Fort Wayne by scores of 9-6 and 6-3, respectively. Dan Harwood, a senior first baseman, leads the Bulldog bats with a .328/.621/.381 slash line and four home runs. Three other Bulldogs are currently batting .290 or better: AJ Poynter (.320), Freddie Matos (.308) and Brody McGrath (.291). Pitching-wise, the team is giving up 6.91 earned runs a game with righties Jack Myers (3-3, 4.97 ERA) and John MacCauley (3-1, 5.88 ERA) being the top starters.
HOME-RUN KING
NKU returns the 2019 College Home Run Derby Champion for his senior season. Doersching, 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 .295/.679/.466 slash line and Horizon League-leading (23rd in country) 11 home runs. With a combination of his newfound pitch-pickiness and frightening power, he currently leads the Horizon League and ranks 10th in the country with 35 walks on the year. At 38 career home runs, he is the sole owner of second in the all-time record books and is chasing John Heeter's 48. Doersching has also been named the seventh-best draft-eligible hitter by D1Baseball.
RICHARDSON'S ASCENT
After starting the year primarily as a reliever, Richardson has taken his pitching to an entirely new level, winning as the starter in three of his last five appearances and grabbing a three-inning save in another. Before a tough outing against Wright State, he allowed just five earned runs across 26 innings pitched, while fanning an impressive 31 batters for an electric 10.7 K/9. In his start against Youngstown State on April 16, Richardson went all nine innings atop the mound, allowing two runs on six hits and no batters walked.
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. He currently bats at a .304 clip and his 20 RBIs are second to Doersching's 27 for the Norse. He also has the most multiple-hit games (10) for NKU this season.
ONE-TWO PUNCH
The Norse arguably have their best game one and game two starting-pitcher combination in the Division I era this season. Although Ben Gerl is just 3-4 on the year, he's gone at least five innings on the mound in all but one game and dished 5.8 strikeouts an appearance. Klingenbeck has been just as lethal, pitching two complete games and allowing two runs or less on four occasions.
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. He is currently hitting .245 with 16 RBIs and 17 runs scored, but after a slow start to this season Bacon has hit .292 (19-of-65) in the last 19 games.
NEW YEAR, NEW NORSE
In total, 10 players joined the Norse over the offseason: Camden Brandt, AJ Clegg, Gerl, Lucas Gulczynski, Michael Hall, Liam McFadden-Ackman, Josh 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 560-576-1 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.
