HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky baseball (15-25, 12-19 Horizon League) takes the long trip north to Milwaukee (17-26, 14-18 Horizon League) this weekend for a four-game series.    
        
NORTHERN KENTUCKY at MILWAUKEE   
Friday, May 14 – Franklin, Wisc. – 6:00 p.m. ET – ESPN3    
Saturday, May 15 (DH) – Franklin, Wisc. – 2:00 p.m. ET – ESPN3       
Sunday, May 16 – Franklin, Wisc. – 1:00 p.m. ET – ESPN3          
       
SERIES HISTORY        
Milwaukee currently leads the series, 19-10, but NKU won three of its last four matchups with the Panthers from March 19-21 this season.    
  
LAST TIME OUT        
Northern Kentucky fell three games to one in a series with Oakland last weekend. The lone Norse win came in game one of the Saturday doubleheader, 8-6. Griffin Doersching was a perfect 2-for-2 with two walks in the contest and drove in five runs, partly thanks to a grand slam in the second inning. Kyle Klingenbeck picked up the win in the matchup, going six innings and yielding four runs, while Kaleb Meeks recorded the final two outs for the save.  
   
SCOUTING MILWAUKEE 
The Panthers have gone 14-14 since the Norse faced them last, but just 2-8 in their last 10 games. Luke Seidel (.299/.417/.331) continues to be one of Milwaukee's top hitters along with Mitchell Buban (.298/.383/.385) and Zach Nogalski (.289/.397/.369). Conner Goodman has been a great late-season addition of productivity, batting .320 over the course of 19 games. Milwaukee is projected to have LHP Riley Frey (2-6, 2.60 ERA), LHP Jack Mahoney (4-6, 7.20 ERA), RHP Mike Edwards (2-6, 6.12 ERA), respectively, on the mound for the first three games of the series. Sunday's starter is to be determined.  
        
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 .290/.664/.466 slash line and a Horizon League-leading (22nd in country) 13 home runs. With a combination of his newfound pitch-pickiness and frightening power, he currently leads the Horizon League and ranks sixth in the country with 41 walks on the year. At 40 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.     
   
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 .299 clip and his 21 RBIs are second to Doersching's 33 for the Norse. He also has the most multiple-hit games (12) 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 3-6 on the year, he's gone at least five innings on the mound in all but one game and dished 5.6 strikeouts an appearance. Klingenbeck has been just as lethal, pitching two complete games and allowing two runs or less on five occasions.  
  
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 six appearances, grabbing a three-inning save in another and dishing a five-inning, three-run no-decision performance against Butler on May 2. 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.     
 
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 562-580-1 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.