Upon retirement at the end of the 2021 campaign, wrapping up 21 seasons as the head baseball coach at Northern Kentucky University, Todd Asalon amassed a 564-586-1 record.
Asalon guided the Norse through their Division I transition which began in the 2013 season, helping NKU to post its winningest Division I season in 2017 with a 25-33 record. The 2017 season also resulted in the program’s first win in the Horizon League Tournament. Prior to the Division I era, Asalon also led NKU to the NCAA Division II Tournament eight times.
Asalon's final season at the helm of the program saw the Norse post 17 wins, with slugger Griffin Doersching leading the way. Doersching set NKU's all-time single-season home run record with 20 and the single-season base-on-balls mark (50) in a season that was shortened to 48 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those totals ranked sixth and eighth in the nation, respectively. Doersching closed his career as Northern Kentucky's second all-time home run hitter with 47 bombs.
In a coronavirus-shortened 2020 season, Andrew Bacon was named to the Horizon League All-Academic team. Bacon led the Horizon League in hits, home runs and RBIs to go along with a .303/.465/.342 slash line.
Four Norse received All-Horizon League honors in 2019. Will Haueter receieved a second team distinction, while Noah Fisher, Sam Hedges and Jayden Wakeham took All-Freshman nods. The All-Horizon nods weren’t the only recognition the Norse received. Haueter was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America first team and Griffin Doersching won the 2019 Rocket Mortgage College Home Run Derby Championship. Following the season, Sam Williams signed with the Padres as an undrafted free agent and reached Double-A ball by the end of August.
The 2018 season also saw a host of accolades for the Norse. Will Hauter received Cecil N. Coleman Medal of Honor, CoSIDA Academic All-America first team and Horizon League Scholar Athlete of the Season awards. Doersching was named to the Collegiate Baseball Freshmen All-American team. Haueter also received an All-Horizon League first team distinction, while Doersching took Freshman of the Year. Chad Roberts received a second team nod and Andrew Bacon and Collin Hohman each took All-Freshman honors.
In 2017, four student-athletes earned All-Horizon League First Team honors. TJ Alas, Trey Ganns, Jake Richmond and Chad Roberts were all named to the First Team. Additionally, Ganns was drafted in the 35th Round of the MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox.
Under his direction, three players – Trey Ganns, Quint Heady and Logan Spurlin – were named to the All-Horizon League Second Team in 2016 while Will Haueter earned All-Freshman team honors.
During his tenure, 12 players, including nine pitchers, have been selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. Asalon has seen two field players drafted in back-to-back seasons, starting with Jordan Procyshen (14th round, Boston Red Sox) in the 2014 MLB Draft and Cole Bauml (10th round, Detroit Tigers) in 2015. The duo represents the second and third field player to be drafted during Asalon’s tenure, following outfielder Jake Shaffer. Shaffer was chosen by the Seattle Mariners in the 15th round after his junior year in 2005.
In 2015, the Norse went 17-34 on the year and 5-16 in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Cole Bauml was selected to the All-Atlantic Sun First Team, after being a Second-Team honoree in the season prior. LHP Trey Ganns earned All-Freshman Team recognition. Additionally, 22 players, including both Bauml and Ganns, earned 2014-15 Atlantic Sun All-Academic honors under Asalon’s direction.
In 2012, NKU finished its final season competing at the NCAA Division II level 36-22 overall and 25-11 in the GLVC. The 2012 season saw the Norse win 16 games in a row between March 18 and April 7. NKU ended the season in second place in the GLVC East division and advanced to the second round of the Midwest Regional Tournament.
Four seasons ago, NKU advanced once again to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament after finishing the season with a 36-21 record under Asalon’s direction. The 21-13 conference record landed the team in second place in the GLVC East division.
In 2010, Asalon returned to the NCAA Tournament on the heels of a 43-17 season and topped the GLVC East division for the second consecutive season with a 24-6 league record. The Norse saw several offensive records broken, both individually and at the team level, and led the nation in doubles and doubles per game.
Asalon earned his first back-to-back GLVC championships as the Norse finished 41-22, earning Asalon his third GLVC Coach of the Year award for the 2009 season. The five conference championships over the eight-year span are equaled only by ABCA Hall of Fame coach Irish O’Reilly, who accomplished the feat while coaching Lewis between 1985 and 1992. Additionally, Asalon’s squad led the GLVC in both team hitting and team pitching on the season while 11 players earned All-GLVC honors, including GLVC Player of the Year Evan McDole.
In 2008, Asalon led the Norse to a 38-24 record and their fourth Great Lakes Valley Conference title in the previous seven years. The Norse did so in dramatic fashion, losing in the opening game of the GLVC tournament before rallying back to victory. Asalon was the first coach in GLVC history to amass four titles so quickly into his tenure and only the second coach in GLVC history to accumulate four conference titles such a short span.
In 2007, the Norse finished 27-26. The Norse challenged themselves early, taking on the previous three national champions – Delta State, Florida Southern and Tampa – in the first three weeks of the season. Asalon guided NKU to the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship in 2006 and an appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Norse finished 42-20-1 overall, 36-11-1 in the GLVC. The 42 wins are the most for NKU since 1989, when the Norse finished 45-9.
Nine years ago, Asalon led NKU to a 31-26 record. It marked the fourth time in five years that Asalon led the Norse to at least 30 victories. In 2004, Asalon guided NKU to a 37-25 record and its second Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship in three years. The Norse also advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament and featured GLVC Pitcher of the Year Derrik Moeves, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2005.
In 2002, Asalon led NKU to a 37-24 record and guided the Norse to their first-ever GLVC Tournament championship. Asalon was named GLVC Coach of the Year in 2002, and he guided the Norse to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time since 1990.
Asalon, who spent six years as the baseball head coach at Thomas More College prior to taking the NKU position in 2000, is a 1994 graduate of NKU. Asalon played baseball for the Norse from 1980-83, and he was a three-year starter at catcher. Asalon earned All-Region honors in 1981 and served as team captain in both 1982 and ‘83. He later was an assistant baseball coach for the Norse from 1991-94, before taking the Thomas More coaching job in 1994.
Asalon led Thomas More to a school-record 32 victories in 2000 and its first-ever NCAA Division III Tournament appearance. He was named Association of Mideast Colleges Conference Coach of the Year in 1995. In addition to being the baseball coach, Asalon also served as Thomas More’s athletic director for two years.
