The Northern Kentucky University baseball team travels to take on Kentucky for a 6:30 p.m. midweek matchup on Tuesday in Lexington, Kentucky. The Norse will then play host to Butler at 3 p.m. on Wednesday at Bill Aker Baseball Complex.
Tuesday’s contest at UK will be carried live on ESPN3 and SEC Network+. Live stats and audio are available for both contests with links to each at NKUNorse.com.
Gameday Information
Northern Kentucky Norse (7-16) at Kentucky Wildcats (17-6)
Tuesday, March 29 – 6:30 p.m.
Cliff Hagan Stadium | Lexington, Ky.
NKU: Sr., RHP Tyler Miller
UK: TBAButler Bulldogs (8-15) at Northern Kentucky Norse
Wednesday, March 30 – 3 p.m.
Bill Aker Baseball Complex | Highland Heights, Ky.
Butler: TBA
NKU: Fr., RHP Matt Ianni
LAST WEEKEND: The Norse fell in three games to Horizon League opponent Oakland last weekend. The Norse dropped the series opener, 6-3, despite a career-high tying 8.0-inning performance from starting pitcher Kyle Colletta. The righty allowed two runs in his outing and exited the game with the Norse leading 3-1. However, NKU could not overcome a ninth-inning rally from Oakland. The Golden Grizzlies went on to win game two, 6-1, and took the finale, 12-4.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS: Kentucky is 17-6 on the season and is coming off a series win over No. 1 Florida after taking the final two games of the series to snap UF’s 17-game win streak. The Wildcats are receiving votes in the NCBWA, D1Baseball, and USA Today Coaches’ Poll. UK is batting .297 as a team, averages 7.3 runs per game and is 21st in the NCAA in slugging percentage at .480. Teams are averaging .239 against UK pitchers who own a collective ERA of 3.93.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS: Butler is led by 23rd-year head coach Steve Farley and sits at 8-15 on the year including a 2-9 mark in road contests. The Bulldogs split a pair of games against Western Michigan and Bradley last weekend. Tyler Houston leads the Butler offense with a .349 average and 12 RBI. Drew Small has stolen a team-high seven bases while Chris Maranto has two of the team’s seven triples on the year. The squad is batting .240 as a team with a collective ERA of 6.95.
SERIES HISTORY: The Norse are looking for their first victory over Kentucky after taking on the Wildcats on 13 occasions throughout the program history. UK defeated NKU, 8-0, on April 26 in Northern Kentucky’s first season of baseball in 1972. The Norse and Wildcats met four times last season with Kentucky earning a sweep in a three-game series the weekend of March 7. The teams played a single game on May 12 last season when Kyle Colletta drove in NKU’s only run in a 5-1 loss.
The Norse are 4-5 against Butler with the first meeting coming on March 14, 1978 when the Norse defeated the Bulldogs 4-2. Last season, NKU posted an 8-2 win over Butler in Indianapolis with the help of a three-run homer from Trey Ganns.
NKU IN MIDWEEK PLAY: The Norse enter the week with a 2-0 record in midweek games after defeating Ohio, 7-6, in 10 innings and Northwestern, 7-1 last week. Trey Ganns has batted .444 on 4-of-9 hitting with two doubles and an RBI in the pair of midweek contests this season. NKU’s midweek pitching has seen success, holding opponents to a .197 clip. Charlie Jerger and Nick Beard have earned the victories on the mound after Jerger tossed 3.0 scoreless relief innings against Ohio and Beard threw 5.0 scoreless frames against Northwestern. Overall, the Norse own a 7-10 record in nonconference contests this season.
POWER AT THE PLATE: The Norse enter the week ranked second in the League in batting average at .273 after batting .276 last week. Sophomore Mike Moffatt boosted the Norse average after posting six hits, four of which were doubles, for a .400 average against Northwestern and Oakland. Moffatt drove in three runs and posted a .667 slugging percentage last week. Meanwhile, Will Haueter is tied for fourth in the League with a .350 average on the year and is tied with teammate Trey Ganns for second in the League in doubles with nine.
MIDWEEK STARTERS: Tyler Miller is slated to make his third start this season and ninth overall appearance. The senior right-hander has tossed 19.0 innings and owns a 7.11 ERA. Miller tossed a season-high 5.1 innings against Western Illinois on March 6 when he struck out five, walked none, and allowed four runs, three earned. The senior has been scoreless in his last two outings, highlighted by 2.0 shutout innings of relief against Oakland on Saturday.
Matt Ianni is expected to start against Butler for his second start and third appearance. Ianni tossed 4.0 innings in a win over Northwestern last week, holding the Wildcats to two hits and one run while fanning five and walking two.
UP NEXT: The Norse dive back into Horizon League play this weekend when they travel to take Wright State (15-8, 5-1 Horizon League). The three-game series begins on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Nischwitz Stadium.
From NKU Athletics