The Northern Kentucky University baseball team returns to the Bill Aker Baseball Complex for a three-game Atlantic Sun Conference series against Jacksonville this weekend.
First pitch for the opener on Friday is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday’s contest was originally slated for a 1 p.m. start time but has been pushed back to 3 p.m. as well. The two teams wrap up the weekend at noon on Sunday.
Live stats for each contest are available at nku.statbroadcast.com, and John Asalon’s audio broadcast can be found at NKUNorse.com. Sunday’s game will be shown on ASun.TV.
NKU dropped to 16-25 overall after suffering a 20-4 setback at Morehead State on Wednesday. Dominic Mercurio drove in two runs for the Norse, while Josh Myers and Nate DeNicola each recorded doubles for the Norse. Pierce Knisley allowed just one walk in one hitless inning of relief against the Eagles.
NKU-JACKSONVILLE SERIES: Jacksonville holds a 4-2 advantage in the all-time series with NKU. The Norse claimed their first NCAA Division I series during the 2013 season by winning two of three games against the Dolphins at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex. After Jacksonville handed NKU a 4-1 loss in the series opener, NKU rebounded with a 4-3 victory the next day. The Norse captured the weekend win with a 5-2 decision in the finale.
The Dolphins took the lead in the all-time meeting with a series sweep one year ago in Jacksonville, Florida, to end the regular season. Jacksonville opened with an 8-2 victory in the first game of a doubleheader on May 16 before posting a 7-6 win in 12 innings in the nightcap. The Dolphins completed the sweep with a 10-0 win in the finale the following day.
LAST SEASON AGAINST JACKSONVILLE: Zac Asman batted .600 (6-for-10) with one double, one RBI and two runs scored to pace the NKU offense against Jacksonville one year ago, and he drew one walk and was hit by a pitch twice. Cole Bauml went 5-for-13 (.385) with two doubles, one RBI, two runs scored and one stolen base, while Logan Spurlin finished 4-for-12 (.333) with one double and one RBI.
Cody Cooper pitched 7.1 innings against the Dolphins last season and allowed eight runs, only one of which was earned, on 10 hits with three strikeouts. Alex Bolia struck out six batters in three innings of relief, while Garrett Schrantz only allowed one earned run in 3.2 innings of work.
Alex Seifert led the way offensively for Jacksonville, going 6-for-14 (.429) from the plated with one double, two RBIs and four runs scored. Cameron Gibson batted .417 (5-for-12), drove in four runs and scored four times across three starts, while Connor Marabell went 6-for-15 with four RBIs, three runs scored and one double.
Zach Gordon pitched five scoreless innings in the May 17 start, scattering three hits, striking out two and walking one, for the victory. Adam Maxon struck out four batters and allowed three hits in 3.2 innings of relief work, while Josh Baker posted a 3.2 inning outing and finished with two strikeouts in the Dolphins save.
NEW BENCHMARK: NKU has set a new benchmark as it continues its NCAA Division I transition. In addition to recording their first-ever Atlantic Sun series sweep against South Carolina Upstate last weekend, the Norse also collected their 15th victory on Saturday, which is the most wins for the program in its D-I era. Last season, NKU finished the season with 14 wins, which improved upon its 2013 total of eight.
The Norse have currently posted four victories in Atlantic Sun action and need two more to tie last season’s total of six with nine conference games left to be played this year. In 2013, NKU collected three conference wins.
COMPLETE-GAME EFFORTS: Matt Jefferson and Tyler Miller are two of just 10 conference pitchers to record complete games this season. Jefferson is tied for second with Travis Bergen of Kennesaw State with two nine-inning efforts, while Miller is one of seven conference pitchers who have thrown one.
Jefferson earned his first complete-game effort in a 4-2 victory over Xavier on March 29 at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex, and his second gave NKU a 5-3 win at South Carolina Upstate on Sunday. This season, the senior from Indianapolis, Indiana, has struck out a team-leading 46 strikeouts, and his 12 starts tops the conference.
Miller pitched nine innings against Maryville (Tenn.) on April 15 as the Norse handed the Scots a 3-1 loss. He struck out four batters and allowed just one run on four hits. The junior from Delaware, Ohio, holds a 3.08 ERA and a 1-0 record with one save. He has struck out 28 batters and only allowed 13 earned runs.
UP NEXT: NKU takes a break from midweek action to focus on finals before heading to Fort Myers, Florida, for a three-game series against Atlantic Sun foe Florida Gulf Coast. Friday’s opener is set for a 6:30 p.m. start time, while Saturday’s first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. The two teams will wrap up the weekend on Sunday at 1 p.m. Links to live stats and John Asalon’s audio broadcast are available at NKUNorse.com.
From NKU Athletics