The No. 6 seed Northern Kentucky University baseball team is set to open its first Division I postseason tournament on Wednesday.
The Norse will take on No. 3 seed Valparaiso in the first round of the Horizon League Championship at 4 p.m. The tournament will be held at Wright State’s Nischwitz Stadium in Fairborn, Ohio.
The Horizon League Championship runs through Saturday. All games will be carried live on ESPN3. Live audio will also be available for NKU’s games. Links to all broadcasts and live stats can be found on NKUNorse.com.
More information on the Horizon League Baseball Championships, including the full bracket, directions, and ticket information can be found on the Championship Central page on HorizonLeauge.org. Single day and all-session passes are available. Students from Horizon League institutions are admitted free with a valid college ID.
Gameday Information
Northern Kentucky Norse (20-33, 9-21)
at Valparaiso Crusaders (27-26, 17-12)
Wednesday, May 25 – 4 p.m.
Nischwitz Stadium | Fairborn, Ohio
NKU: So. LHP Trey Ganns
Valpo: Sr. LHP Dalton Lundeen
CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES: The first round of the tournament is single elimination, with the losers of both first-round games on Wednesday being eliminated. Subsequent rounds will follow a double elimination format. A first-round victory on Wednesday would advance NKU to the quarterfinal round where the Norse would take on the No. 1 seed and defending champion Wright State on Thursday, May 26 at 11 a.m. The Raiders (41-15, 23-6) clinched the regular season title and hosting rights with a
doubleheader sweep over UIC on May 13.
NKU SEASON RECAP: Sixteenth-year head coach Todd Asalon led NKU to a 20-33 overall record this season, the most wins the Norse have recorded since transitioning to NCAA Division I. The Norse went 9-21 as a first-year member of the Horizon League, earning their first-ever HL victory on April 2 in a 6-4 win over Wright State. The Norse posted a series win over Youngstown State, and swept the Penguins and Crusaders in doubleheaders in League play this season.
POSTSEASON AWARDS: The Norse had four players receive Horizon League postseason awards, as voted on by the League’s head coaches. Trey Ganns (UTL), Quint Heady (OF) and Logan Spurlin (C) were each named Second Team All-League while Will Haueter earned an All-Freshman Team nod.
SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS: The Crusaders (27-26, 17-12 Horizon League) earned the No. 3 seed after sweeping Youngstown State in a three-game set last weekend. Valpo leads the HL in batting average at .286 and is second in slugging percentage (.393), on-base percentage (.374) and runs scored (343, 6.5 per game). Nolan Lodden, a First Team All-League selection, is the team’s leading hitter with a .347 average and League-high 51 runs scored. Shea Molitor has driven in 51 runs, which ranks second in the HL as the third baseman also earned a spot on the All-League first team.
ON THE MOUND: Valpo’s expected starter, Dalton Lundeen, is the reigning Horizon League Pitcher of the Week after tossing a complete game shutout in a 4-0 win over YSU last weekend. The senior southpaw is seventh in the League in ERA at 3.12 with a team-high 89.1 innings pitched. Teams are batting .240 against Lundeen who has fanned 66 and walked 19.
NKU is expected to send Ganns to the mound for his ninth appearance and eighth start. The sophomore lefty owns a 4.21 ERA and 3-3 record. He has tossed 47.0 innings and has struck out 45 while issuing just 15 walks.
SERIES HISTORY: The all-time series between the Norse and Crusaders is tied at 4-4 dating back to the first meeting in 1984 when Valpo won a single game, 5-4. This season, the Norse are 2-3 against the Crusaders after Valpo swept NKU in a three-game set March 18-20 in Highland Heights. NKU then swept Valpo in a doubleheader on May 8 by scores of 12-4 and 9-4 on the road.
Quint Heady has seen success against Valparaiso, batting 7-for-18 (.389) against the Crusaders. Four of Logan Spurlin’s 10 total home runs have come against Valpo pitchers for seven RBI.
HEADY’S HEATING UP: Heady, who plays both infield and outfield, has batted 21-for-42 (.500) in the month of May. Across NKU’s nine May games, Heady has also driven in seven runs, scored seven runs and stolen seven bases. The last time the Norse saw action was a May 15 doubleheader against YSU when Heady went 8-for-10 with four RBI and two home runs. He has hit safely in 13 of the last 14 contests to become NKU’s leading hitter with a .322 season average. His batting average improves to .326 in road contests and .356 in League games.
ODDS AND ENDS: NKU has a Horizon League-best 106 doubles across 53 games, for 2.00 per game. Individually, Will Haueter has a League-best 18 doubles, which is tied for 31st in the NCAA and 10th all-time at NKU.
The Norse have posted double-figure hits in six of their last eight games, spanning the last four HL doubleheaders. They have out-hit opponents 93-75, and out-scored them 54-45 in that span.
Spurlin is tied for eighth all-time at NKU with 21 career home runs after clubbing 10 this season, the ninth-most in a single season at Northern Kentucky.
Sophomore Mike Moffatt has batted 10-for-24 (.416) with six runs scored and three RBI across the last six games.
Four Norse on All-Conference team
Four members of the Northern Kentucky University baseball team received postseason awards from the Horizon League on Tuesday, as voted on by the League’s head coaches. Seniors Quint Heady and Logan Spurlin and sophomore Trey Ganns were named Second Team All-League while Will Haueter was selected to the All-Freshman team.
Entering Horizon League Championship play, Heady leads the Norse with a .322 average to sit among the League’s top 10 batters. The Louisville, Kentucky, native has batted .356 in HL contests this season and leads NKU with 16 stolen bases on 20 attempts. Heady is second on the team in RBI with 28 and home runs with six.
Spurlin earned a spot on the All-League Second Team after concluding the regular season with a .312 batting average. The senior catcher leads the Horizon League in runners caught stealing with 23. His team-leading 38 RBI also rank among the League’s top-10. Spurlin has a .522 slugging percentage after clubbing a team-high 10 home runs, the second-most in the League.
Ganns, a Burlington, Kentucky, native, has appeared in all but two contests this season and earned his postseason nod as a utility player after splitting time between first base, designated hitter, and eight pitching appearances. The sophomore sports a .286 batting average and has posted 21 RBI at the plate this season. He has totaled 47.0 innings pitched and has accrued a 4.21 ERA and 3-3 record. Ganns has fanned 45 while issuing just 15 walks.
Haueter, NKU’s lone All-Freshman team selection, leads the HL in doubles with 18, which is tied for 31st in the NCAA and 10th in a single season in NKU program history. The Canton, Ohio native posted a .319 average in his rookie campaign and appeared in 46 of NKU’s 53 contests. Haueter is third on the squad in RBI with 24.
Baseball All-League Awards
Player of the Year: Daulton Varsho, Milwaukee (So., C)
Pitcher of the Year: Brian Keller, Milwaukee (Sr., RHP)
Relief Pitcher of the Year: Trevor Lane, UIC (Sr., LHP)
Freshman of the Year: Caleb Sampen, Wright State (RHP)
Coach of the Year: Greg Lovelady, Wright State
First Team-All-League
P – Brian Keller, Milwaukee (Sr., RHP)
P – Dalton Lundeen, Valparaiso (Sr., LHP)
P – Jesse Scholtens, Wright State (Sr., RHP)
RP – Trevor Lane, UIC (Sr., LHP)
C – Daulton Varsho, Milwaukee (So.)
1B – Ricardo Ramirez, UIC (Jr.)
2B – David Cronin, UIC (So.)
SS – Mike Brosseau, Oakland (Sr.)
3B – Shea Molitor, Valparaiso (Sr.)
OF – Ryan Fucci, Wright State (Sr.)
OF – Nolan Lodden, Valparaiso (Sr.)
OF – Luke Meeteer, Milwaukee (Sr.)
DH – Daniel Delaney, Valparaiso (Sr.)
UT – Ian Yetsko, Oakland (Sr.)
Second-Team All-League
P – Trevor Haas, Valparaiso (Sr., RHP)
P – Caleb Sampen, Wright State (Fr., RHP)
P – Trevor Swaney, Wright State (Jr., RHP)
RP – Nate Green, Oakland (So., RHP)
C – Sean Murphy, Wright State (Jr.)
C – Logan Spurlin, Northern Kentucky (Sr.)
1B – Nate Palace, Valparaiso (Jr.)
2B – Billy Quirke, Milwaukee (Jr.)
SS – Mitch Roman, Wright State (Jr.)
3B – Ben Hart, Oakland (So.)
OF – Peyton Burdick, Wright State (Fr.)
OF – Josh Clark, Valparaiso (So.)
OF – Quint Heady, Northern Kentucky (Sr.)
DH – Alex Dee, UIC (Fr.)
UT – Trey Ganns, Northern Kentucky (So.)
All-League Freshman Team
Elijah Goodman, Milwaukee (RHP)
Caleb Sampen, Wright State (RHP)
Kyle Benyo, Youngstown State (OF)
Peyton Burdick, Wright State (OF)
Chase Dawson, Valparaiso (OF/IF)
Alex Dee, UIC (INF)
Ryan Fitzgerald, Oakland (OF)
Will Haueter, Northern Kentucky (C)
Wyatt Mascarella, UIC (C)
JD Orr, Wright State (OF)
Scott Ota, UIC (INF/OF)
Sam Shaikin, Valparaiso (IF)
From NKU Athletics