Matt Wagers

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University baseball team can clinch the Great Lakes Valley Conference’s regular-season title and No. 1 seed in the upcoming league tournament with two wins this weekend.

NKU will begin a four-game series at Missouri-Rolla on Saturday, and the Norse’s magic number to wrap up the GLVC title is two. Any combination of NKU wins and/or Quincy losses totaling two will give the Norse the No. 1 seed in next week’s GLVC Tournament at Sauget, Ill.

NKU leads the GLVC with a 32-11-1 record. The Norse are 34-17-1 overall and ranked No. 3 in the latest NCAA Division II North Central Region ratings.

Missouri-Rolla is 11-37 overall, 9-32 in the GLVC.

NKU’s Paul David Patterson was named GLVC Pitcher of the Week in baseball on Monday. Patterson tossed a one-hitter last Saturday as NKU defeated Wisconsin-Parkside, 3-0, in the second game of a doubleheader.

Patterson, a 6-foot-8 senior right-hander, struck out 10 batters and walked just one en route to the complete-game victory. He allowed just a fifth-inning single in that game.

Patterson lowered his earned run average to 2.07, and it was his third complete game of the season. He is now 5-3 this spring and ranks No. 3 in the GLVC in opposing batting average at .179.

NKU junior right fielder Matt Wagers is No. 3 in the GLVC with 39 runs batted in, and he leads the team with five home runs. Norse junior first baseman Chris Nann leads the GLVC in triples with five.

A pair of NKU players - freshman outfielder Kenny Wilson and junior shortstop Kory Lonergan - are tied for third in the GLVC with 22 stolen bases apiece. Norse senior catcher Conor McGeehan leads the team in batting average (.321) and has 11 doubles this spring.