April 23, 2002

NKU TO MEET ASHLAND, QUINCY

Norse face important regional games this week

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University baseball team, now 24-20 overall after sweeping a three-game series at Lewis University this past weekend, will travel to Ashland, Ohio, on Wednesday to meet regional powerhouse Ashland University in a 2 p.m. doubleheader. Ashland, ranked No. 1 in the North Central Region poll, owns a 32-9 record. The Eagles are in first place in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a 14-6 record. NKU will return home this weekend to host Quincy University in a three-game series, beginning with a noon doubleheader on Saturday. NKU - ranked No. 3 in the North Central Region - is 15-7 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and in second place, 1 1/2 games behind GLVC leader University of Indianapolis. NKU’s Lenny Bays has been named GLVC co-Pitcher of the Week. Bays, a senior right-hander and a graduate of Bellevue High School, tossed a three-hit shutout and also recorded 11 strikeouts Saturday as NKU defeated Lewis, 1-0. On April 15, Bays allowed just two earned runs during a 6-4 win over Bellarmine University. For the week, Bays was 2-0, had a 1.20 earned run average and also had 17 strikeouts. Bays is 6-2 with a 2.38 ERA this season. Sophomore second baseman Shaun Erie is batting .376 with 44 runs scored. Senior first baseman Steve Walton is hitting .361 and leads the GLVC with 57 RBI. Walton needs just nine RBI to set the NKU single-season record. John Heeter currently owns the single-season RBI mark with 65 in 1990. Senior third baseman Pat Eschan is batting .350 with a team-leading 10 home runs. Eschan also leads NKU with 47 runs scored. Senior catcher Jason Martin is batting .333 with 36 RBI. Martin currently has 245 career hits and is closing in on the NKU all-time record of 263 hits, held by Gary Flowerdew. Martin needs just 19 hits to become the Norse’s all-time hit leader.