HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University baseball team will play Ashland University at 3 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Division II North Central Regional Tournament at Ashland, Ohio.
NKU is 37-23 after posting a 3-1 win over the University of Missouri-St. Louis in the championship game of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament last Sunday. The Norse have won 20 of their last 25 games going into the NCAA Tournament.
NKU is the No. 4 seed, while Ashland (45-13) is the top seed in the North Central Regional. Grand Valley State University (39-14) is the No. 2 seed and will play No. 3 seed University of Wisconsin-Parkside (40-16) in the other first-round game Thursday.
Play will continue through Saturday in the double-elimination format. The winner of the North Central Regional will advance to the NCAA Division II World Series in Montgomery, Ala., May 22-29.
REMATCH WITH THE EAGLES: NKU and Ashland met in a doubleheader earlier this season on April 27, and the Eagles swept the two games by scores of 13-4 and 7-4.
In 2002, the two teams played in the NCAA Division II North Central Regional finals at Ashland, Ohio, with Ashland posting a 6-2 victory over NKU to earn the trip to the World Series.
MOEVES EARNS GLVC HONOR: NKU’s Derrik Moeves has been named the GLVC Pitcher of the Year by the league’s coaches.
Moeves, a sophomore right-hander and a graduate of Highlands High School, has a 7-3 record with a 1.50 earned run average this spring. He owns a Norse single-season record 98 strikeouts entering the NCAA Division II Tournament and has allowed just 45 hits in 78 innings on the mound.
In addition, Moeves has a scoreless innings streak of 20 2/3 going into the NCAA Tournament. He has also not allowed an earned run in the past 33 2/3 innings.
Opposing hitters are batting just .171 against Moeves, who has not allowed a home run this season.
NKU junior closer Justin Seiter also earned first team All-GLVC honors. Seiter, a graduate of Bishop Brossart High School, has a team-leading nine saves and a 0.79 ERA this season. He has limited opposing hitters to a .197 batting average this spring.
NKU junior pitcher Matt Wiedeman was named second team All-GLVC. Wiedeman, a native of Lawrence, Kan., enters the NCAA Tournament with a 9-1 record and a 3.26 ERA. He also has two shutouts this season.
JACKSON NEARS SCHOOL RECORD: NKU junior designated hitter Keith Jackson enters the NCAA Tournament with 20 doubles, which is two shy of Pat Eschan’s school-record 22 in 2002. Jackson is also hitting .296 with 33 runs batted in.
NKU LEADERS: NKU senior first baseman Jerrod Fraley leads NKU in RBI with 39, and he is tied with sophomore catcher Conor McGeehan for first on the squad with four home runs.
Norse senior second baseman Justin Mundt has stolen a team-leading 24 bases this spring, while senior third baseman Shaun Erie has 19 steals. Senior outfielder Craig Craddock is 11-for-11 in stolen bases for NKU, which has a total of 101 steals this season.
Erie enters the NCAA Tournament with 226 career hits, which ranks No. 3 in Norse history.
ABOUT ASHLAND: The Eagles are led by senior outfielder Brandon Cornell, who is batting .419 with 10 homers and 71 RBI. Senior catcher Josh Gaub is hitting .409 with six homers and 57 RBI.
Ashland’s pitching staff features junior right-hander Cody Castle, who is 8-4 with a 3.43 ERA. Freshman right-hander Josh Davidson is 9-2 with a 3.23 ERA, and junior right-hander Todd Martinelli owns an 8-2 mark with a 3.88 ERA.
NCAA II North Central Regional
(hosted by Ashland University)
Thursday, May 13
Grand Valley State (39-14) vs. UW-Parkside (40-16), noon
Ashland (45-13) vs. Northern Kentucky (37-23), 3 p.m.
Friday, May 14
Loser's bracket game, 10 a.m.
Winner's bracket game, 1 p.m.
Elimination game, 4 p.m.
Saturday, May 15
Championship game 1, noon
Championship game 2 (if necessary), 3 p.m.
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Shaun Erie |