May 3, 2001

NKU FACES IPFW IN CRUCIAL SERIES

Norse need wins this weekend to earn GLVC Tournament berth

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University baseball team, which owns a 34-18 overall record, plays host to Indiana-Purdue University at Fort Wayne this Saturday and Sunday (May 5-6) in a three-game series. NKU is 11-13 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and holds a 1/2 game lead over Lewis University (10-13) and a one-game lead over Saint Joseph’s College (10-14) for the sixth and final GLVC Tournament berth. The Norse can wrap up the final GLVC Tournament berth by sweeping last-place IPFW (11-30, 5-18 GLVC). NKU will host IPFW in a noon doubleheader Saturday, and the Norse will close out the regular season with a single game at noon Sunday. The GLVC Tournament is scheduled to begin May 10, and the event will be held at Edwardsville, Ill. If NKU is tied with either Lewis or Saint Joseph’s after this weekend, the Norse will be eliminated from GLVC Tournament contention. Both Lewis and Saint Joseph’s hold head-to-head tiebreakers with NKU. NKU has dropped seven of its last nine GLVC games. The Norse have not qualified for the GLVC Tournament since 1992. The Norse are led by junior catcher Jason Martin, who is batting .406 with seven home runs and 46 runs batted in. Martin also has 12 doubles and a .611 slugging percentage. Senior first baseman Matt Mason leads the GLVC with 11 home runs, and he also has 49 RBI. Mason owns a team-leading .714 slugging percentage, and he ranks No. 2 on the team with 14 doubles. Junior outfielder Steve Walton ranks No. 2 in the GLVC with eight home runs, and he is batting .367. Junior center fielder Justin Rahschulte is batting .300 with a team-leading 15 doubles. The NKU pitching staff features juniors Lenny Bays (7-2, 3.19 earned run average) and Josh Whaley (7-4, 3.94 ERA). Bays leads NKU with 78 strikeouts, and Whaley ranks No. 2 with 69 strikeouts. Senior Kyle Pfetzer is 2-3 with a 3.95 ERA, and sophomore Chaz Goetz is 6-3 with a 4.63 ERA.