April 16, 2002

NKU HITS ROAD FOR CRUCIAL GAMES

Norse (20-19, 11-6 GLVC) to meet Bellarmine, Lewis

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University baseball team is 20-19 after posting a 6-4 win over Bellarmine University on Monday at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex at Friendship Field. The Norse own an 11-6 record in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and are in third place in the league standings. NKU will travel to Louisville, Ky., on Wednesday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader with Bellarmine, and the Norse will also hit the road for Romeoville, Ill., this weekend to meet Lewis University in a three-game series that begins Saturday. NKU currently trails Lewis (10-5 GLVC) by one-half game, and the Norse are a full game behind GLVC leader University of Indianapolis (12-5 GLVC). Lewis and Indianapolis meet in a doubleheader on Tuesday. The No. 1 team in the regular-season standings will play host to the GLVC Tournament May 9-12. Sophomore second baseman Shaun Erie continues to lead NKU in hitting with a .393 batting average. Erie has scored 39 runs and also has nine doubles. Senior first baseman Steve Walton is batting .365 with seven home runs and a GLVC-leading 50 runs batted in. Senior third baseman Pat Eschan is batting .348 with a team-leading 10 home runs, and senior center fielder Justin Rahschulte is batting .344. Senior right-hander Lenny Bays is 5-2 with a 2.63 earned run average. Bays also has 46 strikeouts in 65 innings pitched. Senior right-hander Josh Whaley is 5-4 with a 4.57 ERA, and sophomore Chris Unkraut is 2-4 with a 2.88 ERA.