HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Kent. – Their final series of the regular season, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies will venture south to battle the Northern Kentucky Norse in a three-game set beginning Thursday, May 19 at 2 p.m.
Friday's game is scheduled for 1 p.m., with the Saturday finale at 12 p.m.
Entering play at 27-24 (16-10 Horizon League), Oakland is in second place in the conference standings, while the Norse (17-31, 10-15) are in fifth.
Potential for program history
The Golden Grizzlies' 27 wins this season are the second-most in a campaign since the program began competing at the NCAA Division I level in 1998, trailing only the 28 wins recorded by the 2000 team.
Oakland can tie the program-record with one win in the series and can establish a new best by winning two games.
All-time record against Northern Kentucky
Splitting a doubleheader in Rochester in their most recent meeting on May 13, the Golden Grizzlies and Norse have battled 34 times, dating to March 25, 2016, with Northern Kentucky holding the slimmest of leads in the series, 18-16.
Probable starting pitchers
Thursday
Oakland
Graduate student right-hander
Quinton Kujawa: 11 games (4 starts), 2-1, 3.77 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, .226 OBA, 31 IP, 10 BB, 17 SO
Northern Kentucky
Freshman right-hander Kaden Echeman: 16 games (9 starts), 2-7, 5.98 ERA, 1.82 WHIP, .300 OBA, 52.2 IP, 33 BB, 39 SO
Friday
Oakland
Junior left-hander
Travis Densmore: 13 games (9 starts), 4-3, 6.54 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, .322 OBA, 52.1 IP, 16 BB, 47 SO
Northern Kentucky
Junior right-hander Kyle Klingenbeck: 13 games (all starts), 3-6, 8.15 ERA, 1.70 WHIP, .255 OBA, 56.1 IP, 41 BB, 72 SO
Saturday
Oakland
TBD
Northern Kentucky
Sophomore left-hander Ben Gerl: 17 games (10 starts), 3-6, 5.52 ERA, 1.70 WHIP, .295 OBA, 76.2 IP, 40 BB, 60 SO
About the Norse
One of two players to start all 48 games, junior third baseman/shortstop Manny Vorhees, who boasts a club-high 50 RBI, is Northern Kentucky's leading hitter with a .313 batting average (61-for-195).
Sophomore second baseman/third baseman Liam McFadden-Ackman is the Norse's other hitter above .300, checking in at .308 (45-for-146).
Senior designated hitter Griffin Kain and redshirt junior right fielder Treyvin Moss have been the biggest base-stealing threats for Northern Kentucky, both swiping nine bags.
Out of the bullpen, graduate student Bryson Lonsbury, freshman Andrew Mulhern, and junior Michael Bohlen, all right-handers, have been important options for first-year head coach Dizzy Peyton, combining to record four saves and 68 strikeouts over 57 relief appearances.
