ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland Golden Grizzlies Baseball team will host their first series of the 2026 season at "The Den", OU Baseball Field in Rochester, March 20-22, against the Northern Kentucky Norse. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET with all games being streamed on ESPN+ with Matt Kibby on the call.
Oakland Golden Grizzlies baseball opened Horizon League play last week by winning two of three games on the road against Youngstown State Penguins baseball, showcasing both offensive firepower and late-game resilience across the weekend.
The series began Friday with a narrow 6–5 loss, despite one of Oakland's most explosive innings of the season. Trailing early, the Golden Grizzlies surged ahead with a four-run fifth inning, highlighted by a go-ahead grand slam and an additional home run that swung momentum in their favor. However, Youngstown State responded late, using a two-run eighth inning to reclaim the lead and hand Oakland a tough defeat in the opener.
Oakland answered emphatically on Saturday with a 12–6 win, turning in its most complete offensive performance of the series. The Golden Grizzlies piled up 11 hits, including three triples and two home runs, and consistently applied pressure by scoring across multiple innings. The early run support and sustained offensive rhythm allowed Oakland to even the series while regaining confidence at the plate.
In Sunday's finale, Oakland once again demonstrated its ability to respond under pressure, rallying for a 4–3 victory to secure the series. Trailing 3–1 late in the game, the Golden Grizzlies capitalized on defensive miscues and delivered timely hits during a decisive three-run seventh inning. The pitching staff then locked in over the final frames, shutting the door to preserve the comeback win.
Senior left-hander Tanner Ware was named the Horizon League's Pitcher of the Week from his work on the mound in Saturday's win at Youngstown State. The Canton, Ohio native earned his first win of the season with a 5.2 inning outing, only giving up one earned run on five hits. He picked up five strikeouts at the plate and ended the ballgame with a 1.59 ERA dropping his average to 6.53 to lead the Oakland bullpen.
SCOUTING THE NORSE
Northern Kentucky is 8-11 overall after opening conference action hosting Milwaukee, but falling in the series 1-2. The Norse fell in seven innings, 16-1, to Louisville in midweek action this week. The Norse's offense is powered by Marcus Harrison, picking up 24 hits off of a .400 batting average at the plate, as Gannon Wentz is leading the bullpen with a 3.12 ERA in eight appearances and EJ Miramontes owns 20 strikeouts on the year.
A tight series between Horizon League opponents, NKU holds the upper edge with a 30-27 all-time record against the Golden Grizzlies. Last year, Oakland went 2-1 in both series home and away with Northern Kentucky before falling to them as the No. 2 seed in double-elimination in the Horizon League Tournament.
How to Follow Oakland Baseball: For complete information on Oakland Baseball, follow the team on X at @OaklandBSB and head coach Brian Nelson at @CoachNelly11. The team is also on Instagram.
