NKU’s Ricki Rothbauer

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University softball team begins play at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament on Friday with a first-round game against Missouri-St. Louis.

The GLVC Tournament is being held at East Peoria, Ill., and NKU enters the postseason with a 46-0 record. The Norse are ranked No. 1 nationally in the NCAA Division II poll and enter the GLVC Tournament eyeing Arizona’s all-time collegiate mark of 47 consecutive wins from April 5, 1996 to March 23, 1997.

NKU, which has set the Division II record for consecutive wins, is 100-7 during the past two seasons. A year ago, the Norse were 54-7.

NKU is led by junior pitcher Krystal Lewallen, who owns a 24-0 record and an NCAA Division II-leading 0.34 earned run average. The Norse also feature senior pitcher Emily Breitholle, who is 17-0 with a 0.97 ERA.

Norse junior second baseman Ricki Rothbauer needs just one hit and one run to set the NKU single-season records in both categories. Rothbauer, who is batting .439 with a GLVC-leading eight triples, currently has 75 hits and has scored 46 runs this season to tie school records.

Norse freshman Sarah King leads the GLVC in runs batted in with 42. King also has 10 doubles, four triples and two home runs.

If NKU defeats Missouri-St. Louis (18-26) in the first round, the Norse will meet either fourth-seeded Lewis or fifth-seeded Southern Indiana later on Friday. The GLVC Tournament is a double-elimination event that will run through Sunday.

The Norse have never won the GLVC Tournament championship. A year ago, NKU lost to Lewis in the championship game at East Peoria, Ill.