It isn’t heaven or even Iowa, but NIU has its own field of dreams brewing thanks to new head baseball coach Joe “Spanky” McFarland. It is a field of dreams filled with uncertainty and challenges, but McFarland is ready.

McFarland likes a challenge.

“Starting over really enables me to put my earmark on the program and build it the way I’d like,” McFarland said. “I feel Northern Illinois is very serious about baseball. We’re not just filling a requirement, the goal is to build an eventual NCAA contender.”

With Coach McFarland’s experience and enthusiasm, that goal might not take long to reach. His first head coaching job came at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, MI where he posted a .717 winning percentage. Overall, McFarland’s 13-year coaching career boasts a .656 winning percentage and five NCAA appearances.

McFarland comes to NIU after five seasons at the University of Southern Florida as an assistant and previously assisting at several other colleges, including Hillsdale (MI) College where McFarland was a pitcher, among other positions.

Pitching held his interest however, and is now McFarland’s specialty. McFarland has published two pitching books and has also successfully tutored 43 pitchers who signed professional contracts, including seven major leaguers.

McFarland will start from scratch at NIU with the help of his two assistants, Pete Tsotsos and Vern Hasty. Tsotsos, who played under McFarland at Southern Florida, will be concentrating on the middle infield positions, while Hasty, will be mainly assisting as a pitching coach.

McFarland and his assistants must now build their field of dreams from the ground up. This will be the first baseball season at NIU in eight years since the sport was cut in 1982 due to budgetary cuts. McFarland hopes to develop a team with walk-ons and will begin tryouts Sept. 4 at 3 P.M. at Huskie Baseball Diamond (formerly the softball field).

McFarland expects 150 players and will continue tryouts until Sept. 7 before making his first cuts. At that time, the number of players will be reduced to a workable number of 35 to 40 hopefuls who will wrap up tryouts the following week.

“If I’ve got to cut 120 men, I need to make sure they feel they got a chance to show me what they can do,” McFarland said. “The same kids I cut, I want to see in the stands at our games as fans; not mad becase they didn’t think they got a fair shot.”

McFarland plans to keep the fall schedule restricted to intrasquad competitions and possibly a few exhibition games. In the spring, the Huskies will be playing mostly Division II and Division III schools, but will also face several Division I squads. McFarland expects it to be a challenging schedule.

He wouldn’t want it any other way.