Let the MAC games begin for NIU softball.

The Huskies will face Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan in their first road games of the conference season.

The Huskies managed one win versus Miami (Ohio) and Ball State last weekend.

“The reason we did not win this past weekend was because at the end of the game they start to doubt,” said NIU softball coach Lindsay Chouinard. “Instead of just trusting their work and being confident in it and finishing the game.”

Friday, the Huskies will look to spoil Eastern Michigan’s (14–18, 3–1 MAC) home opener and improve their MAC record when they travel to Ypsilanti, Mich. for a double header.

NIU offense, which leads the MAC in hitting at .370, will face Eastern Michigan’s Lindsay Rich, who was named the MAC West Pitcher of the Week.

“Eastern is a good team,” Chouinard said. “The MAC has a lot of parity. Right now there are a lot of good pitchers in the conference and it is going to be about who executes.”

NIU will then travel to Mount Pleasant, Mich. to take on Central Michigan (14–13, 1–2 MAC).

Sophomore Stephanie Tofft said she could help the Huskies this weekend by playing better defensively. The pitching staff struggled some last weekend, and Tofft knows playing sound defense behind them will help.

“One thing we can improve upon is hitting when we need to,” Tofft said. “We hit well, but sometimes, we couldn’t hit when we needed to with runners in scoring position.”