NIU (11-18 Overall, 4-4 MAC)

Last Time Out

With a one-run lead and the tying run at third, NIU allowed Northwestern’s Jake Goebbert to blast off a two-run walk off home run.

The Huskies started the final frame with Tom Zelasko on the mound. With the tying run getting to third, however, NIU went to the bullpen and brought in Dave Reynolds.

The loss puts the Huskies on a four-game slide, as they were swept last weekend at Kent State.

Key Player

NIU head coach Ed Mathey said his team needs to regain the ability to finish a game.

The Huskies have had late inning leads in two of their last four games only to lose all four games.

“We’re doing some good things because two of those games we had control in the late innings,” Mathey said. “We just have to close out some games.”

NIU will look to Zelasko, a sophomore, to take control of the ninth. The southpaw is 2-2 with three saves and an ERA of 4.56.

Vital Stat

33

Last season NIU scored 33 runs against Akron in three games.

The Huskies opened their weekend series with a 5-4 win but then exploded to score 14 runs a piece in the next two contests.

Akron battled back, scoring 11 and 10 runs respectively in the final two games but the offensive fire power wasn’t enough to beat NIU.

Akron (6-23 Overall, 3-6 MAC)

Last Time Out

Weather held Akron out of its mid-week action against Michigan.

Last weekend the Zips went 1-2 against the Eagles of Eastern Michigan. Akron lost the opener 6-4 but rebounded to pull out a 8-6 victory. EMU held on to win the rubber match 5-3 over Akron.

Redshirt freshman Chris Bassitt earned his first career win as a Zip, moving to 1-1 on the year. The pitcher threw 3.2 perfect innings with four strikeouts and just one walk in Akron’s only win.

Key Player

With a staff ERA of 7.08, Akron has been vulnerable to many opposing batters this season.

According to NIU head coach Ed Mathey, the key has been to get to Zips bullpen.

Trying to prevent this will be Akron’s right-handed Tom Farmer. The senior will start the kick off for the weekend series on the mound for the Zips.

Farmer has two complete games in seven starts this year. The pitcher is also No. 5 in the MAC with 38 strike-outs. Farmer will be crucial to setting the tone for the Zips’ staff over the weekend.

Vital Stat

6.34

While Akron’s relief pitchers have struggled, so has their starting rotation.

The Zips have four starting pitchers who have a combined ERA of 6.34. The lowest ERA on the staff belongs to sophomore Benjamin Danziger. The right-handed huller has a 4.05 ERA with a 1-3 record in five starts.

Danziger has still been a target for hitters, who are batting .304 against the sophomore.