They may be taking on the MAC West-leading Ball State squad but the NIU softball team will try its hardest to break a season-long seven-game losing skid today in Muncie, Ind.

The Huskies will square off in a doubleheader against the Cardinals today with the first pitch set for noon and the second game is slated for a 2 p.m. start.

The Huskies have lost their last seven games because of a struggling offense. During the streak, NIU has been shut-out in three games and lost another by the eight-run mercy rule. Though the pitching staff has remained relatively tight, the Huskie batters haven’t been able to find their swing.

“We’re just trying to get back on track and figure out how we want to move forward,” said NIU head coach Lindsay Chouinard. “It’s all about finding a way to attack and getting things going at the plate. If they can make those adjustments and attack, they’ll be just fine.”

NIU’s most recent loss came in a doubleheader against Western Michigan, where the team dropped its first game of the match 4-0 and couldn’t pull away in the second, losing 6-3. Between the games, Huskie batters combined for only nine hits.

After the weekend’s games, freshman pitcher Morgan Bittner complimented the team’s defensive efforts but said the lack of offensive support was frustrating. Chouinard hopes the team finds its offensive rhythm so Bittner and the pitching staff can focus on what they need to do on the mound rather than the team’s struggling bats.

“The pitchers need to focus on what they can control and the way that they should pitch,” the coach said. “If they start worrying about the offense or even worrying about the defense, then you’re not focusing on what you’re supposed to be doing. If they start worrying about the offensive or defense, then we are in trouble.”

Ball State enters today’s game with a 10-1 conference record to put them in the No. 1 spot in the MAC West.

Helping Ball State to the top is back-to-back pitcher of the week Elizabeth Milian. Milian earned this week’s title after striking out 20 batters in 23 innings over the past weekend.

“If we come out and play like we are capable, we’ll be fine,” the coach said about the pitching threat. “I just try to tell the girls it’s not about who we’re playing or what they bring or what they provide, it’s about us focusing on what we should be doing. To be honest, I am just concerned about my team and what approach we are going to have.”

After Friday’s games, NIU will continue its seven-game road swing at Miami-Ohio, where they are set to play Saturday at 3 p.m. and again on Sunday at noon.

The RedHawks sit in the No. 3 spot in the MAC East with a 8-4 conference record and enter the weekend’s games after splitting a doubleheader with former MAC rival Marshall University.