Spring Break for the NIU baseball team served as a learning experience and an opportunity to work out the kinks.

The Huskies (4-10) went 2-7 on the trip, which featured games against teams Texas State and No. 25 Oklahoma.

NIU dropped the first four games of its Texas road trip. The Huskies opened with a 3-1 loss at Texas State on March 7. NIU then fell in consecutive games at Texas Tech, 11-5 and 8-5.

“The teams we played are good teams,” NIU coach Ed Mathey said. “When you play good teams, they make you pay for your mistakes.”

NIU finished the weekend with a 16-5 loss to Texas State on March 9. Though the game was a blowout, a bright spot came in the form of Jordin Hood, who belted home runs in his first two at-bats. The sophomore tied his career highs of three runs and three RBIs in a game.

“This has been a learning experience for our team,” senior Jeff Thomas said. “We didn’t play bad, but we didn’t play too well either. We just couldn’t put it all together.”

NIU picked up a 6-1 win over Texas-San Antonio on March 11. The Huskies rallied behind a solid pitching performance by Dave Reynolds. The sophomore allowed only three hits and one run in six and two-thirds innings in his first collegiate start.

“Dave was really outstanding,” Mathey said. “Texas-San Antonio had been hitting about .325 as a team, but he threw effectively and threw strikes.”

NIU belted out 13 hits in an 11-5 loss to Oklahoma. Pat Minogue went 3-for-5 at the plate with two RBIs. Starting pitcher Trevor Feeney gave up 11 hits and eight runs in five innings.

“I think we’re hitting the ball real solid,” Thomas said. “I think the team is seeing the ball well; we’re just not hitting in the situations real well. We’re not manufacturing runs, but we’re getting there.”

NIU lost its final weekend series at Dallas Baptist, 2-1. The Huskies dropped 11-8 and 13-2 contests to the Patriots. The pitching was up and down over the weekend, as the Huskies allowed 12 walks on Friday.

However, things turned around as Adam Holdenrid turned in a solid pitching performance in a 10-2 win Saturday. The senior allowed two runs in seven innings, improving his record to 2-1 on the year.

“As the break went on we started to swing the bats better,” Mathey said. “[Overall] I was disappointed with the amount of walks, a lot leading off innings which puts you on your heals defensively. That’s something we need to get better at.”

Action continues for the Huskies as they travel to Chicago State to face the Cougars Tuesday at 2 p.m.