There’s a reason why teams schedule difficult non-conference opponents: to get better.

The case holds true for the NIU softball team. The Huskies recently had a West Coast road trip against the likes of Oregon, Oregon State and Washington.

“We didn’t play that well last week, but we were also playing very good teams,” NIU head coach Lindsay Chouinard said. “I think that’s always good preparation for the rest of the season.”

NIU will be looking to end a current seven-game losing streak at the Hawkeye Classic this weekend against Iowa and Western Illinois in Iowa City.

The Huskies (5-9) will play the Leathernecks (3-14) in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday. NIU will then face the Hawkeyes (16-6) in the second game, with the same game order Sunday.

“We want to learn from how we played last week,” Chouinard said. “We want to get better and get ready for MAC conference play.”

The Huskies, despite the difficult week, enter the weekend with the MAC West Player of Wte week in senior infielder Michelle Nendza. Nendza leads NIU offensively with a .474 batting average, five home runs and 13 RBIs.

“[Nendza] definitely set a standard for herself,” Chouinard said. “She’s in a good place with her physical skills; it’s about keeping it going mentally.”

Even with the recent offensive explosion by Nendza, the Huskies know it will take a team effort against a great pitching staff in Iowa. The Hawkeyes boast a team ERA of 1.08.

“We’re a very blue-collar team,” Chouinard said. “We’re going to earn our runs, we’re going to use our speed, we’re going to use our short game and we’re going to make defenses work.”

WIU is led by infielder Samantha Valentine with a .373 batting average and a .418 on-base percentage.

Outfielder Rachel West leads the Hawkeyes offensively with her .418 batting average. Iowa pitcher Amanda Zust has a 7-2 record in 17 appearences with 10 starts. Zust brings a 1.16 ERA while holding opposing batters to a .164 average.