DeKALB | These are the dog days of the NCAA baseball season.

Game No. 41 of 54.

The NIU baseball team is battling finals, little nagging injuries and a 2-6 record in its last eight games that proved to be a late-season bump in the road.

NIU (22-18) heads to Evanston to take on Northwestern (10-29) at 3 p.m. today at Rocky Miller Park.

Defensively, NIU had a rough outing with four errors in a 4-2 loss on Sunday to Eastern Michigan. NIU coach Ed Mathey asked his team to improve its fielding.

“We have to take care of some business,” Mathey said. “We need to come out committed to the defensive side of the ball a little bit better to help us get through some things.”

Despite a lack of frequently positive results in the last two weeks, Mathey said it is not due to a lack of effort from his team that currently sits perched in the sixth and final qualifying spot for the MAC Tournament.

“Our kids are busting their butts,” the fifth-year coach said. “We are trying to win some ball games; it’s just that close doesn’t get you anywhere.”

On the mound for the Huskies will be left-hander Brandon Copp. The sophomore has a record of 3-2 on the season and a 5.53 ERA.

In his last start, the West Aurora native picked up the win over UIC with a five-inning performance in which he allowed four hits and two runs.

A pair of Danny’s are No. 1 and No. 2 in hitting for NIU. Junior right fielder Danny Reed is all the way up to .357- fourth best in the MAC-and has a team high .457 on base percentage. Senior outfielder Danny Jewett has a .327 average and is 10 for 14 in stolen base attempts.

In his tenure, Mathey is 37-18 against in-state competition and has repeatedly said NIU approaches the mid weeks games against local foes as just a step under MAC competition.