DeKALB | Before the NIU softball team gets ready for the MAC tournament, they must first face themselves – literally and figuratively.

The Huskies (18-21, 7-7) are still looking to find some stability and hope it comes this weekend when they face Ohio (20-24, 7-7) in a double-header today and Akron (14-19, 5-5) on Saturday and Sunday.

All the games will be played at Mary M. Bell Field, with the first pitch scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m.

Both Miami and Akron have also been struggling to find consistency and are similar to NIU in structure.

“We all have some solid hitters up top and have young teams so they are very comparable to us,” NIU head coach Donna Martin said. “It’s kind of like playing ourselves.”

Ohio is led by Kelly Rodriguez, hitting .366 with five home runs and 30 RBI, both team bests.

On the mound, the Bobcats’ main weapon this season has been sophomore Michelle Sauter, who carries a 13-9 record with a 2.47 ERA.

The Zips may not have a lot of power on offense, but they do have some solid hitting throughout the line-up. Sophomore outfielder Cali Stratton is leading with a .361 batting average including seven doubles.

Krista McPherson continues to lead the Huskies at the plate hitting .361 on the season, but lately it has been sophomore Bailey Ouellette who has been hot at the plate.

NIU comes off a pair of one-run losses to Kent State, which boasts the best record in the MAC. Before that, the Huskies had won three in a row.