One third of the season is complete, and NIU baseball sits tied atop the MAC West.

The Huskies (14-9) will step out of MAC play to take on in-state rival Illinois State (12-13) at 2:30 p.m. today at Ralph McKinzie Field.

“ISU is just a level below MAC ball,” NIU coach Ed Mathey said. “Our players know their player well, and ISU recruits Chicago so they will have some fans there too.”

A composed, competent and competitive squad that has remained even keel when faced with challenges has made the grade of a “solid B” so far, Mathey said.

Offensively, NIU has kept up its assault on MAC pitchers, as it continues to lead nearly every offensive category.

Not to be outdone, the pitchers are slowly treading their way up the statistical leader board also. Their ability to establish a quick pace has found favor with the players in the field.

“Our pitchers learned a thing or two at Akron this weekend,” Mathey said. “Their pitchers worked real quickly, the game times were all just over two hours, even the extra inning game.”

A torrid streak has seen a spike in batting average for Danny Reed. The junior transfer mans right field and now leads NIU in batting at .371.

ISU comes into DeKalb roaring after a sweep of Missouri State this weekend.

The three-game wining streak comes on the heels of a four-game skid that featured three losses to Southern Illinois. NIU was 1-2 against SIU this year.