After a successful 5-3 stand in sunny Florida, the NIU baseball team is finally getting back into the swing of things.

The Huskies (7-7) have belted their way to a .500 record, and will look to sustain their winning ways when they take on Chicago State University in Chicago at 3 p.m. this afternoon.

“We are getting our baseball legs beneath us,” NIU head coach Ed Mathey said. “Now we need to go back out there and get after it.”

Though the Cougars are still looking for their first win of the young season, NIU relief pitcher Dave Nykiel knows not to take CSU lightly.

“They have typically played us tough and should not be looked at as a pushover,” Nykiel said. “We want to keep the pressure on them from beginning to end.”

With this being the last game before conference play begins, Mathey hopes to utilize more relief pitchers out of the bullpen, and wants to see some position players accumulate a few more at-bats over the course of the contest Tuesday afternoon.

“I’m hoping we can get off to a good start and work in some more of our guys,” Mathey said. “I want our enthusiasm up before MAC play begins.”

Despite having an offense hitting .308 as a team, Mathey wants his batters to improve their approach at the plate when hitting with two strikes. He is also looking to shore up a few things on the defensive end, namely the key fundamentals of fielding the baseball.

Mark Badgley will look to get on track as he takes the mound for the Huskies. The NIU senior pitcher and McHenry, Ill. native has made five appearances thus far during the young 2007 season, posting a 6.75 earned run average with a 2.5 to one strikeout-to-walk

ratio.