DeKALB | A mixed bag of weather awaits the NIU baseball team for a three-game series at Southern Illinois.

NIU coach Ed Mathey hopes the March atmosphere cooperates for a 2 p.m. game on Friday and 1 p.m. match-ups Saturday and Sunday.

Impressed with the focus and intensity his team displayed in a season-opening series at Texas Tech, Mathey wants his team to display the same moxie on the field this weekend and improve on its approach.

“We need to execute better in some situations,” Mathey said. “We need to do some little things, move some runners up and bunt better this weekend.”

Junior lefty Matt Jernstad (0-0) is slated to open the series on the mound for NIU, followed by junior Trevor Feeney (0-0) and either sophomore Brandon Copp (0-0) or senior Mark Badgley (0-1).

Two factors will go into whomever Mathey chooses to start on the mound for the Huskies (1-2) Sunday starter: An examination of the SIU (7-3) Sunday lineup, and whether either appeared in a relief role during the series.

“Brandon and Badge were key bullpen components last year,” Mathey said. “We might need to use one of them to win a game Friday or Saturday.”