Get swept in an important three-game road set, and get right back out there.

So goes the story of baseball at NIU.

“I think all of our players and coaches are a little salty after this past weekend,” said NIU coach Ed Mathey. “We don’t think we played up to our expectations and would like to get back out and get on the winning track.”

NIU gets a chance today at Wisconsin-Milwaukee (21-19). The first pitch is set for 3 p.m.

“UWM is a feisty bunch,” Mathey said. “They hit the ball well and are real aggressive on the bases. They beat us down in Evansville 9-8 earlier in the year.”

Senior outfielder Mike Goetz leads UWM with a robust .516 batting average, a .707 slugging percentage and a .601 on-base percentage.

Left-hander Brandon Hodge will take the mound for NIU. The senior Wisconsin native will face a UWM lineup stocked with six players who boast a batting average over .300. As a team, UWM is hitting .321.

“We played well against them at Evansville,” said senior right fielder Brian Toner. “It was a seesaw battle. I remember that they can hit, but we’ve got confidence that we can take care of business going into the game against them.”

NIU will not waste time licking its wounds, but will look to use the mid-week games to return to .500 and as a spring board to return to form before the MAC weekend series at Western Michigan.

“We need to get out there and play,” Mathey said. “We need to work in guys that haven’t been getting consistent at bats and at the same time get ready for the MAC weekend series.”

Toner leads NIU with a .366 batting average and a .585 slugging percentage.

“We’ve got a solid middle of the lineup,” Toner said. “And we’ve got a lot of speed at the top of the order. We need to change our approach to what the pitcher is giving us. For me, I stand off the plate, welcoming the outside pitch. I know if it is inside I can just react to it.”