Just keep talking. That is Nick Hall’s mantra.

As the No. 1 starter for the NIU baseball team, Hall has earned a reputation as an entertaining personality in the Huskie dugout.

Sitting at 4-4 with a 5.47 ERA on the season, the senior pitcher spoke to the Northern Star about the wind in DeKalb, his confidence in the bullpen and the dirt he has on his roommates.

Northern Star: What’s it like to live with all the transfer players (Daniel Jewett, Brett Kellam, Jesse Seykora)?

Nick Hall: Real good. The first hour we started living together, we were playing college football on PS2. We still play it every night. All the guys are great. We goof around and have tournaments in every game we play. We have banners all across the apartment of who wins what.

NS: So who is the best video game player?

NH: I am, bar none. Daniel Jewett is a close second. Jesse Seykora is awful and Brett Kellam is brutal.

NS: You got any dirt on your roommates?

NH: Seykora watches wrestling, like WWF wrestling, and we need to stop that. He thinks he’s John Cena. It’s kind of hard to get the television on Monday and Friday nights [from him].

NS: Does the wind in DeKalb make you wish that you weren’t a pitcher in the Midwest?

NH: True, very true. The wind in DeKalb blows, literally. It’s tough because some days it will be blowing out, blowing in, blowing across. And it’s hard to adjust. If it’s blowing in, you got to throw low fastballs. If it’s blowing out, you have to live on the outside corner. But you get used to it after three or four years.

NS: Explain why you picked Mike Jones as your introduction music as you take the mound.

NH: Because Mike Jones is off the charts. At the beginning of the year, I had his CD in my car for two or three months straight. When it came around to picking walkout songs, I just thought there was nothing better than Mike Jones because he says his name every five seconds.

NS: What’s up with reliever Mark Badgley using the “Walker, Texas Ranger” theme song for his walkout music?

NH: I lived with Badgley my freshman and sophomore years. He watches the Weather Channel for about three to four hours. He listens to the weirdest music. It’s either Bon Jovi or “Walker, Texas Ranger.”

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He’s great, though. It kind of fits him perfectly. He’s the kind of guy who just goes out there and has fun. It’s a good song for him and it’s fun for us in the dugout.

NS: With the combination of Badgley and Matt German in the bullpen, how much confidence does that give you when they come in the game?

NH: As about as much confidence as you can have in your bullpen. With German and Badgley back there, it’s a real nice combo to have. It’s a nice feeling to know you can leave a runner on first, a runner on second and they have a great chance of getting out of it. They’re both strikeout guys, both real accurate.

NS: Why does outfielder Brian Toner not wear sleeves no matter how cold it is outside?

NH: Have you seen his arms? He’s huge, man. If anyone can do it, he can. He’s the kind of guy who can wear no shirt and be fine. He’s a big boy. He’s a great guy to have on the team. The way he swings the bat, it’s just fun to watch. Him wearing no sleeves is almost intimidating to the other team.

NS: What are your plans for the future?

NH: My goal is hopefully get drafted by a professional team. I’ve talked to about 13 or 14 teams so far, so that’s my goal. If not, I can always fall back on my degree.