The NIU baseball team has a 5-1 record against in-state rivals.

The Huskies will look to continue their winning ways today at McKinzie Field for a 2:30 p.m. matchup with Illinois State.

Solid defense and timely hitting has led NIU (11-14, 4-2 MAC) to wins in six of its last seven games, three-straight series wins.

Center fielder Pat Minogue has assumed the team lead in batting average at .380, compliments of an eight-game hitting streak.

The redshirt freshman from Crystal Lake has been a table-setting catalyst at the top of the lineup.

“I’m just trying to get on base for the guys behind me,” Minogue said. “[Scott] Simon, [Brian] Toner and the guys behind me do a good job of driving in runs.”

Junior first baseman Simon is right on Minogue’s heels, batting .378. Simon leads NIU with 24 RBIs and a .460 on-base percentage.

Sophomore Jeff Thomas (.369), senior Toner (.333) and junior Jesse Seykora (.330) round out the NIU quintet of .300 hitters. As a team, NIU is hitting .293.

Sophomore Matt Jernstad will take the mound against ISU. The lefty will have a defense that has not made an error in five games and has given NIU pitchers confidence to throw all their pitches.

“It is very comforting for our pitchers to know that the pitches they throw for outs — they’ll get outs,” NIU coach Ed Mathey said. “We’ve been getting some above-average defensive play out there, and the success of our pitching goes hand in hand with the success of our defense.”

ISU (8-16, 3-3 MVC) is led offensively by junior Jesse Griswold. The ISU second baseman has a .370 batting average, has belted two home runs and has 14 RBIs.

Mathey has cautioned his young squad not to overlook an ISU team with a meager .241 batting average and a poor record.

“This is a good club in a good league,” Mathey said. “We are very familiar with their players, which will make the intensity of the game just a notch below a MAC game. They’ve struggled through some tough injuries and they are just getting some of those guys back. They have played a real tough schedule.”