Like a caged animal ready to pounce on its prey, NIU will get its chance today at the Dunn Hospitality Diamond Tournament in Evansville, Ind. The three-game set features games with Eastern Illinois (0-0), Evansville (2-2) and Wisconsin-Milwaukee (0-3).

“It was an awesome experience going to Arizona State,” senior infielder Kyle Pettengell said. “Seventy-five to 80 degrees beats being here in DeKalb in the gym. The hardest thing to do was go out and play and come back in the gym.”

NIU (0-3) didn’t come back from Arizona with a win, but gained some experience against one of the best teams in the country.

“Playing against good competition, we had to step our game up a notch,” junior infielder Scott Simon said. “I think that down the road it is really going to help us out.”

NIU fields a team with limited collegiate experience. The opening day lineup featured only 75 starts and 300 at bats combined.

“Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect at Arizona,” senior outfielder Brian Toner said. “But I liked our effort. This weekend, you have to expect to win three games. I mean we will take it one at a time, but basically we just want to get out and play. We are sick of being inside.”

A 21-game road trip awaits the newly minted NIU roster. First pitch at Ralph McKinzie Field is March 28 when Bradley University comes to town.

NIU relief pitchers have allowed only four runs in 14.1 innings, good for a 2.51 ERA. Matt German, Matt Jernstad, Dave Nykiel and Brandon Copp have yet to allow an earned run.

“One of the things that stood out at ASU,” Pettengell said. “Was our bullpen and pitchers. They are No. 10 in the nation and we played tough because the pitchers kept us in it.”

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In 2004, Simon had a banner season with a .374 batting average, 71 RBIs and 24 doubles. A wrist injury forced the junior infielder to miss most of the 2005 season and kept him away from his stress reliever — playing the guitar.

“I am into guitar,” Simon said. “I play rock. Metallica is my favorite, System of a Down is cool, too. Guitar is good relaxation, I get some of my frustrations out.”

As a returning upperclassman, Simon said he is more of a leader by example. His goals for 2006 are simple.

“I just want to get back to where I was before the injury — 100 percent,” Simon said. “It takes some game situations to get back in the groove of things.”

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A tiny patch of hair sits on the chin of Toner, a quick-witted outfielder with an infectious smile. Toner talks with an intense tone. Dedication to the program gives the aura that he is the guy who can start a rally with a hustle play.

“I think we will have had a successful season if I come out to the field every day and played hard,” Toner said.

The senior outfielder talks about the team like a proud father who wants to see his children surpass his own life’s accomplishments.

“I want to set a path for the underclassmen,” Toner said. “If us upperclassmen do that then the younger guys will see that is what the program is about. I want to leave it better than I came, set the bar high and keep it there.”

Like many baseball players, Toner is a creature of comfort, and begrudgingly admits he has a few superstitions on game days.

“I try and take the same approach, keep the same routine,” Toner said. “I wear the same socks all season, eat the same breakfast; eggs, hash browns, orange juice. I’m not crazy about it but I like to keep some rhythm.”

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A new dynamic will be in the NIU lineup Pettengell hasn’t seen in his five years on the team.

“Our lineup may not hit as many home runs as in the past,” Pettengell said. “But we have more team speed, it will be an exciting team to watch.”

Like the White Sox of 2005 that rode an aggressive lineup to the World Series, Pettengell said NIU will key on pressuring the opponents defense.

“As a defensive player when you know a team can run it always keeps you thinking, ‘are they going to run here?’

We’ve got some guy in here now that if you put them on first you might as well give them second, too,” Pettengell said.

Among MAC teams, NIU has the highest ranked schedule based on the quality of its opponents.

“These are three games we definitely should win,” Pettengell said. “We are capable of winning if we play the way we can play. My expectations are to win three games and get us back to .500. I see no reason why we can’t go and win all three games.”