NIU men’s golfer Nick Schenk posted his second top-10 finish of the year at the Ball State Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational Monday and Tuesday. The senior Batavia native opened with a 66-70 on Monday and finished the day two strokes off the lead. Schenk fired a 73 on Tuesday and was forced to settle for eighth place.

As a team, the Huskies shot an 860 and finished in seventh place in the 15-team field. Ball State won the event with an 824.

NIU finishes its fall schedule Nov. 5-6, when the Huskies take part in the MAC/Big East Conference Challenge.

LUCK OF THE IRISH

Lisa Bailey should have been in Las Vegas. She just couldn’t avoid the number seven at the 21st Annual Huskies Golf Classic Monday and Tuesday. The junior fired back-to-back rounds of 77, and finished in seventh place. Bailey has three top-10 finishes on the fall season.

Butler claimed the team championship with a 604.

NIU finished in third place with a 637. The Huskies wrap up their season Monday and Tuesday at the Shootout at the Legends in Franklin, Ind.

DIAMOND NOTES

The “boys of summer” are ready to open their fall season. The NIU baseball team is back in action with the annual Cardinal and Black World Series, taking place Saturday through Tuesday.

Baseballnews.com ranks NIU’s freshmen class No. 2 in the MAC and 60th nationally. Coach Ed Mathey has assembled back-to-back highly-touted recruiting classes.

“We are ecstatic with the class,” Mathey said. “Coupled with last year’s 70th-ranked class, we have got two excellent back-to-back classes for the future.”

The coaching staff focused on local talent and five of the six recruits were ranked in the Illinois High School Coaches Association’s “Cream of the Crop” Top-50 listing.

NIU also returns a strong starting rotation, led by Nick Hall and sophomore Brian Smith, who went 6-6 with a 2.85 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 82 innings pitched last season.

MEN’S BASKETBALL TRYOUTS

NIU students looking to be the next Huskie hoops star for the men’s team can fill out applications for team tryouts at the athletic office in the Convocation Center this week.

The deadline to apply is Friday. All applicants need to have a valid physical, assistant coach Donald Whiteside said.

LOOKING FOR THE FOURTH TITLE

NIU cross country finished 21st in a 28-team field at Loyola’s 33rd Annual Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational.

Next up for NIU is the Benedictine University Eagle Invitational. NIU is the three-time defending champion and will look for a “four-peat” Friday at 3:30 p.m. in Lisle.

NEW SOFTBALL ASSISTANT

NIU softball coach Donna Martin has a new top assistant with a winning history – former Ole Miss skipper Candi Letts.

Letts led Ole Miss to its first-ever winning season in 2005, and in seven seasons she posted 150 wins. Letts also coached Colorado State to a No. 9 national ranking in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Poll.