The NIU men’s team’s success this season didn’t go unnoticed as four players were honored when the MAC announced its postseason awards Tuesday.

Junior Willy Gali was named first-team All-MAC with a 25-4 record and win over MAC Player of the Year Ravishankar Pathanjali of Western Michigan in the MAC Championship. The Huskies lost, however, to the Broncos, who also had four selections to tie the Huskies atop the list.

Senior Juan Pablo Barriga also was named to the first team. This was his third consecutive year garnering postseason All-MAC honors.

Junior Erick Martinez and freshman Jack Komar were named to the All-MAC second-team.

The final award went to Barriga, who was named the recipient of this year’s Jack Vredevelt Sportsmanship Award. The Huskies captured the award last season as well with Raymond van Wasbeek, a 2003 NIU graduate who now is the team’s assistant coach.

Rock steady

NIU forward Jennifer Youngblood did something that no other women’s basketball player had ever done at NIU: She won her fourth consecutive team MVP on April 18.

Youngblood, who was known as the rock of the team, ranks 10th all-time at NIU with 1,453 points in her career and fourth best on the, Huskies charts with 1,010 rebounds.

The Rock Island native also took home the Queen of the Glass award given to the team’s best rebounder.

“I think it’s incredible,” coach Carol Hammerle said. “Those four MVP awards are picked by her peers, and that’s four different sets of peers. You look at all her accomplishments – fourth on this list and fourth on another, 10th on another. Her basketball credentials just go on and on. Jen is so humble. Since her freshman year, she just went out there and got it done.”

ISU tops NIU at home

The NIU baseball team fell behind 6-1 to Illinois State after two innings and couldn’t recover, losing 10-5 Tuesday at Redbird Field.

Third baseman Rob Marconi homered and drove in two runs for the Huskies (21-20 overall). Right hander Nathan Stillwell failed to repeat his stellar performance last week against St. Xavier (6 2/3 innings, one run, nine strikeouts) as he pitched just two innings, allowing six runs against ISU (14-22).

Mike Hochhauser went 3 for 3 with an RBI in the loss.

NIU senior lefty Joe Piekarz was named MAC West Co-Pitcher of the Week as he held Central Michigan to one run, striking out eight while going the distance in a 4-1 Huskies win. Central Michigan entered the weekend hitting .323, first in the MAC. The award was the second for Piekarz on the season.