If the NFL draft didn’t please Lou Holtz, today’s action in South Bend will.

He’ll have his chance this afternoon as the NIU softball team is on the road to take on Notre Dame at 3 p.m.

Today also marks the unraveling of the new national poll.

With what is occurring today in Indiana and with what has occurred over the last two weeks, the Huskies find themselves on somewhat of a rundown.

And today’s challenge is no slouch. The Fighting Irish are 26-12, winners of eight of their last nine (15 of the last 18) and have shutout opponents 15 times this season.

Those numbers are scintillating in considering that the Irish have only played at home six times (5-1 at Ivy Field).

Led by Sara Hayes (.315, 39 H, .452 slug%) and Terri Kobata (12-3, 0.67 ERA, 7 shutouts, 94 1/3 IP, 128 K), ND scores 3.18 points per game. With the fact that the NIU pitching staff allows exactly half that—only 1.59 earned runs per contest—something will have to give.

The Huskies (30-11, 9-1) might be able to bank on the desire if everything else fails.

A lot has happened since the last national poll on April 13. Conference play has begun. Michigan has bounced back after going 4-2 in the previous fortnight preceding the poll. And UIC is in first place in the Mid-Continent Conference.

Yes, UIC. Wonder how it’s going to look to the committee when it finds out that a team ‘also receiving votes’ is leading the conference in which the No. 12 team rests.

The Flames, who started the season 21-0, have gone 12-1 since April 13. They are also 11-1 in the conference and 43-6 overall. All numbers from the No. 4 squad in the Mideast Regional.

No. 3 in the Mideast, Michigan (No. 18 nationally), has gone 9-1 since the last poll in improving to 27-9.

NIU, listed No. 2 regionally, went 7-2 over the last two weeks that includes three rainouts.

And No. 1 Iowa (No. 9 nationally) might be the savior-in-disguise for the Huskies because the Hawkeyes were 10-2 in the two weeks. But, 10 of those 12 contests (and both losses) were on the road.

All in all, NIU has slipped into a position that is most undesirable. But, not totally incorrectable.

“You don’t want to have a program that has a great year and then (fails) to have a good year,” said 13-year Huskie honcho Dee Abrahamson. “You try and eliminate the peaks and valleys and establish yourself as a regional power year-in and year-out.”

Wisconsin-Green Bay and Loyola aren’t asking any questions about the validity of this year’s Huskie assemblage, though. With the two victories over the Ramblers, NIU boasts a 12-0 overall mark—most wins against any of the 59 schools to which the Huskies have not lost, other than Valparaiso (12-0).

The 30-win plateau reached in Sunday’s nightcap marks the seventh time NIU has attained that mark (1982, ‘85, ’88, ‘89, ’91, ‘92). In that same game, the Huskies tied a team record with five doubles (Ree Zenner 2, Niki VanHooreweghe, Mandy Clothier, Katie Welsh) set three times previously (1987-twice, 1991). Not a bad encore of the day’s opener when the ladies set a record with five triples.

‘When sophomore Denise Bloy stole home on the front end of a double-steal Sunday (Game One), she should’ve been given home plate. That was her first collegiate steal and first theft of home for a Huskie since 1988.

‘Senior Mary Borem is on ‘perfect’ pace to shatter the old catching fielding percentage record—.987 in 1984. She has been credited with 85 putouts and 20 assists without committing one error. Freshman Angela Porcelli (53 total chances without a miscue) is also worthy of defensive recognition. A 1.000 defensive standard would tie the mark set by an outfielder (achieved three times). They breed ‘em well at Morton High School. Opponents should think twice about tagging up on a fly ball to left.

HERE‘S THE PITCH …

‘Rob Bolton—I, like no one else, hope the Irish get beaten pretty hard. Being a Michigan nut, I’d love to see the Huskies do my dirty work.

With pitching the way it’s been, and the way the bats have been swatted, NIU adds wins 31 & 32. Final non-conference battles display prowess for NIU defense, though. The key ingredient to near-sure success finally cashes in for good … 0 errors.

Huskies drop to No. 17 in country but go 2-0 to start new poll with 2-1 and 7-4 victories.