After playing on the road for the last month, the NIU baseball team will play a doubleheader at 12 p.m. Saturday against Calumet College of St. Joseph in their home opener at Ralph McKinzie Field.

The Huskies (7-7) are riding a three-game winning streak and are happy to come back to DeKalb.

“It’s always good to get back to our normal routines,” coach Ed Mathey said. “We’re just hoping to continue our recent success.”

The Huskies seem to have found their stroke, scoring 25 runs over the past three games. Junior infielder Rob Marconi leads the Huskies with four home runs.

Fellow junior infielder Joe Mazzuca leads the team with 15 RBIs. Mazzuca also has made the switch from second base to shortstop.

“We had a lot of guys who were determined to make a stand right away,” junior infielder Josh Owens said. “We have a lot of guys that can really swing the bat well and we’re a really deep team.”

Freshman Scott Simon is leading the way for rookies with a .441 batting average with two home runs and 11 RBIs.

Freshmen pitcher Mark Badgley also is providing NIU with a lot of help, leading the team with three saves.

“It’s great to see all the younger guys playing up to their abilities,” Owens said. “[Nick] Hall, Badgley and Simon are all just doing what they do best. They all have a ton of baseball talent and are all really athletic.”

Another pleasant surprise this season has been the play of the Huskies’ catchers. Sophomores Mike Kukla and Derek Barrone both are batting over .440, while freshman Anthony Venetucci has batted in two runs in just eight at-bats.

“All those guys back there have worked hard to get better,” Mathey said. “They’re all solid back there and are definitely helping the team out. All those guys back there have warranted some playing time.”

Despite the distractions going on in the Middle East, Mathey is confident his team can remain focused.

“Being college kids, distractions are always a concern,” Mathey said. “We have worked on trying to focus on the moment when we get out there and we’re doing a pretty good job of that.”