Confidence is key to winning in any sport, and NIU baseball coach Dave Schrage believes it has been a big reason why the Huskies are on a five-game winning streak.

One week ago, NIU sported four straight conference losses against Eastern Michigan. But since then, the Huskies have tallied five straight non-conference games to get above .500 again, putting them at 15-14.

“We needed to get some wins to regain some momentum,” Schrage said. “We got a big come-from-behind win against Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and that seems to be what got us back on track.”

During their winning streak, NIU averaged about 11 runs per game and held its opponent to only 4.2 runs an outing. On Saturday, the Huskies swept a double-header from St. Xavier, with great pitching sealing the deal. NIU pitchers allowed only two unearned runs.

Hitting also has been key to the Huskie run. Freshman shortstop Trevor Stocking has been on a hitting tear in his last three starts, going 6-for-9 with two RBI and three runs scored. In three games, the freshman shortstop has raised his average from .235 to .326.

Along with Stocking, rightfielder Pat Kerrigan has had five hits in his last 10 at bats, with four RBI and four runs scored.

Today, the Huskies will face Mount St. Clare at McKenzie Field for a 3 p.m. contest. Stephen Ayers will start the game, looking to extend NIU’s win streak to six games, which would be the longest winning streak since NIU brought back the program in 1991.

“Winning is contagious, and once the kids started believing, we’ve played well,” said Schrage. “I’ve been very pleased with the way we’ve played in the last week, as we have regained some confidence and played more relaxed.”