For the first time this season, the NIU baseball team finds itself with a sub.-500 record.

The Huskies lost a three-game series to Ball State last weekend, dropping them to 8-10.

The Huskies face Bradley today, with Game 1 of a double-header starting at 1 p.m. If NIU sweeps the Braves, it would return to .500.

“We’ve dug ourselves a little bit of a hole to start the league season, but Ball State has had our number the past 19 years,” said NIU coach Dave Schrage. “We bounced back last year after they swept us; I just hope that our guys are resilient enough to bounce back again.”

Despite Schrage’s hopes, the Huskies might have their hands full with Bradley. The Braves (8-10) won the three-game series against Indiana State, 2-1, last weekend. The Huskies lost a two-game series to the Sycamores, 7-1 and 4-3.

Junior center fielder Pat Kerrigan looks to extend on his NIU career-leading 38 doubles against Bradley.

Kerrigan tied the record Friday and broke it Saturday on a lead-off double in the seventh inning.

Unfortunately for second baseman Jason Ciarrachi, his hitting streak was put to a stop against Ball State last week.

The second baseman came into last weekend’s series with a 13-game hitting streak, which surpassed Kerrigan’s team-leading 12-game hitting streak from last season.